Predatory Behavior of Meta reticuloides YAGINUMA (Araneae: Tetragnathidae)

Abstract

The predatory behavior of Meta reticuloides YAGINUMA was studied, and the natural prey of the species were collected from its webs. This species employed four predatory sequences, seize-pull out, bite-pull out, bite-wrap and wrap-bite. Wrap-bite sequence, not observed in Metleucauge (YOSHIDA, 1989a), was employed to ants, stink bugs, a large cranefly, bees and wasps, which may be large and/or potentially dangerous prey for M. reticuloides. Attack-wrapping was occurred after prey-touching by legs I (and palps?). The prey, which were entangled with the sticky spirals of the webs, were sometimes carried by pulling from the hub, using legs I and II. “Pulling the prey from the hub” is not observed in Metleucauge (YOSHIDA, 1989a). The ability of attack wrapping of M. reticuloides remains probably because it sometimes captures large and/or potentially dangerous prey. © 1990, Arachnological Society of Japan. All rights reserved.