Paula Cushing

1990 . The effect of time and temperature on disturbance behaviors shown by the orb-weaving spide... more 1990 . The effect of time and temperature on disturbance behaviors shown by the orb-weaving spider Uloborus glomosus (Uloboridae) . J. Arachnol ., 18 :87-93 . ABSTRACT When disturbed, Uloborus glomosus either remain in position at the hub of their orb-webs, jump from the web, move to the edge of the web, or shake the web . The time of day influences which of these behaviors is expressed . Spiders tend to jump in the afternoon and the evening but not in the morning . In the morning they tend to move to the edge of the web or remain in position . The tendency to shake the web is approximately the same throughout the day . Ambient temperature appears not to be the principal factor explaining the differences in jumping, moving to the edge, and remaining in position . Historical differences in the activity patterns of various spider predators may have influenced the time-related expression of disturbance behavioral patterns.

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Population Structure of the Ant Nest Symbiont Masoncus pogonophilus (Araneae: Linyphiidae)

Annals of the Entomological Society of America

Myrmecophiles are arthropods that spend all or part of their life cycles living inside ant nests.... more Myrmecophiles are arthropods that spend all or part of their life cycles living inside ant nests. However, little is known about how the distribution of host colonies in a habitat affects the dispersal and population structure of these symbionts. The polymerase chain reaction-based random amplified polymorphic DNA technique (RAPD-PCR) was used to investigate the population structure of the myrmecophilic spider, Masoncus pogonophilus Cushing (Linyphiidae), by examining the genetic diversity of 2 spider populations living in the nest chambers of adjacent ant colonies and a 3rd living in a distant colony. Using the analysis of molecular variance technique, I found that, of the total genetic diversity, 77.4% was attributable to intrapopulation differences, 18.2% to differences between the distant populations, and only 4.4% to differences between the neighboring populations. The Lynch and Milligan technique also indicated that neighboring populations differed from distant populations in ...

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Biology of a spider myrmecophile

Quantitative prediction of fossil biodiversity: Eocene spiders from Florissant, Colorado

Special Paper of the Geological Society of America

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Possible Eggsac Defense Behaviors in the Spider Uloborus Glomosus (Araneae: Uloboridae)

Psyche: A Journal of Entomology, 1989

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Diagnoses of brown recluse spider bites (loxoscelism) greatly outnumber actual verifications of the spider in four western American states

Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology, Jan 15, 2003

We attempt to demonstrate that physicians overdiagnose loxoscelism (colloquially known as 'br... more We attempt to demonstrate that physicians overdiagnose loxoscelism (colloquially known as 'brown recluse spider bites') by comparing the numbers of such diagnoses to the historically known numbers of Loxosceles spiders from the same areas in four western American states. The medical community from non-endemic Loxosceles areas often makes loxoscelism diagnoses solely on the basis of dermonecrotic lesions where Loxosceles spiders are rare or non-existent. If these diagnoses were correct then Loxosceles populations should be evident, specimens should readily be collected over the years and there should be a reasonable correlation between diagnoses and spider specimens. In 41 months of data collection, we were informed of 216 loxoscelism diagnoses from California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. In contrast, from these four states, we can only find historical evidence of 35 brown recluse or Mediterranean recluse spiders. There is no consistency between localities of known Loxos...

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