Landcare Research - Manaaki Whenua

Landcare-Research -Manaaki Whenua

Mating

Wolf spider

Wolf spider

  • Mating can take hours.
  • Males transfer sperm from their abdomen to their palps.
  • Then the palps are inserted into the female abdomen.
  • Up to 300 eggs are laid by a female in a single egg sac, protected by layers of silk.
  • Some spiders provide maternal care, usually only to the egg sac or young.
Male crab spiders tie the female down with silk.

The Avondale spider is an exception amongst spiders, with large groups of immatures, females, and males being found coexisting with each other.

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