One of my long-term interests is social behavior, with two main study species: a facultatively group-living spider in California, Holocnemus pluchei, and a social spider in Mexico, Metepeira incrassata, studied in collaboration with George Uetz. Here are some relevant publications (undergraduate co-authors are underlined).
Prospective students please note: I am not actively pursuing this research now, although I would be pleased to have a student who has his or her own fellowship funding and is interested in this topic.
Jakob, E. M. 2004. Individual decisions and group dynamics: why pholcid spiders join and leave groups. Animal Behaviour 68:9-20.
Skow, C. and E. Jakob. 2003. Effects of maternal body size on clutch size and egg weight in a pholcid spider (Holocnemus pluchei). Journal of Arachnology 31:305-308.
Jakob, E. M., A. H. Porter, and G. W. Uetz. 2001. Site fidelity and the costs of movement among territories: An example from colonial web-building spiders. Canadian Journal of Zoology 79:2094-2100.
Jakob, E., J. Blanchong, M. Popson, K. Sedey, and M. Summerfield. 2000. Ontogenetic shifts in the cost of living in large groups: focal observations of a pholcid spider (Holocnemus pluchei). American Midland Naturalist 143:405-413.
Jakob, E., A. Porter, and G. Uetz. 1998. The effect of conspecifics on the timing of orb construction in a colonial spider. Journal of Arachnology 26:335-341.
Jakob, E., S. Marshall, and G. Uetz. 1996. Estimating fitness: a comparison of body condition indices. Oikos 77:61-67.
Blanchong, J., M. Summerfield, M. Popson, and E. Jakob. 1995. Chivalry in pholcid spiders revisited. Journal of Arachnology 23:165-170.
Jakob, E. M. 1994. Contests over prey by group-living pholcids (Holocnemus pluchei). Journal of Arachnology 22:39-45.
Uetz, G.W., C.S. Hieber, E. M. Jakob, R.S. Wilcox, D. Kroeger, A. McCrate, and A. Mostrum. 1994. Behaviour of orb-weaving spiders during a solar eclipse. Ethology 96:24-32.
Jackson, R.R., E.M. Jakob, M. B. Willey, and G.E. Campbell. 1993. Anti-predator defences of a web-building spider, Holocnemus pluchei (Araneae, Pholcidae). Journal of Zoology, London 229:347-352.
Jakob, E.M. 1991. Costs and benefits of group living for pholcid spiders: losing food, saving silk. Animal Behaviour 41:711-722.
Jakob, E.M. and H. Dingle. 1990. Food level and life history characteristics in a pholcid spider. Psyche 97:95-110.
Porter, A.H. and E.M. Jakob. 1990. Allozyme variation in the introduced pholcid spider Holocnemus pluchei (Araneae: Pholcidae) in California. Journal of Arachnology 18:313-319.