Lizzie Van Ert

My research focuses on examining the foraging habits of the brown recluse spider in relation to prey choice. The successfulness of a predator in capturing prey determines its survival, therefore leading to different strategies; each strategy having its own inherent risks and rewards.  I am interested in the decisions predators make when deciding to eat, versus when to fast. There are also decisions being made when a predator decides how large of a prey item to attack, which takes into affect so many different aspects, including length of satiation.  I want to look at this spider’s feeding habits and the variables that could be affecting it.