Reproductive behavior of Ogre-faced spider, Deinopis cf. cylindracea, in its natural habitat

Abstract

Abstract In the present study, the reproductive behavior of a representative of the Deinopidae family, Deinopis cf. cylindracea, has been described for the first time. The behavioral aspects observed were the construction of the male’s spermatic web, male’s approach to fertilization, and end of the couple’s pairing. As soon as a male found a female, he was observed to promote sperm induction. The spermatic web is a Y-shaped web, whose internal space forms a flat surface onto which the male deposits his gametes, which are then collected by his copulatory bulbs from the opposite side of the web. After transferring the spermatic drops to the pedipalp, the male walked towards the female, approaching her from the dorsal-abdominal region using the dragline thread of the web. The male used his legs to touch both the web and female spider, inducing the female to let go, and positioned her ventral region towards her cephalothorax. The couple hung upside down, with the cephalothorax suspended perpendicular to the floor by a silk thread. In this position, the male inserted the plunger of the copulatory bulb into the female epigynum and transferred the sperm. The male separated quickly by extending his legs and moving away, returning to a superior position in relation to the female. The female, in turn, returned to the prey-ready posture, clipping the capture net again and positioning herself in the same manner as before the reproductive behavior.