http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-741 greg Wed, 25 May 2011 09:39:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-741 One of the most interesting observations as i am a spider enthusiast was the semi social rather colonial behaviour of cyrtophora citricola spider in my garden in the spring-summer-autumn of 2010. At first during the winter (which was rather not very cold) was a single nest in a bush near the fence of my garden. But when the spring came a colonial explosion happened. Started late March with 3 nests of cyrtophoras one of top of the other and when May reached the nests were about 20 on top of each other covering half a tree and a fence. New nests in early May were created by new cyrtophoras close to the main site enxtending all directions. Finally in June all the nests covered an area about 3 metres in height and 2 metres in span. Nests were extending out of the fence at the fence covering a lemon tree upwards to bushes 2 metres above. The site was clearly visible oposite the sun from 70 metres away and was huge. Close to the site were similar colonies smaller in size. The neighborhood was fuly emerged with the same spider. You could see them on pine trees having a nest more that 8 metres from the ground (very rare) on bushes and trees like phoenix (not phoenix though) The most exciting was near the afternoon when they caught prey at the site . A single vibration made many females some of the nests to break into the nest where it was caught and the result was epic battles for the prey. During that time more than 15 large females and about 30 smaller females completely emerged half the tree and was the dominate predator for all mosqitoes, flies, bees and insects. I could see the site above from my balcony and observe and when a singe vibration of a bee was observed then citricolas were behaving like maniacs to reach first. In the summer their behaviour was rather calmer as they attended their eggs (looked like peas one stick to the other) if they caught prey the battle was not so big but if a stranger tried to break in they were more hostile obvioulsly to defend the eggs. Then in july spiderlings gave birth. The site probably contained at times more than 500 or even 1000 spiders of all sizes. Each younger made his own nest around the nest of their mother (but then the number got smaller probable predators other spiders even canibalism between them) The peak of all births was in late July and then the site begun to fade late September. Around the garden of my house (north subburbs of Athens- Greece) and out of its borders there were more than 50 nests and apart from the colony discribed were other 5 more colonies at trees among the street and other empty spaces near my house. This year i haven't seen any cytophoras apart form 2 little ones in my garden last week. Probably the reason for such an explosive development of that spider was last's year calm winter but for sure such a site is very rare as where i live cyrtophoras as a spider is rare and Athens is a heavy populated area extending more and more to the north. In general it was very exciting to observe this site as every day it was expanding especially during spring and to see "the battles" for the preys. And the preys were not caught by me it was fully naturally observed... One of the most interesting observations as i am a spider enthusiast was the semi social rather colonial behaviour of cyrtophora citricola spider in my garden in the spring-summer-autumn of 2010. At first during the winter (which was rather not very cold) was a single nest in a bush near the fence of my garden. But when the spring came a colonial explosion happened. Started late March with 3 nests of cyrtophoras one of top of the other and when May reached the nests were about 20 on top of each other covering half a tree and a fence. New nests in early May were created by new cyrtophoras close to the main site enxtending all directions. Finally in June all the nests covered an area about 3 metres in height and 2 metres in span. Nests were extending out of the fence at the fence covering a lemon tree upwards to bushes 2 metres above. The site was clearly visible oposite the sun from 70 metres away and was huge. Close to the site were similar colonies smaller in size. The neighborhood was fuly emerged with the same spider. You could see them on pine trees having a nest more that 8 metres from the ground (very rare) on bushes and trees like phoenix (not phoenix though) The most exciting was near the afternoon when they caught prey at the site . A single vibration made many females some of the nests to break into the nest where it was caught and the result was epic battles for the prey. During that time more than 15 large females and about 30 smaller females completely emerged half the tree and was the dominate predator for all mosqitoes, flies, bees and insects. I could see the site above from my balcony and observe and when a singe vibration of a bee was observed then citricolas were behaving like maniacs to reach first. In the summer their behaviour was rather calmer as they attended their eggs (looked like peas one stick to the other) if they caught prey the battle was not so big but if a stranger tried to break in they were more hostile obvioulsly to defend the eggs. Then in july spiderlings gave birth. The site probably contained at times more than 500 or even 1000 spiders of all sizes. Each younger made his own nest around the nest of their mother (but then the number got smaller probable predators other spiders even canibalism between them) The peak of all births was in late July and then the site begun to fade late September. Around the garden of my house (north subburbs of Athens- Greece) and out of its borders there were more than 50 nests and apart from the colony discribed were other 5 more colonies at trees among the street and other empty spaces near my house. This year i haven’t seen any cytophoras apart form 2 little ones in my garden last week. Probably the reason for such an explosive development of that spider was last’s year calm winter but for sure such a site is very rare as where i live cyrtophoras as a spider is rare and Athens is a heavy populated area extending more and more to the north. In general it was very exciting to observe this site as every day it was expanding especially during spring and to see “the battles” for the preys. And the preys were not caught by me it was fully naturally observed…

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-740 Ed Yong Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:08:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-740 Hey, spiders have had tons of love on this blog <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/animals/invertebrates/spiders/" rel="nofollow">recently.</a> Hey, spiders have had tons of love on this blog recently.

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-739 Skwee Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:12:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-739 Finally, other people who think spiders are cute! Everyone I know thinks I'm insane when I start cooing at gigantic tarantulas on Animal Planet. Finally, other people who think spiders are cute! Everyone I know thinks I’m insane when I start cooing at gigantic tarantulas on Animal Planet.

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-738 Ian Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:59:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-738 Jonathan - How dare you write digusting and spiders in the same sentence? Oh, wait, you didn't! My bad. But they're so cute. Don't you just love their little black eyes and gently waving palps? And they're so cuddly and comic. Plus they generously allowed their invention to lend its name to the world wide web. Jonathan – How dare you write digusting and spiders in the same sentence? Oh, wait, you didn’t! My bad.
But they’re so cute. Don’t you just love their little black eyes and gently waving palps? And they’re so cuddly and comic. Plus they generously allowed their invention to lend its name to the world wide web.

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-737 christina Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:15:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-737 A really well wrote article! - and blog in general. its all very zoology related which is good in my eyes! A really well wrote article! – and blog in general. its all very zoology related which is good in my eyes!

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-736 Jonathan Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:18:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/07/21/social-spiders-do-better-when-hunting-with-relatives/#comment-736 Completely and disgustingly awesome. Great write up and pix - I think I sent this article to about 20 people - ten of which are already emailing me back with something along the same lines. Now, if only we had restaurants that offered similar fare... Completely and disgustingly awesome. Great write up and pix – I think I sent this article to about 20 people – ten of which are already emailing me back with something along the same lines. Now, if only we had restaurants that offered similar fare…

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