Date Approved

2024

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department or School

Biology

Committee Member

Cara Shillington, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Peter Bednekoff, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jonathan Hall, Ph.D.

Abstract

The life history strategy of the Colorado brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) typically includes males spatially scattering in search for a female mate in the fall, followed by female attendance of fertilized eggs the following summer. Here, I highlighted aspects associated with this female parental care. Specifically, I compared the activities of maternal (egg-attending) tarantulas to their non-maternal (not egg-attending) counterparts, as this may be a costly time for these egg-attending individuals. I concluded that maternal individuals tended to show reduced activity at the burrow entrance, however; these, results were significant in only one comparison. After weeks of this parental care, juveniles will emerge from their silk egg casing before they disperse from the natal site. In the additional study reported in Chapter 5, I describe the first days post-emergence and, ultimately, the group dispersal processes of juveniles. This work provides foundational knowledge towards these particularly understudied aspects of tarantula biology.

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