Question
How do spiders have sex, and when they do what music do they prefer listening to? Is there any evidence that spiders like music?
Answer
Spiders have a unique and diverse range of sexual behaviours and reproductive strategies. Their mating involves a combination of chemical, tactile, and sometimes extreme behaviours.
Mating Process
Chemical Communication: Spiders often use chemical signals, such as sex pheromones, to attract mates. These pheromones play a crucial role in mating strategies, influencing both pre- and post-copulatory mate choice (Gaskett, 2007; Ježová et al., 2023; Schulz and Toft, 1993).
Tactile and Vibrational Signals: Due to their limited vision and lack of vocalization, many spiders rely on substrate-borne vibrations and tactile stimuli during courtship and mating (Huber, 2005).
Pedipalp Use: Male spiders transfer sperm to females using specialized structures called pedipalps. The sperm is coiled and encapsulated, and the pedipalps are used to insert it into the female’s reproductive tract (Michalik and Ramírez, 2014).
Unique Behaviours
Sexual Cannibalism: In some species, such as the Australian redback spider, males may be consumed by females during or after copulation. This behaviour can provide paternity advantages, as cannibalized males often fertilize more eggs and females are less likely to mate again (Andrade, 1996).
Oral Sexual Encounters: Some species, like Darwin’s bark spider, exhibit oral sexual behaviours where males salivate onto female genitalia, possibly to signal quality or reduce sperm competition (Gregorič et al., 2016).
Nuptial Gifts: In species like the nursery-web spider, males may present nuptial gifts to females, which can influence mating success. Chemical signals in female draglines can stimulate males to invest more in gift production (Ježová et al., 2023).
Conclusion
Spider mating involves a complex interplay of chemical, tactile, and behavioural strategies. These include the use of pheromones, specialized reproductive structures, and unique behaviours like sexual cannibalism and nuptial gift-giving. These strategies highlight the diverse evolutionary adaptations spiders have developed to ensure reproductive success.
References
Huber, B., 2005. Sexual selection research on spiders: progress and biases. Biological Reviews, 80. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1464793104006700
Gaskett, A., 2007. Spider sex pheromones: emission, reception, structures, and functions. Biological Reviews, 82. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2006.00002.x
Gregorič, M., Šuen, K., Cheng, R., Kralj-Fišer, S., & Kuntner, M., 2016. Spider behaviours include oral sexual encounters. Scientific Reports, 6. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep25128
Ježová, Z., Prokop, P., Zvaríková, M., & Zvarík, M., 2023. Unraveling the Significance of Draglines: Female Sexual Signalization in the Nursery-Web Spider, Pisaura mirabilis. Insects, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14090765
Schulz, S., & Toft, S., 1993. Identification of a Sex Pheromone from a Spider. Science, 260, pp. 1635 – 1637. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.260.5114.1635
Andrade, M., 1996. Sexual Selection for Male Sacrifice in the Australian Redback Spider. Science, 271, pp. 70 – 72. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.271.5245.70
Michalik, P., & Ramírez, M., 2014. Evolutionary morphology of the male reproductive system, spermatozoa and seminal fluid of spiders (Araneae, Arachnida)–current knowledge and future directions.. Arthropod structure & development, 43 4, pp. 291-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2014.05.005
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