Prey or protection? Access to food alters individual responses to competition in black widow spiders

Animals influence the phenotype and reproductive success of their conspecifics through competitive interactions. Such effects of competition can alter the intensity of selection and ultimately change the rate of evolution. However, the magnitude of the effects of competition, and their evolutionary impact, should vary depending on environmental conditions and individual responses among competitors. We tested whether a key environmental variable, resource availability, affects the response to competition in black widow spiders by manipulating access to prey and the level of competition. We examined if focal spiders modify their web structure and aggressiveness towards prey stimuli when a competitor is present, and whether these responses depend on prior prey access. We also tested if any effects of competition vary with individual differences among competitors. Access to resources changed how individuals respond to competition. Spiders with limited access to prey were less likely to atta..., , , # Data from: Prey or protection? Access to food alters individual responses to competition in black widow spiders

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1g1jwsv7f](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1g1jwsv7f)

## Description of the data and file structure

Data, analysis script and associated files for:

Ratz T, Montiglio P-O (submitted) Prey or protection? Access to food alters individual responses to competition in a black widow spider

Data collected by TR. Please refer to the manuscript for data collection methods and statistical analyses. For questions or to notify the authors if any errors are identified in the data, please contact Dr. Tom Ratz ([[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])).

### Files and variables

#### File: DATA\_aggressiveness.csv

**Description:** These data were used to test for effects of the food treatment (Low vs. High) and the presence of a stimulus spider on focal aggressiveness towards prey stimuli.

##### Variables

* id_focal: Identity of the focal spider from 95...