Mortality patterns for a population of burrowing wolf spiders, Geolycosa domifex (Hancock), living in southern Ontario

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Abstract
A population of burrowing wolf spiders, Geolycosa domifex (Hancock), was studied near Toronto, Ontario, between 1974 and 1979. Some preliminary life history and mortality information for this population has been published previously by D. J. McQueen. In the paper that follows, these results are updated and additional data pertaining to density-dependent mortality and the effects of the parasite Pterodontia flavipes Grey are presented. At the Uxbridge field site, the maximum life span for G. domifex was 3 years and they were semelparous. On average, the wasp Anoplius relativus (Fox) killed 18.7% of the population at age 24 months and >98% of the female spiders after they had reproduced at age 36 months. The acrocerid fly, P. flavipes killed 40.4% of the population at age 22 months and an average of 17.5% of the population at age 34 months (before reproduction). Younger spiders were not killed by either A. relativus or P. flavipes. An analysis of survivorship with respect to burrow spacing suggested that there was no density-dependent mortality.