Circadian rhythms of locomotor activity in the New World tarantula Neoholothele incei (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

Abstract

Circadian rhythms in behavior are intrinsically linked to organismal fitness, supporting the theory that Earth’s near 24 h day selects against dissonant rhythms. However, in arthropods, particularly spiders, circadian free-running periods (FRPs) exhibit significant population variation. Some spider species possess rhythms that deviate by up to 5–6 h from 24 h. These findings are restricted to a large clade of web-building spiders, leaving it unknown whether this chronobiological strategy extends beyond that group. To explore this, we monitored the locomotor activity of a distant outgroup species, the New World tarantula Neoholothele incei F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, under a controlled photic cycle. Our efforts determined that its bimodal diel activity is governed by circadian (endogenous) components. Spiders usually had both a diurnal and nocturnal peak in locomotor activity. Each peak showed strong support for its regulation by endogenous circadian control under constant conditions. FRPs averaged within an hour of 24 h but ranged from ~ 21 to 25 h, similar to the variation observed in some insects and spiders. These results offer initial evidence that FRP variation, though not always extreme deviations from 24 h, is a common strategy among spiders.