Courtship Display and Habitat Selection in the Wolf Spider Pardosa chelata (O. F. Müller)

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
P. chelata inhabits heaps of dry leaves at the edges of woods. It has a courtship display involving drumming on the ground and visual stimuli. P. pullata is a marsh-dwelling species and lacks courtship display. The sexes are of approximately the same size in the latter species, whereas the male is only half the weight of the female in the former species. The temperature threshold for courtship display is considered. The selective advantage of small agile males with a complicated courtship display in the P. chelata habitat is discussed.