Le. Higgins et E. Ezcurra, A MATHEMATICAL SIMULATION OF THERMOREGULATORY BEHAVIOR IN AN ORB-WEAVING SPIDER, Functional ecology, 10(3), 1996, pp. 322-327
1. In order to better document the thermoregulatory effectiveness of o
bserved behaviours compared to other possible behaviours, we develop a
model of interception of solar radiation. We demonstrate its use with
data from a population of the orb-weaving spider Nephila clavipes inh
abiting a mid-altitude Mexican desert. 2. Nephila clavipes exhibits th
ree behaviours that appear related to thermoregulation in this extreme
climate: microhabitat selection, orb-web orientation and postural adj
ustments. 3. Large females more often built in open spaces without sha
de and small juveniles built within shrubs in shaded web sites. Webs b
uilt by large females tended to have a north-south orientation, wherea
s among small juveniles there was no correlation in web orientation. 4
. Only individuals in unshaded sites exhibit postural thermoregulation
, in which the spider's abdomen tracks the elevation of the sun. The s
imulation revealed that interception of solar radiation by large femal
es was reduced by solar tracking, but that the north-south orientation
of the orb did not reduce the interception of solar radiation relativ
e to an east-west orientation.