How Do Male Spiders Have Babies?
WouterDepending on the species, male spiders have the ability to produce babies. Some of these spiders may produce hundreds of eggs in a single mating. Others will only have a few.
Female spiders can reproduce in several ways. They can either lay eggs on a web or inside an egg sac. Most of the time, they will consume their mate after mating. This is called matriphagy. Occasionally, females may eat a male before or after mating. However, this practice is rare in nature.
The eggs of spiders are fertilized by sperm. Sperm is stored in receptacles located near the ovaries. A gonopore connects the receptacles to the oviducts. Eggs are hatched in about 2 to 3 weeks.
When a female is ready to mate, she will position herself on a web. The male will then find her and inject sperm into her genital opening. Male spiders also smear their secretion on the epigynum, the hardened plate located on the underside of the female’s abdomen.
Female spiders lay their eggs in dark areas. They will lay up to 1000 eggs in about 8 to 10 minutes. These eggs are then laid in a silk egg sac. Approximately 2% of the eggs will develop to maturity.
Some spiders have a special sperm web that is made of silk. The silk comes from the epigastric glands. If a female leaves the nest, the male will take care of the eggs. He will move closer to the egg sacs.
