Broken mature male?

[Sarkhan42]

Well, I attempted to pair my C. versicolor last night.

Male definitely mature? Check.

Male made sperm web? Certainly looked like the remains of one. Check.

Female receptive? Check.

Male exposed to female webbing? Check with tapping.

Introduced them, in the dark under red light, no tapping from the male, female tapping and coming out to find the male, they touched legs extensively, male turns around and walks away. No tapping, no bolting, just walks away. WHAT. I’m gonna try and watch for a new sperm web and then try again, but currently he’s just making a new tube web in his enclosure and hanging out.

Any suggestions as to why he’s suddenly passive, or suggestions as to what I can do to motivate the guy? He’s definitely mature, about 5-5.5 inches so not a small male either.

 

[KezyGLA]

Are you sure sperm web was definitely made?

Hiw long since maturity?

Try feed him up and go again

 

[Sarkhan42]

Are you sure sperm web was definitely made?

Hiw long since maturity?

Try feed him up and go again

Probably been about a little over a month so he’s still very fresh, but he’s been eating well so I figured he was good to go. I found remnants of a sperm web I believe, but I’ll just wait til another is made to be sure.

 

[KezyGLA]

Hmm. It should be good to go.

Maybe he is just a little timid. I am currently watching over a fresh strong MM P. lapalala in with the female just now. He wouldnt go near her at all last week and now he responds to her tapping, lifts her and starts to shake his palps then just runs away before insert.



It is annoying as hell, but I guess patience is key.

I'm sure your fella will get in there eventually

 

[jaycied]

Mine's kinda been doing the same thing. I have a MM P irminia that has definitely made a sperm web, I tried pairing them today ( keeping her enclosure with the lid off inside a fishtank and letting him roam to find her) I've been watching them and he keeps going to her enclosure, then he touches her webbing and runs away. She's tapping at him, but he's scared of her.

 

[Sarkhan42]

Mine's kinda been doing the same thing. I have a MM P irminia that has definitely made a sperm web, I tried pairing them today ( keeping her enclosure with the lid off inside a fishtank and letting him roam to find her) I've been watching them and he keeps going to her enclosure, then he touches her webbing and runs away. She's tapping at him, but he's scared of her.

See that’s the weirdest thing, if he was running I’d be more understanding cause I’d be scared of being eaten too, but like he’s just slowly walking away ignoring her. Very bizarre.

 

[cold blood]

My experience with Avic species is that the more exposure to the female the male has, the more aggressive he will be.


Often the first few pairings go off without much real action...then once he gets the job done....he will be more aggressive and get right to it with subsequent females.

Just give him a few days or a week, and repeat the attempt until he hits paydirt.

 

[cold blood]

Psalmopeous usually get right to it.

 

[Sarkhan42]

Well, observed a definite sperm web, fed him up well, and tried again. Actual tapping this time! But no dice. Waited a few days, (ongoing) he’s been in there for like two hours, hasn’t tapped, barely even seems to care about females webbing or anything. I’m going to leave him for another hour or two, but after that, I guess I’ll just wait a week or two to try again.

 

[MetalMan2004]

Are you pairing during the day or at night? Lights on or off? I have no versicolor breeding experience but I can tell you that when I paired my GBBs the action always happened at night in the dark or under red light. Nothing ever happened when I paired them during the day.

 

[Sarkhan42]

Are you pairing during the day or at night? Lights on or off? I have no versicolor breeding experience but I can tell you that when I paired my GBBs the action always happened at night in the dark or under red light. Nothing ever happened when I paired them during the day.

I’ve tried both, no difference in attitude from either side. I also paired my Chromatopelma during the day weirdly enough.

 

[MetalMan2004]

I’ve tried both, no difference in attitude from either side. I also paired my Chromatopelma during the day weirdly enough.

Then he truly is broke.

 

[Sarkhan42]

Some rough pictures of a neat little high-rise sperm web he’s created today. Hoping maybe this pushes him to actually pair...

 

[Sarkhan42]

@KezyGLA @cold blood

Question for you guys, I just had another female molt out to about 4-4.5 inches a week or so ago. She trashed her molt, so I haven’t been able to check spermathecae to tell maturity, should I bother seeing if they’ll pair? She may be a little small, but she’s definitely around 75%-80% of their adult size right?

 

[cold blood]

a versi should be mature at that size.

 

[Sarkhan42]

a versi should be mature at that size.

Sounds good! I’ll give her a hornworm or two this week to top her off and give him a shot. (To clarify she’s already been eating, she’ll be well fed before introduction)

 

[KezyGLA]

Yes whe will be good to go. I got sack recently from female a little over 4" DLS

 

[Sarkhan42]

Well, he may not give me any sacs but at least he’s a looker.

 

[darkness975]

@Sarkhan42 Have you tried discussing the birds and the bees with him? Perhaps a refresher course from Middle School health class is in order!

 

[Sarkhan42]

And just like that, I reintroduce him to the first female and he confidently pairs with successful insertion, on three different occasions, at least that I observed



Maybe it was the thunderstorm we had today that granted better humidity, or maybe he just felt like I had suffered enough. Either way I have at least one mated female now!