Communal rearing induces high predatory capacity in a solitary wolf spider and its potential in pest control

Pardosa pseudoannulata is a solitary wolf spider and it is a major predator of pests such as Nilaparvata lugens in rice fields. To date, whether the early rearing experience of solitary spiders influence their predation ability is still unclear. In this study, the solitary spiders were reared communally or individually. The results showed that the survival rates of the communal-reared and individual-reared spiders were similar, but communal-reared spiders were significantly more voracious. Field experiment further demonstrated that release of communal-reared spiders could significantly reduce the number of the pest Nilaparvata lugens.