About the Spider and the Frog – An update. How likely and why? Do you know any further examples?

[Gogyeng]

Mutualism / Commensalism between frogs (not exclusively Mycrohylids) and Theraposidae has been well documented for the genus Pamphobeteus, Xenestis, Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, and Poecilotheria so far, suggesting that this association is quite more common than originally thought.

The frogs secrete non-appealing substances on their skin to keep the spiders at bay, and in exchange benefit from the spiders protection. In return, and somewhat unadvertedly, it has been suggested that the frogs consume diptera ‘cleansing’ the burrow. This second exchange would qualify the association as mutualism.


I though to mention a few examples :



Chiasmocleis -ventrimaculata --- Xenesthis Immanis (Cocroft, 1989)

Eleutherodactylus occidentalis --- Brachypelma auratum (West 2005)

Chiasmocleis -royi --- Pamphobeteus spp

Engystomops pustulosus --- Aphonopelma seemani

Gastrophryne olivacea and caroliniensis --- Aphonopelma hentzi

Amanella nagaoi --- Poecilotheria ornata

Kaloula taprobanica --- Poecilotheria subfusca


Is there any evidence for such mutualism/commensalism amongst other theraposids?

Sources:


https://www.jstor.org/stable/2388434?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents


http://www.isopoda.net/contents/the-odd-couple-spider-frog-mutualism-in-the-amazon-rainforest/


and an old thread here sp on Xenesthis

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/communal-xenesthis-immanis-frog.297188/

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Very interesting, wonder how tarantulas are smart enough to live in cohabitation with frogs ? Or is it that they cannot eat these frogs due to toxic stuff ?

 

[Gogyeng]

Probably the second, or we would see 'unscented frogs surviving more

Dundee, Harold A., Cara Shillington, and Colin M. Yeary. "Interactions between tarantulas (Aphonopelma hentzi) and narrow-mouthed toads (Gastrophyrne olivacea): support for a symbiotic relationship." Tulane Studies in Zoology and Botany 32.1 (2012).

 

[Gogyeng]

I wonder how the spider clutch makes it. OH... WAIT. Survival rate for the spiderlings most be near zero ! More likely Parasite type of relationship then?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I wonder how the spider clutch makes it. OH... WAIT. Survival rate for the spiderlings most be near zero ! More likely Parasite type of relationship then?

Spiderlings don’t do well period in the wild , depends if frog are toxic to the spider it cannot really defend them ?

 

[Gogyeng]

Yes, the frogs skin toxicity prevents the spider from eating them. Thus Aphonopelma hentzi has no problem eating members of Acris crepitans family Hylidae, but will have to cope with the members of the genus Gastrophryne.