168 
Psyche 
[June 
total distance followed during the 5-min test period (Mann- Whitney 
test, T= 173 ,P> .80). Primed male L. rahida showed no difference 
in frequency of following (x 2 = .504, df = 1, P > .70) or in total 
distance followed (Mann-Whitney test, T — 229.5, P > .56). Male 
L. punctulata showed no difference in the frequency of following 
(x 2 = 2.5, df — 1, P >.90) or in total distance followed (Mann- 
Whitney test, T = 235.5, P > .84). Therefore, data for the two 
years were pooled for analysis. 
DESCRIPTION OF DRAGLINE-FOLLOWING 
Males of both species followed conspecific female lines. Al- 
though high speed (36-180 fps) cinematographic analysis indicates 
that there are slight differences in the use of appendages during 
dragline-following (Tietjen, unpublished data), the two species ex- 
hibit many similarities. Upon contacting the silk line for the first 
time, males tend to examine it with alternating movements of the 
palps such that the dorsal surface of the palp contacts the line and 
moves anteriorly along it. Such behavior is soon terminated if the 
line is a male’s or is an imitation. Dragline-following results if the 
line is that of a female conspecific. Males usually wander to the edge 
of the arena and walk around the periphery if chemo- and mechano- 
exploratory behavior is terminated. 
In both species, dragline-following is characterized by the male 
straddling the silk so that it passes medially beneath him. Although 
the first pair of legs may occasionally pluck at the line, the palps 
are the most important appendages used. The palps are alternately 
moved forward and back, making contact with the silk on their 
medial surface rather than on the dorsal surface, which is used dur- 
ing the initial contact with the line. Experiments conducted under 
red light (Kodak safelight Filter No. 1) and with blinded animals 
indicated that vision is not necessary for dragline-following. Males 
may accompany their dragline-following behavior with elements of 
courtship or, more typically, interrupt dragline-following with sep- 
arate bouts of courtship behavior. 
DRAGLINE-FOLLOWING BY LYCOS A RABID A 
Both primed and unprimed male L. rabida followed female aerial 
draglines. Unprimed males exhibited a lower incidence of dragline- 
following, with 84.6% of primed and 65.2% of unprimed following 
(x 2 = 5.83, df — 1,P < .025). Comparing only those males that 
