How Do Spiders Have Sex?
WouterSpider sex is an amazing display of sexual behavior. The male and female spiders need to work together to create a successful mating event. The males need to find a sexually mature female and get her to mate with him. They also need to protect their mate from other males.
One interesting aspect of spider sex is the way they use their pedipalps to copulate. These are specialised reproductive organs. They are used for storing sperm and fertilizing eggs.
Females can store sperm in specialized receptacles, which are located near their ovaries. They can then choose a sperm to fertilize their eggs. In some species, the females can even hang on to sperm of an unknown male.
Male spiders need to compete with other males to be first in line to mate. To do this, they make a sperm web and use their pedipalps to draw sperm into their genitals. They then deposit the sperm into the web. This way, they prevent other males from adding sperm to the receptacles.
Males have a complicated repertoire of behaviors to communicate their intentions to the females. These behaviors include stridulations, vibrations, love taps, and chemical signals. The posture adopted during copulation depends on the species.
A successful male spider will guard the female jealously and try to ensure paternity. He may also deposit a plug to stop other males from bringing sperm to the receptacles. He also needs to make sure that he doesn’t get eaten while copulating.
