Is this spider romance?

Question

In the garage I just saw a medium-sized spider in a web, face-to-face in front of a larger spider of the same type. The smaller one was waving its front legs in the air in the air slowly and very gracefully. It was a lovely sight. Is this spider-wooing? Should I put a radio out there playing soft music for them?

Answer 1

The smaller one is the male. The larger one is the female. The male is actually wooing the female. But, you do not play soft music and spoil their romance. They have their own faculties for their romance and let them enjoy them.

After a bit of romance, the larger female will devour the smaller male (Believe it or not!). Then the female will have its male wound in a coccoon, and feed on it till all the body fluids are sucked. If you observe closely, the abdomen bulges very hugely. In 2 days she will drop the dry coccoon of her mate.

After 1 or 2 weeks, the female will start holding a sphere of little spheres (eggs) in her mouth. I was lucky enough to see how she lays eggs in her mouth without swallowing them and forming them into a sphere.

After 4 to 5 weeks of waiting, depending the species, tiny spiders will emerge out of these eggs. I normally count the young ones even though it is a tough task, as they are just specks, well camouflaged. In 2 weeks, they grow well in size (with their legs visible) and there will just be 2 to 5 juveniles remaining, as one will devour the other young one (cannibalism is the best feeder in spiders).

Durin the period of post-mating, egg-laying, egg-incubation, protection of young, the mother never thinks of food. She fasts for 7 to 8 weeks. One mother whom I noticed fasted for 8 weeks. Wow! Procreation is not always fun, you see, and in this case, the father is killed and eaten and the mother does not touch food for almost 2 months.

Answer 2

Sounds like it. :)

Take a closer look at the spiders, they have four pairs of legs, as is well known, but at the front you may also be able to see what looks like a little fifth pair of legs, these are the palps. In most species of spider the palps of the male are noticeably longer and fatter than those of the female, I'd guess that the little spider doing the waving is the hopeful male. If you keep an eye on the web for a while you might get to see the female guarding the egg sac and then the cute baby spiders hatching. ^-^

Answer 3

I dont know if you would call it romance, but it sounds like a male and female in the act of spider courtship. Unfortunately it usually does not end well for the smaller male as he becomes an after-whoopie snack for the larger female!!