Cornileus Aika
M.Sc. Student
In collaboration with Prof. Yael Lubin, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
In my research, I focus on the chemical ecology of widow spiders (Latrodectus spp.), particularly the characterization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from female webs and egg sacs of L. Tredecmguttatus, L. Geometricus and L. pallidus. I use GC-MS profiling to determine dominate airborne pheromones. These airborne pheromones drive long-range male attraction and species-specific mate recognition, offering insights into invasion dynamics and chemical defenses against parasitoids such as Philolema latrodecti who are among main predators of Latrodectus spiders. In this project we aim to establish VOC profiles from the webs and egg sacs of these species in Israel, show how they differ in composition and emission rates, and how these differences modulate chemical ecology, invasion success, and interactions with the egg sac parasitoid.
