Temporal variation in venom yield of the Australian funnel-web spider Atrax sutherlandi (Hexathelidae: Atracinae)

摘要

Temporal variation in the venom yield of spiders is a relatively poorly understood phenomenon. We investigated temporal variation in venom yield of the Australian funnel-web spider Atrax sutherlandi Gray 2010 (Hexathelidae: Atracinae). The venom yield ofspiders collected and milked in winter was 62.9% higher than those collected and milked in autumn, despite all undergoing acclimatization (45 days in darkness at 10°C and 100%RH) before milking. Our findings highlight the potential effects of seasonality on spider venoms and lay the groundwork for future studies to investigate the evolutionary and ecological correlates of this phenomenon further.