Data from: Plasticity of cold tolerance and body composition in response to varying warming conditions in a temperate wolf spider

Here, we assessed plasticity in cold tolerance and body composition in the
wolf spider S. stridulans exposed to three distinct simulated winter
temperature regimes: one that reflects current conditions, one that
reflects a warmer winter, and one that reflects a warmer winter with
increased diurnal variation. We found that the critical thermal minimum
(CTmin; the lowest temperature a spider can remain active) was plastic.
Specifically, CTmin was lowest at the coldest time of the simulated
winter, and it was lowest in spiders exposed to current winter conditions
compared to spiders exposed to warmer simulated winters. In contrast, the
supercooling point, or the temperature at which spiders spontaneously
freeze, was invariant across time and winter conditions. Growth rates also
depend on winter conditions, with spiders from warmer and more variable
winters exhibiting significantly higher growth rates. Protein and lipid
contents, however, were not affected by winter environment, indicating
that spiders can maintain these macronutrients at the same proportional
level regardless of growth rate. In contrast, the carbohydrate content was
slightly but significantly lower in spiders maintained in a warmer and
more variable winter environment. The provided dataset includes raw data
for cold tolerance measurements, growth rates, and body
composition.