• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2009

Brood caring behavior was observed in Amaurobius ferox (Araneae, Amaurobiidae), a semelparous subsocial spider, from cocoon construction until the emergence of spiderlings from the cocoon. Unlike most spiders, which emerge from cocoon by their own means, A. ferox mothers intervene in the process of the emergence of their young. I manipulated broods by removing the mother prior to emergence to determine the effects of maternal behavior on the emergence of spiderlings. My results showed that maternal intervention making the cocoon expansion and its exit, is not absolutely necessary for the emergence of A. ferox spiderlings from the cocoon. Nine clutches out of ten were able to get out of the cocoon by their own means without their mother's help. There was no difference between control groups ('with mother') and experimental groups ('without mother') in the number of spiderlings that emerged ($96.9{\pm}25.3$ vs. $90.4{\pm}14.2$, respectfully) and in the time from the beginning to the end of emergence ($36{\pm}12$ vs. $41{\pm}17$ hours). Time from eclosion until the emergence of the first individual in a clutch, however, was greater in the mother-absent group (3.5 days) than in the control group (2.0 days). The construction of the cocoon by the mother required always occurred in the same area within the retreat, and took approximately 6 hours, and the mother guarded the eggs during the incubation period. The emergence of the spiderlings followed a sigmoidal pattern. After emergence, the spiderlings formed a very compact group on the cocoon, which may be important in securing maternal care. The absence of cribellum and calamistrum, structures likely involved in their survival, observed in individuals of the first instar suggests that in the first stage of life, the spiderlings are dependent on their mother.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.145-148
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• 2009

To understand whether experience of cold season in reproductive behaviors in the adults of Amaurobius ferox, the paired adults of a female and a male were exposed under 'cold-treated environment' and 'not cold-treated environment', respectively. I investigated effects of the cold treatment on the brood production of A. ferox. In not cold treatment in which male-female pairs were formed in October at a temperature of $20^{\circ}C$ (${\pm}2^{\circ}C$) and continuously kept under not cold-treated environment, only 3 of 50 pairs successfully reproduced (reproduction was defined as the emergence of spiderlings). In cold treatment where individuals were kept in cold conditions for 3 months prior to pair formation, 57 out of 60 couples succeeded in reproducing. Females which did not experience the low temperature displayed strong aggressiveness toward males. This behavioral inhibition might the primary barrier to copulation of A. ferox that decrease following a period of low temperature. The reproductive inhibition might help the females to allocate the maximum amount of energy in a given environment to reaching the adult stage and to delay reproduction in unfavorable wintering conditions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.395-407
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• 1999

The queens of Korean native bumblebee species, Bombus ignitus were collected from the field in the spring of 1997 and reared under the various temperatures as 15$^{\circ}C$$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, 2$0^{\circ}C$$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$ $\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, 3$0^{\circ}C$$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, 60%$\pm$5% of relative humidity and 14L : 10D, to investigate their ecological characteristics, as comparing with control(29$^{\circ}C$$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, 60%$\pm$5% of relative humidity and red light). As a result, eggs were laid by foundation queen at 15$^{\circ}C$, but they didn't hatched out while at 2$0^{\circ}C$ eggs were laid by them and they hatched out. When a foundation queen laid eggs at $25^{\circ}C$ and they all were hatched out and normally grown. Finally they were developed to the normal colony. B. ignitus worker survived for 77days at 2$0^{\circ}C$, about 69days at $25^{\circ}C$, about 68days at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and about 63days at 29$^{\circ}C$(control). The first brood workers emerged in 25-27days from the egg which a foundation queen laid. At the various temperatures, the captive queens stand to lay eggs in about 18days at 15$^{\circ}C$, 15days at 2$0^{\circ}C$, 11days at $25^{\circ}C$, 11days at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and 4days in control. The first worker and the first drone from the egg cell of the collected queens appeared in about 27days and 72days at 2$0^{\circ}C$, 26days and 88days in $25^{\circ}C$, 24days and 65days at 3$0^{\circ}C$, 25days and 71days in control, respectively. In colony foundation, 33% of the collected queen at 2$0^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$, 100% of the disposed queen at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and in control, and 67% of them at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and in control both produced new queens in 66days and 88days, respectively. The life span of the colony founded covered fro about 3 months at $25^{\circ}C$, 3$0^{\circ}C$ and in control. At lower temperatures, the life span of queen is shorter; 2 months at 15$^{\circ}C$ and 3 months at 2$0^{\circ}C$, respectively. A colony which normally developed, varied in size with rearing temperatures; about 20heads at 2$0^{\circ}C$, 482heads at $25^{\circ}C$, 330heads at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and 452heads in control. A foundation queen monthly oviposited 1.5egg cells at 15$^{\circ}C$, 3.0egg cells at 2 $0^{\circ}C$, 21.7egg cells at $25^{\circ}C$, 42.3egg cells at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and 47.0egg cells in control. As a colony developed in June and July, egg cells as well as daily average cells increased in number, as compared to those in May and August. Also, in June and July, interval(days) of egg laying is shorter than in May and August. Number of nectar pots during the colony development varied with rearing temperatures; 31pots at $25^{\circ}C$, 39pots at 3$0^{\circ}C$, 23pots in control. The emergence of new queen showed a distinctively different two patterns; early emerging type and late emerging type. Workers are rapidly increased from early in July to early in August at $25^{\circ}C$, but at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and in control, emergence of workers are remarkably increased from the middle of June and last until July. No new queen emerged at 15$^{\circ}C$, 2$0^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$. New queens at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and in control emerged between late in June and early in July. Thus emergence of new queen was temperature dependent.