LAUSR

Small-bodied terrestrial animals like spiders face challenges maintaining water reserves essential for homeostasis. They may experience dry microclimates and (or) seasonal variation in water availability, so dehydration is a common stressor that may help explain movement, foraging, and other behaviors. This study examines aspects of dehydration resistance and tolerance in the brush-legged wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz, 1844) (Araneae: Lycosidae), commonly found in the leaf litter of eastern deciduous forests of North America. Sexes differ in morphology, physiology, reproductive strategy, and life history, likely resulting in divergent abilities to resist and tolerate dehydration. We used humidity-controlled chambers to examine relative survivorship by sex under varying humidity regimes, water-loss rates, body water content, and critical water mass. Spiders survived significantly longer in higher humidity regimes (≥50% RH). Females had significantly better survivorship overall, lower body-loss rat...