Barn Spider Courtship

A male Barn Spider (Araneus cavaticus) gingerly courts a female. She is much larger and dangerous to him. His special plucking of the web and gentle tapping on her legs seems like an attempt to not only seduce her but to prevent her from attacking him (at least until he can mate with her). I watched him for an hour and he went back and forth a few times but I never witnessed them mate. I returned a few hours later and he was gone. The female was eating a wrapped bundle just about his size. Perhaps he will at least father the next generation.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Corvallis
• Oregon
• spider
• entomology
• nature
• courtship

[naturalist97333]

Thanks for pointing that out. That explains the "tickling" behavior that male exhibited when he contacted the female.

[Xtermination100]

now all we need is some banjo music X3

I believe the first part, the male was sending vibrations to the female from the silk to signal the identification. The next part might of been rejection. :< poor thing.

[chefeck]

They actually might have been mating as this was filmed! Most spiders don't require true copulation. The male presents spermatophores (packets of sperm) via specialized forelimbs to the female who deposits them for fertilization.

[VigorousVixen]

Cool Video! I would have been too creeped out to film it!