Gift carrying in the spider Pisaura mirabilis: nuptial gift contents in nature and effects on male running speed and fighting success

Males of the spider Pisaura mirabilis offer prey items as nuptial gifts to females. While gift giving in this species has received attention in captivity, the ecological context of these gifts remains largely unknown. First, we examine the occurrence of gift carrying by males in nature. Field data reveal that gift-carrying males are frequent in nature (40% of captured males), and that all gifts contain fresh arthropod prey. Gift mass was positively correlated with the longest diameter of the gift. Thus, males do not appear to ‘cheat’ by inflating their gifts with inedible items, air or loosely wrapped silk. Second, we examine two ecological costs to gift-carrying males: the effects of gifts on male running speed and male fighting success. Gift carrying reduced male running speed, but did not affect male fighting success in male–male contests. The former result is the first demonstration of a transportation cost associated with gift carrying in an arthropod.