Notes on the reproductive biology and social behavior of two sympatric species of Philoponella, Mello-Leitao (Araneae: Uloboridae)

Abstract

Populations of the facultatively communal species Philoponella oweni (Chamberlin 1924) and Philoponella arizonica (Gertsch 1936) (Uloboridae) occur sympatrically in the Chiricahua mountains of southeastern Arizona. This study compares reproductive biology, structure of communal groups, and feeding rates of the two species, and documents differences in their phenology, webs, web construction sites, egg-cases and spiderlings. I suggest environmental factors that may select for different reproductive strategies in the two species.