Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 18:38
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Predatory Spiders in the Arctic Food Web

What are the mating habits of the spider?

Fri, 06/29/2012 - 17:43

Anonymous

Typically doesn't the male eat the female?

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 10:12

Nick LaFave

Wolf spiders generally are cannibalistic when population densities get too high, but in the case of mating for wolf spiders the female sometimes eats the male. I was recently reading an explanation of this with a Praying Mantis study where sometimes the male appears to offer himself as a meal for the female. I assume this would provide a reproductive advantage for passing on genes. It's less advantageous to breed with a female who might not have access to sufficient food.