Within-aggregation roosting location in Prionostemma Opiliones

We tested whether the leg condition (missing legs or not) of an arachnid species (Prionostemma sp.2) affects roosting location within the group by experimentally inducing the formation of aggregations overnight. Autotomized individuals roosted more frequently in the aggregation center than intact individuals. Additionally, this pattern was observed only for aggregations of more than 13 individuals., We studied Opiliones of Prionostemma sp.2 at La Selva Research Station, in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica (10.4311 N, 84.0068 W, elevation: 50 m) in February 2024. We collected individuals at night on two the trails (STR and SUR) for lab experiments. We conducted this research following research permits of the Costa Rican Government (permit # SINAC-ACC-PI-re-003-2024). Additionally, we ensure the welfare of Opiliones throughout all stages of this work by following suggested guidelines and best practices.
To test the hypothesis of the location within the group to roost, we placed the collected Opiliones in an arena composed of a plastic shoe box (33 × 20 × 12 cm) at night (19:00 - 21:00 h) to induce the formation of overnight aggregations. We added similar numbers of individuals with both leg conditions: The ratio of autotomized to intact individuals across the 64 groups we studied was 1.19 ± 0.37 (mean ± standard deviation). We studied 858 individuals, 46% of w..., , # Within-aggregation roosting location in Prionostemma Opiliones

**FILE:** script_Opiliones_center.R

**OVERALL DESCRIPTION:**

This file contains the R script to run all the analyses performed. The script is fully annotated, for easier reproducibility.

**FILE:** data_Opiliones_center.csv

**OVERALL DESCRIPTION:**

This file contains the data of the roosting position of *Prionostemma* sp.2 Opiliones groups. Each row corresponds to one individual.

**COLUMN EXPLANATION**

* group_ID: A unique identification code for each individual recording that matched the date it was recorded
* group_size: number of Opiliones in each group
* number_legs: number of legs of that given individual
* center_periphery: if the individual was in the center of the group (center) or in the periphery (periphery)
* location: if the individual was in the center of the group (0) or in the periphery (1).,