Abstract

Body temperature is the most important ecophysiological variable affecting all aspects of the performance of ectotherms. However, thermal preferences and tolerances of spiders have been studied only in 0.1% of spider species. Knowledge of thermal preferences and tolerances is necessary to describe the ecology of these animals, defining the preferred foraging sites or preferred shelters and reproductive sites. In this study we report for the first time the preferred temperature of Dysdera crocata C.L. Koch 1838 in the laboratory. This is an epigean spider of Mediterranean climates with large temperature fluctuations. The preferred temperature was low: 9.12 degrees +/- 5.12 degrees C, and actively searched. It did not vary throughout the day.