Itsy Bitsy Failed Courtship
While I was photographing yesterday’s spider (seen here out of focus at lower left), this charming little fellow came calling. He’s also a theridiidae spider, and though the coloration is slightly different than the one in the web they very well might be the same species. If not, they are certainly close cousins.
He plucked the web a few times with a foreleg. In spider culture, this is akin to ringing the doorbell while holding a bouquet and wearing cologne. Sensing that a spider was indeed at home in the web, he let himself into the parlor, stepping completely into the web. You might think this very forward, but in spider culture it is accepted and even expected. He plucked the web again, which is spider language for calling up the stairs, “Hey baby, are you home …and sexy?”
The spider in the web (who I believe is another male) turned and charged through the web directly at the suitor. In spider culture, this is akin to running down the stairs screaming “I’m gonna eat you! I’m gonna eat you! I’m gonna eat you!” The suitor flung himself from the web to save his own life, which in spider culture is akin to flinging oneself from the web to save one’s own life.
I’m not really sure what spider language is for “Whoa, I didn’t realize you were a dude” but fortunately they have etiquette to cover it: the offended spider attempts to eat the suitor, and the suitor endeavors not to be eaten.
Athena said,
October 21, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
Can I just say, L - O - L!
Kit said,
October 21, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
*giggles muchly*
Ah, I love spider etiquette
And nice pictures, too.
Mocha-Dog said,
October 22, 2007 @ 10:14 am
How do they find each other ? Pheremones?
And how come they can’t distinguish
the genders by the odors?
And why does Ms Manners get
paid so much and you get paid so little?
David Brady said,
October 22, 2007 @ 10:33 am
Hi Mocha!
I don’t believe any proper study of spiders’ ability to smell has ever been conducted. Male spiders will go wandering, looking for females who stay in their webs. Given the very high reproductive rate of a single mating (between 3 and 30 egg sacs, each containing several hundred spiderlings) the chance of a given female being found by a given male must be quite low, while the chance of a given female being found by ANY male is “just right” for the species.
Ms Manners writes for a demographic comprised of millions of humans, each with a modest amount of disposable income and more importantly, the ability to influence newspaper distribution. While my demographic is comprised of billions and billions of spiders, none of them has any disposable income at all, and a typical spider-newspaper interaction ends badly for the spider.
Insect Picture of the Day » Funnel Weaver Courtship said,
November 9, 2007 @ 10:24 am
[…] spooked the male, who was carefully listening to the web for the strong vibrations of a spider charging across the web to eat him. He ran underneath for protection; most web owners consider the underside to be dangerously exposed […]
Insect Picture of the Day » Where’s Waldo? said,
February 12, 2008 @ 11:52 am
[…] Now this little guy is still mostly in hibernation. Nighttime temps hover around -8°C. But I went out this morning to check on Waldo, and he had moved! (Please note that I have no idea what the gender of this caterpillar might be. In the event that he is a she, I would like to take this opportunity to in advance to say “Whoa, I thought you were a dude. My bad. I am so glad we’re not spiders.”) […]