Autotomy in Spiders: An Overlooked Natural History Adaptation with Ecological Costs

Le résumé fourni par la source

Autotomy, or voluntary limb loss, is a widespread defense strategy among arthropods, yet its ecological costs and benefits in spiders remain poorly documented. Here, we report natural history observations of leg autotomy in 32 species across eight families from four coastal wetlands in Kerala, India. Patterns of autotomy varied widely, with many species, including members of the orb-weaving Araneidae, and others shedding legs at the coxa--trochanter joint to minimize hemolymph loss, while agile hunters such as members of the family Salticidae and Oxyopidae frequently autotomized multiple legs with potentially severe locomotor consequences. Notably, repeated cases in the jumping spider Carrhotus viduus highlight the trade-offs faced by active hunters that depend heavily on agility. These findings underscore the adaptive value of autotomy as an escape strategy while emphasizing its hidden ecological costs. We argue that autotomy warrants greater attention within ecological and evolutionary frameworks, as it illustrates how survival strategies are balanced against long-term performance in natural communities.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.