Finally! Some breeding pics of Heteropoda venatoria

[Henry Kane]

Ok. I finally got the pics uploaded so...
I'm not gonna post all of them but here's just a few to give the general idea. They do exhibit some very different breeding behavior than Tarantulas.

First, the male obviously picked up on the female pheremone and began vibrating very rapidly with his entire body. (Couldn't capture the vibrating of course but if you shake your head about while looking at this pic you'll get the idea.:} )

 

[Henry Kane]

After a bit, he gained the confidence to approach the female. She didn't seem at all bothered by his presence. (He did know the password after all! )

 

[Henry Kane]

After a slow approach, he just climbed right on her back facing the opposite direction and began meticulously grooming focusing mainly on his palps.

 

[Henry Kane]

Here's the underside view. The male is still busy cleaning his palps. You can also see that he's got a secure grip around the female.

 

[Henry Kane]

The oddest thing we observed was how the male would raise all the bristles on his entire body as he searched for the female genital opening. You can see that he's just about to reach his left palp around between the females abdomen and ceph.

 

[Henry Kane]

After insertion, the bristles would relax again.

 

[Henry Kane]

After that, he would repeat the ritual in the same order but with the opposite palp. Cleaning the palps, raising the bristles, insertion, relaxing the bristles, and again. He kept this up for almost 90 minutes. Here's the underview, bristles raised.

 

[Henry Kane]

Underview, bristles relaxed, palp engaged.

 

[Henry Kane]

Ok. Last one. His right palp is engaged and there is a visable drop of sperm on the underside of the females abdomen.

Laters

Atrax

 

[Alex S.]

Heteropoda Breeding

Well done!! Excellent breeding Gary!! Great pics man!!

Alex S.

 

[Henry Kane]

Thanks bro!

Atrax

 

[johns]

Awe-inspiring..

 

[GQ.]

Wow! What an excellent photographic documentation. Thanks.

 

[johns]

I intend to breed the Heteropeda Malaysians when they get larger....<fingers crossed>

 

[Henry Kane]

Thanks guys. And good luck Johns with breeding the Malaysians! I really really need to get a hold of some of those!

Later.

Atrax

 

[Totenkopf]

I'm new to Arachnoboards because I've trying to ID what I believe is a female Huntsman. Last week, I e-mailed the pics to "Sheri" (another of the Arachomoderators). She checked with someone else on the BB (maybe you?) & got back with me, advising it was a Huntsman. Can I e-mail them to you also? No harm getting a second opinion........

 

[Henry Kane]

I'm new to Arachnoboards because I've trying to ID what I believe is a female Huntsman. Last week, I e-mailed the pics to "Sheri" (another of the Arachomoderators). She checked with someone else on the BB (maybe you?) & got back with me, advising it was a Huntsman. Can I e-mail them to you also? No harm getting a second opinion........

No problem. Better yet, you can post a thread with some pics and get 3rd and 4th opinions and so on.

Take care.

Gary

 

[bannanaspider]

Pics

GREAT PICS,LUCKY YOU WERE AROUND AT THE TIME :clap:

 

[Randolph XX()]

nice one! although i havn't seen them mating in real life, still amazing to see male put his abdomen right under female's fangs!
i still feel pretty wierd to see ppl keeping "house spiders" from my region as pets..
maybe that's the same way N.americans see me for keeping widows....