Do mature males burrow?

[Phil Rea]

Hi Phil; yes that makes perfect sense to me too and I had assumed that to be the case. I was interested in this comment because Foelix (Biology of Spiders 2nd ed) states that (p. 189):

“For a long time arachnologists thought that “sperm induction” was a precondition for the courting behaviour of the male. In a series of elegant experiments this idea has now been refuted. Male spiders with their palps removed or with a covered genital opening display themselves quite normally toward a female (Rovner, 1866, 1967). It is likely that the initiation of courtship is triggered by the central nervous system, probably via hormones, some days after the spider’s last moult. Perhaps this explains why newly moulted males, which have not yet filled their palps with sperm, do not court in the first days following moulting.”

Rovner’s experiments were with a lycosid spider. Further experiments were conducted by Costa (1998 JOA 26:106-112) again with a lycosid spider although of a different species to that used by Royner.

Your observation, which I acknowledge is not a controlled experiment, is interesting and I wonder now whether any such experiments have been done on tarantula species that would confirm or refute these results.

Interesting. I've no idea whether such studies have been done on theraphosids, but as Foelix is referring to true spiders brings in complications, as more often than not the male is eaten by the female immediately after mating (sometimes during), and so self preservation on the male's behalf is possibly not as much of a biological concern.

No, in no way whatsoever was it a controlled experiment. I'm glad you noticed

I have some literature on spider reproduction at home which I will trawl through at some point and see if there are any clues there

[Charles Senescall]

If you find anything Phil I would certainly be most inetersted! Thanks