Food Web:
What would happen to the amount of energy available in the food web if the Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium Punctorium) drastically decreases or increases in number?
If the Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium Punctorium) were to drastically decrease or increase in number, there would be a problem either way. If the population were to decrease, there would be more insects in the sample plot which the Yellow Sac Spider was found. Specifically, there would be an increase in Fire Ants (Solenopsis Invicta), which had mounds around the Red Trumpet Lily (Hippeastrum/Amaryllis) bulbs, and the Yellow Sac Spider’s web was located in a cluster of Red Trumpet Lily leaves, with Fire Ants trapped inside. The ensnarement of the ants causes one to believe the Yellow Sac Spider preyed upon those ants, and if the Yellow Sac Spider disappeared, there would be a surplus of Fire Ants. So the amount of energy available for the spider(s) left (let’s just say there is more than one Yellow Sac Spider in this instance) would increase as there would not be much competition.
On the other hand, if there was an increase in the population of Yellow Sac Spiders, there would most likely be a lack of Fire Ants in the sample plot, from being preyed upon for food. The decrease in population of Fire Ants would result in more bug and other small animal carcasses such as frogs, for Fire Ants consume carrion. There would also be more vegetation, because Fire Ants eat that too. The amount of energy available for the remaining Fire Ants would be the same, but stretch farther seeing as how, also with the Yellow Sac Spiders, there would be less mouths to feed.
If the Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium Punctorium) were to drastically decrease or increase in number, there would be a problem either way. If the population were to decrease, there would be more insects in the sample plot which the Yellow Sac Spider was found. Specifically, there would be an increase in Fire Ants (Solenopsis Invicta), which had mounds around the Red Trumpet Lily (Hippeastrum/Amaryllis) bulbs, and the Yellow Sac Spider’s web was located in a cluster of Red Trumpet Lily leaves, with Fire Ants trapped inside. The ensnarement of the ants causes one to believe the Yellow Sac Spider preyed upon those ants, and if the Yellow Sac Spider disappeared, there would be a surplus of Fire Ants. So the amount of energy available for the spider(s) left (let’s just say there is more than one Yellow Sac Spider in this instance) would increase as there would not be much competition.
On the other hand, if there was an increase in the population of Yellow Sac Spiders, there would most likely be a lack of Fire Ants in the sample plot, from being preyed upon for food. The decrease in population of Fire Ants would result in more bug and other small animal carcasses such as frogs, for Fire Ants consume carrion. There would also be more vegetation, because Fire Ants eat that too. The amount of energy available for the remaining Fire Ants would be the same, but stretch farther seeing as how, also with the Yellow Sac Spiders, there would be less mouths to feed.