Leaf and site selection for nest construction and oviposition in Aysha piassaguera Brescovit, 1992 (Araneae: Anyphaenidae)

Females of the hunting spider Aysha piassaguera build nests for their eggs by folding the leaves of plants, usually at a forest edge, and then they guard the eggs until hatching. These nests have a distinct 'pyramid-like' form, but the species' preferences regarding nest site or the leaves used in its construction remain unknown. We investigated females' preferences for nest construction sites regarding site location (near the ground or on shrub crowns) and plant group (monocotyledons or eudicotyledons) by comparing the proportions of nests built in each place. We also tested whether leaf traits (length/width ratio, thickness, folding force and leaf mass per area) explained the use of leaves for nest construction using a multiple logistic regression. Females built their nests mainly near the ground and on monocotyledons, which may be related to this species' life history as A. piassaguera is a wandering spider that hunts and covers the lower part of the substrate. This preference may also be related to the fact that monocotyledons have elongated leaves, which agrees with our finding that length/width ratio is the leaf trait that best explained leaf use for nest construction (females typically used long leaves). Considering the nest architecture, it is likely that compared to short leaves, elongated leaves allow the construction of a more symmetrical and sealed nest, with fewer openings for predator and parasitoid attacks. The selection of appropriate sites for oviposition is an important animal behaviour for the survival of offspring and perpetuation of the species.

Automated summary

Female hunting spiders of Aysha piassaguera prefer to build their pyramid-like nests near the ground and on monocotyledonous plants, possibly to protect their eggs from predators and parasitoids. They use long leaves for nest construction, which allows for a more symmetrical and sealed nest.