Theridion mating

[buthus]

I think I have at least a couple Theridion species (or the like) in my yard and probably another handful in the general area around LA.
This is the specie I find most often ..mostly in leaf matter, but sometimes under stone and up higher in bushes/trees (rare ...or maybe I just havnt looked often and closely enough)

Forgot about this one(the male) ...just another almost forgotten collection cup. Last night, I found I had an almost dead male that looked like it could be the right match for one of girls. Gave it water and thats what it needed. (water and males...another subject, but I can't stress the importance enough regarding the need for males (widows and cousins) to drink plenty. Widow males, for example can live a lot longer than what I have read)

Put him in to at least find out if he was the same specie ..and he ran right up to her after only a minute or two pause. Palp insertion and removal is blazing fast. I would need a better setup to be able to capture it. Small spiders do it fast! :D Mated 4 or 5 times and after each time, he would move to the same spot in the web and perform what I will have to say (for now) was sperm transfer. Though..could be just palp cleaning and "adjustment" like widow males will do, but as I saw with the S. grossa male, there was (seemingly) much more going on there.

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_mate_00.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_mate_01.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_mate_02.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_mate_03.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_mate_04.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_mate_05.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_mate_06.jpg


Well its a great looking spider! So just how small are these guys?
Leg span.. a little over a half inch or so.
http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_sac_01.jpg

Anyway... pssed off that I missed her making her sac. :rolleyes:
Damn thing was right in front of me when sitting at the puter, but I was busy setting up some video which ended up a waste of time anyway.

Got her out of the box for a little shoot and also seperated the male. Doubt anything positive could happen if I left him in there...except maybe him getting killed and eaten. :D

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_sac_02.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_sac_03.jpg

She did put on a little show. Layed down 5 or so strands 12 or 14" above her sac onto the black velvet. Given the opportunity (no dangerous competition) I can tell she would build a decent sized web. I never find them out in the open though, so I have not seen large webs.
http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_sac_04.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Theridion_IDiQ_sac_05.jpg

[Tegenaria]

cool,and that looks like a spider I see aroud here! I made a short video of one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSSG2Fdrf10

[buthus]

cool,and that looks like a spider I see aroud here! I made a short video of one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSSG2Fdrf10

Yours is probably a Theridon too ...just so many species though. :D

[Techuser]

At first glance it looks like a geometricus hehe

[Tegenaria]

Funny i actually searched for Theridion geometricus but found a deference to Latrodectus geometricus,same family. Cool spiders.