No negative sublethal effects of two insecticides on prey capture and development of a spider

Laboratory experiments were used to analyse the effect of two insecticides, dimethoate and cypermethrin, on prey capture, feeding and rate of development of the wolf spider Pardosa amentata. Though partly lethal doses (LD50 and LD10) were applied and a high proportion of surviving spiders suffered paralysis for one to two days, which could be fatal under field conditions, no negative effects on other investigated biological characteristics (including development and predation rates) of the surviving individuals were observed. With very low doses of cypermethrin, killing rate and feeding of females in the period between the final moult and egg‐sac deposition were increased compared to untreated controls. This is the first evidence of enhanced performance due to an insecticide in a spider. The possibility of insecticide stimulation of predator population recovery after eradication by spraying is discussed. © 1998 SCI.