Male Spiders Play Dead for Sex, Apparently It's Working Out for Them

Posted by Emily Farris

So, let's get this straight. When a male spider just lies there with a little bit of food hanging out of his mouth, a female spider will ride him all night long, spidey-style?


Not all male nursery web spiders looking for a little arachnid sex adopt this technique, but those that do more than double their chances of hitting the jackpot, according to new study in Behavioral Ecology...

But the ones that lay flat and motionless -- even if meant getting dragged about by a female that had latched onto the victuals -- wound up in a much better position, as it were, to engage in sexual activity.

Males that played dead were also allowed to copulate longer than males that did not, ensuring more eggs could [be] fertilized, the researchers reported. 


Glad that's working out for you, spiders, but I'd like to be the first to say: men, don't try this at home. 

[AFP: Male spiders play dead for sex: study]


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About Emily Farris

Emily Farris writes about culture and food for numerous publications and websites you've probably never heard of, including her own blog eefers. Her first cookbook, "Casserole Crazy: Hot Stuff for Your Oven" was published in 2008. Emily recently escaped New York and now lives in a ridiculously large apartment in Kansas City, MO with her cat, but just one... so far.

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