Adult lifespan of sheet web spiders (Araneae, Linyphiidae)

We investigated maximal and median adult lifespan in 61 linyphiid species that were caught in the field (as adult or subadult specimens) or were raised in the laboratory from wild-caught or laboratory-bred gravid females. The results are thought to reflect the real adult lifespan potential we wanted to measure when spiders are not threatened by natural adverse factors in the field. Of some species, in particular of the genus Walckenaeria, we never succeeded to capture subadult specimens in the field. The main result is that adult females live significantly longer than adult males which is in accordance with the literature. A second finding is that we now can demonstrate a significantly longer adult-stage-duration in small than in large linyphiid species, as well as a significantly longer lasting adult stage in species living at ground-litter level than in species living higher up in the vegetation. When comparing the adult-lifespan of single species with each other we can demonstrate that some particular linyphiid species live a significantly longer time than others in their adult stage.