The Influence of Energetic State on the Form of Stabilimentum Built by Octonoba sybotides (Araneae: Uloboridae)

The influence of food supply on the type of stabilimentum built by Octonoba sybotides, an uloborid spider, was investigated in a laboratory experiment. Spiders were separated into two groups that built distinct stabilimenta (linear or spiral), and then further subdivided into two different feeding groups (food‐deprived and food‐supplemented). Food‐deprived spiders (a fruit fly every 10 d) tended to form spiral stabilimenta, whereas food‐supplemented spiders (a fruit fly every 2 d) tended to form linear stabilimenta. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the distribution of stabilimentum forms before and after egg production. After egg production, which involves a large expenditure of energy, spiders tended to form spiral stabilimenta. These results suggest that the spider’s energetic state influences the type of stabilimentum built by O. sybotides, and that hunger induces the spider to form spiral stabilimenta.