Unwilling to Breed

[Trevor Parsons]

I've had some issues trying to get females mated specifically A. geniculata, A. seemanni and L. difficillis.

The A. geniculata seems to be an issue with the male. He rarely drums, and sometimes won't even pace around the females container. I have even tried waiting 4 hours one night and still nothing. The one time he did touch her he freaked and ran away.

The A. seemanni seems to be an aggressive female problem. One male ended up lunch and I've had to rescue the second male a couple times.

The L. difficillis is much the same as A. seemanni, but I think the male was too small at the time (just over 6")

Any ideas on how to make these work would be great.

P.S. none of the males are very old so that's not an issue, and the females are all 1-2 months post molt.

[Stanley A. Schultz]

... The A. geniculata seems to be an issue with the male. He rarely drums, and sometimes won't even pace around the females container. I have even tried waiting 4 hours one night and still nothing. The one time he did touch her he freaked and ran away. ...

Are you sure they're the same species and not just look-a-likes? Has he ever produced a sperm web? Maybe he's gay? Or, see below...

... The A. seemanni seems to be an aggressive female problem. One male ended up lunch and I've had to rescue the second male a couple times.

The L. difficillis is much the same as A. seemanni, but I think the male was too small at the time (just over 6") ...

Early on we had absolutely abysmal luck breeding tarantulas, much as you. I was always moving the males into the females' cages, and they either wouldn't or couldn't perform.

Then, one evening, I moved a female into the male's cage and he attacked her (sexually) as though he'd been living in a monastery for a decade!

Since that time I've always tried moving the female into the male's cage first. If there's no action, I'd switch strategies the second night and reverse every night thereafter.

I can spin a story about this that might help to explain it, but you must realize I've no proof, just intuition.

In the female's cage, the female is quite at home. It's her turf and she is very comfortable with eating anything that moves in it. Plus, she's been trained for months or years that when the cover is moved she gets to eat everything that drops in!

And when you plop a male onto her turf he may not have enough time to issue whatever magic password he needs to disable her predatory instincts before she attacks and eats him. Besides, the whole place stinks of cannibal female! Wew! (In nature he'd approach carefully and slowly, taking all due caution and would have a lot of time to "converse" with her before he got into eating range.)

In the male's cage, he's at home and a lot more at ease; it's his turf. You haven't had to chase him down to move him, scaring the bajeezus out of him in the process, as well. (How would you react if God reached down from out of the blue, snagged you, and threw you into a bedroom with a cannibal female? Tell me all about your testosterone levels and your male libido!)

Lastly, it's the female who was chased down and moved. She's now on foreign turf and nowhere as possessive. When the male advances she's a lot less likely to attack him because the last thing she wants is to get involved in a one-on-one when she can't escape to the safety of her burrow if the battle goes wrong. Sex, on the other hand ... well he does have this alluring smell and he doesn't look all that bad.

Besides, "He has to do all the work. All she has to do is lie there!" He's the one who has to feel "excited," not her.

Not only that, but the whole place fairly reeks of "male," and if that doesn't pique her interest, nothing will.

Enjoy your XXX rated tarantulas!

[mary walters]

Trevor, I have a Nhandu vulpinus male here that makes dry sperm webs, we were having the same problem and by chance saw him make a web one day, this could be a problem, just a thought.

[Sonny Howdle]

my 2 genics are the same as yours. my boy made a spermy web and drums for her but she chases him away.
she is not due to molt and is nice and fat so join the club.

[simon player]

Hi all
I have a B Auratum that dose the same just runs ever time thay get close

[Trevor Parsons]

Are you sure they're the same species and not just look-a-likes? Has he ever produced a sperm web? Maybe he's gay? Or, see below...


Then, one evening, I moved a female into the male's cage and he attacked her (sexually) as though he'd been living in a monastery for a decade!


Enjoy your XXX rated tarantulas!

The only real look-a-like is A. brocklehursti right? I can't see someone selling A. brocklehursti for a loss, but I'm sure it's been done before. Anyway I am fairly positive that they are both A. geniculata (broader stripes etc.) however I'm no taxonomist.

The Lasiodora I wouldn't rule out different species.

The A. seemanni I questioned right off as I've never seen a mature male before, but upon seeing pictures from previous molts I am fairly certain it's an A. seemanni again I'm no taxonomist.

I'm going to have to try the female in the males container as I have a couple insurance A. geniculata males if he ends up lunch.

P.S. If I'm ever out Calgary way I'll have to drop you a line (I have family all over the western provinces)