Plant architectural traits influence residence time of a specialist jumping spider

Abstract

The patch residence time of spiders has long been attributed to prey availability. We provide empirical evidence that plant architecture determines the residence time of a bromeliad-living spider. The residence time of spiders was longer on rosette-shaped plants. Males left their host plant faster than females, likely due to their mate-searching activity. We demonstrate that plant architectural traits mediate the patch-leaving tendency of specialist spiders.