Faculty Data Interpretation - Assignment Example

Spider Behavior Question The line of best fit is normally a line that is drawn through the middle of the points, on a graph having an assortment of points. It shows the general direction the points tend to take (Arthur and Harvey, 47). Question 2The spider that just caught a large meal is likely to spin a web with more silk. Question 3A starved spider is more likely to spin a web with more gum-footed threads. Question 4Sticky gum-footed threads aid a spider by adhering to the prey and slowing it down or sometimes pulling the small-sized ones up.

It also transmits the vibrations of the insects up to the retreat, making it easier for a spider to locate the prey. A large number of sticky gum-footed threads, therefore, would increase the chances of a spider catching its prey. A small number of gum-footed threads would reduce the chances of the spider capturing its prey. Question 5 The threads observed in figures 1 and 2 show that the house spider employs the optimal foraging theory in capturing its prey. Well-fed spiders spin a heavier mass of silk.

It costs more in terms of energy and time to spin a web. A starving spider does not have the energy that is required to spin a web. In figure one, well-fed spiders spin heavier webs than starving ones. However, the spider has to capture prey or it will die. To avoid starvation, it would increase the number of sticky gum-footed threads to avoid death. The sticky gum-footed threads offer it a higher chance of catching prey with less energy expended. This phenomenon is observed in figure 2 where the starving spiders spin more sticky gum-footed threads than the well-fed spiders.