Topic Overview:

Pruitt is interested in the causes and consequences of intraspecific trait variation. In general, evolution by natural selection is characterized as an optimizing agent, which tends to eliminate all but the most “fit” of trait variants. However, even a cursory glance of any trait type (e.g., morphology, behavior) will reveal a tremendous diversity in the kinds of strategies used by organisms, even within a single population. Pruitt studies how this variation is maintained and how it influences interspecific interactions, using invertebrates such as social spiders as models for his investigations.

In social spiders of genus Anelosimus, group members exhibit variations in both their behavioral tendencies and body size, and there is growing evidence to suggest these differences shape the division of labor and colony demographics. For example, aggressive females are more likely to attack and subdue prey for their colony, while docile females tend to remain in the central portion of the colony and rear broods. In ongoing work, Pruitt is testing how the mix of types within colonies influences their survival and reproductive success in different habitats.