Jumping Spiders Mating-Pedipalp Not Impressed with Xcaliber

Video of my 2 Phidippus Audax Jumping spiders in courtship mode. In this video, Xcaliber failed to impress Pedipalp, or she was just playing hard to get. He later had a successful mate with her. I released her and the spiderlings back into the wild. Xcaliber eventually passed away, so I don't have him anymore. He was a spider I rescued at Taco Bell. One of the employess was mopping the floor, and I saw the spider with oil, water and soap all over him. I took him home quickly and dried him off, but he quit breathing a few minutes later. I was about to throw him away, but I decided to try something, and amazingly it worked. I put the spider in warm water and stirred him around while he was unconsious to get the soap and oil out of his booklungs. Then I dried the spider the best I could and got air blowing on him and started moving his abdomen around. About 20 minutes later, he suddenly moved his legs. So I flipped him rightside up, and kept moving him some more. The he was really lively. I do have a video of him after his rescue, but this was before I had my Hi-Def camcorder. It was before his molt too, he still had orange spots when I rescued him. He was the coolest male audax spider I ever had.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• mating
• jumping spiders
• arachnids
• salticidae

[SisterOfKarn]

LOL, Love how she looks up at you from the rug later, as if to say 'Hey, wtf is this? Get me a real male next time!'. I know, she's more likely looking at your movement or thinking you might give her food, but still it was cute. ^_^

Do you have a better vid of Xcaliber than this? Read you were wondering if he might have been P. Regius instead, but I don't think it's likely if he bred with Pedipalp. It's hard to see his markings from this angle though... Will comment on hybrids elsewhere. =)

[Torn80cj]

@SisterOfKarn Xcaliber is an audax, the pedipalps have different markings from the regius. I also found out that males die quicker if they have mated, might be why Xcaliber died about a month ago. That's if that info is true about them dying quicker once mated. I have a video with Xcaliber on a plant, he sits pretty still in that video, and stares at the camcorder. I believe the red light that looks like a little red dot to them put's them in a daze or some kind of serious curiosity.

[SisterOfKarn]

@Torn80cj I've read that it's true about some of the other spider families, but not specifically anything about Salticids. Have also heard some anecdotal talk saying the same about male saltis once they've mated, but nothing concrete in any study yet - I'll bet its there somewhere though, there's a lot I've not read.

I wonder if there's something about the red light that hypnotizes them, it does seem to have some effects on some other animals...

[Torn80cj]

@SisterOfKarn I know salticidae see colors that our eyes don't pick up, maybe they're seeing something about that light that grabs their attention, some kind of extra wowing infra red.

[LuvMyBirdies]

Even if its not in HD, I'd love to see that rescue video. Really nice story behind it :)

[Torn80cj]

@LuvMyBirdies I'll upload it on Friday, he'll look different because he had orange instead of white markings on him at the time I rescured him. If you have seen my video of me releasing Pedipalp's babies, the male in this video is the daddy.

[DuffleMuffins]

Awww, it's so cute.

[SisterOfKarn]

@LuvMyBirdies You should see the Habronattus jumping spider males, if you haven't yet. Adorable!

[LuvMyBirdies]

aww male jumping spiders try so hard to impress the females!

[Torn80cj]

@sveinn2007 It wasn't a fight. The little one is a male, he was trying to mate the female, but she wasn't interested in him at the time. They eventually had a successful mate and the female had over 70 baby spiders.