Karen R. Cangialosi

Keene State College | Keene · Department of Biology

Colonial orb-weaving spiders from Mexico (Metepeira spp.), show considerable geographic variation and temporal flexibility in group size and social spacing. A series of laboratory studies was conducted to test whether the variation observed in the field is the result of behavioral plasticity, or the result of genetic mechanisms inherent in differen...

Argyrodes Simon 1864 is a large, cosmopolitan theridiid genus whose members exhibit a wide range of foraging techniques which usually involve exploiting other spiders, either by using their webs, stealing their food, or preying on them directly. We held a symposium on this genus at the 15th International Congress of Arachnology, Badplaas, South Afr...

Argyrodes trigonum (Hentz 1850) can interact with its host as kleptoparasite, host predator, web-stealer, or commensal. This species can also capture insect prey in a web of its own construction. Which foraging strategy an individual A. trigonum exhibits certainly depends on a multitude of environmental factors, especially host availability. In thi...

Argyrodes ululans, a kleptoparasitic spider that specializes in stealing prey from the social spider, Anelosimus eximius, faces a variety of foraging situations depending upon the number of host spiders involved in prey capture and defence, and prey availability. The ability of A. ululans to modify its mode of attack may therefore be essential to e...

Because of the large amount of webbing they provide, social spider colonies often host other satellite spider species referred to as kleptoparasites or food stealers. Such kleptoparasites may take advantage of increased prey capture rates associated with large spider aggregations. This study investigated the relationship between a cooperatively soc...

This study investigated the life cycle and behavior of Argyrodes ululans which is a specialist kleptoparasite in the communal webs of its social spider host, Anelosimus exiraius. Observations of natural and enclosed colonies of An. eximius revealed that large An. eximius colonies maintain steady populations of high numbers of differently aged At. u...

Kleptoparasites (food stealers) can take advantage of the habitat provided by the large amount of webbing in social colonies and increased prey capture rates associated with large spider aggregations. This study investigated the impact that the kleptoparasite Argyrodes ululans (Araneae, Theridiidae) has on its host Anelosimus eximius (Araneae, Ther...

Plant architecture is known to have an impact on web-building spider communities. Web-spider abundance and distribution were monitored in September 1986 and 1987 on three types of plots with distinct plant communities. Differences were seen in spider abundance, family composition, and dispersion patterns between spider communities in control plots...