Presentation Details
| Shifts in wolf spider phenology with increased temperature due to climate change. George Uetz, Zoe Hicks, Olivia Bauer-Nilsen, . University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA |
Abstract
Ectothermic invertebrates like spiders are among the first affected by climate change. We examined impacts of rising temperatures on phenology of the Brush-legged wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) over the past two decades. Molt records of spiders collected as part of ongoing research from 2001 to 2024 were used to obtain dates when the first male and female matured, and dates when half of the male and female populations had matured. Results show a strong negative correlation between maturation dates and temperatures as well as growing degree days; both male and female wolf spiders now mature 25 to 30 days earlier than in 2001. The difference in typically asynchronous peak maturation dates for earlier-maturing males and later-maturing females also decreased over the 23-year study, from > 10 days to < 5, with implications for operational sex ratio and sexual selection. These findings offer evidence that rising temperatures are having a significant effect on the phenology of these common forest-dwelling wolf spiders and underscore the potential for future impact on reproductive behavior.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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