Dr. Morse will continue studies on the consequences of differential foraging success within a population, using the crab spider Misumena vatia, a common predator on common milkweed Asclepias syriaca. The tendencies of offspring from differentially successful foraging mothers to disperse from their natal site will be measured. Misumena is ideal for this purpose because it lays only one clutch of eggs, and foraging success can be readily quantified in terms of clutch size. This research will a) evaluate the roles of natal clutch size and microhabitat on the offsprings' dispersal away from the nest, and b) the importance of parents' choice of nesting substrates on juvenile dispersal. This work is of fundamental importance because it will help to determine the relationship between foraging patterns and fitness and facilitate integration of foraging and life-history theory. These are two of the major research areas in ecology and population biology today. In practical terms it will identify critical and non-critical periods in life cycles and provide insight into where windows of vulnerability exist. This knowledge will have general applicability to other systems, such as those involving agricultural pests.
