Main steps of the sperm web process.

[OldFlash]

Since lots of people never had the chance to see the whole process mature males go through when making their sperm webs, here it is:

After the hammock like web is made, they get underneath it, “belly” up.






Once in position, they rub the margin of the genital opening on the under side of the sperm web, depositing a sperm droplet on it. You can see the droplet in this picture:



In the last step of the process, the male gets back up and starts transferring the sperm to their palpal (or genital) bulbs, as seen here:

View attachment BENE.mp4

















The whole process usually happens overnight and doesn't take long, so it's a behavior people usually don't get to see very often.

Maybe this post will help some new keepers not to panic if one happen to catch it happening.

And sorry if there's already a similar thread to this one, I did use the search engine and nothing with this kind of step by step came up.

Hope it helps

Cheers!

 

[TheraMygale]

I think if i saw that i would be grateful.

a tarantula being a tarantula. Finaly doing something different.

thanks for the share.

i hope i see this in my males.

i am bound to have some males in my collection. I already have a feel on those who are!

can’t wait to see it. When i do, i will know my males will have gone full circle.

i love seeing the hooks in the video.

Thank you.

 

[OldFlash]

can’t wait to see it. When i do, i will know my males will have gone full circle.

i love seeing the hooks in the video.

Thank you.

I’m glad you like the post. Males usually don’t get too much love in the hobby, so it’s always nice to be able to register this fascinating behavior
Thanks again!

 

[TheraMygale]

I’m glad you like the post. Males usually don’t get too much love in the hobby, so it’s always nice to be able to register this fascinating behavior
Thanks again!

I prefer females because they live longer.

but i know i have males.

i just hope i get to be a good keeper to get them all the way to the spermweb.

i am still in the process of getting a microscope. That way i can sex before hooking. And i can then keep them in a small enclosure that limits their energy waste.

i want to keep one enclosure as art. Because their sperm webs are works of art that are worthy of being exposed. Like bee hives and wasp nests.

 

[HooahArmy]

I once had a Ceratogyrus darlingi buddy who I caught in the process of trying to make a sperm web--he was nowhere as skilled and as graceful as the doctorate-level engineer in these photos and videos, so I'm glad this intricate view on art has been posted. Nice catch!
My little dude first spun his hammock crooked, stepped in it, tried to repair it, made a mess, desposited his sperm on a leaf instead, stepped in it again, and then went straight downhill from there. In the meantime, the female I bought was continuously shaking her head in another room...

 

[WolfieKate]

I’m glad you like the post. Males usually don’t get too much love in the hobby, so it’s always nice to be able to register this fascinating behavior
Thanks again!

Yes,Thank you also. I have a Grammastola that was sold to me as female but I think its male as it’s never moulted with me and currently i think it may be in pre moult but instead of hiding away it‘s constantly moving around it’s enclosure which is confusing me. it seems to be rearranging its soil and decor which none of my other sub adult/adult Tarantulas have done. I guess if it is I either ask anyone who might want one for breeding or just enjoy it for what it is, just as amazing but shorter lived.

 

[OldFlash]

I once had a Ceratogyrus darlingi buddy who I caught in the process of trying to make a sperm web--he was nowhere as skilled and as graceful as the doctorate-level engineer in these photos and videos, so I'm glad this intricate view on art has been posted. Nice catch!
My little dude first spun his hammock crooked, stepped in it, tried to repair it, made a mess, desposited his sperm on a leaf instead, stepped in it again, and then went straight downhill from there. In the meantime, the female I bought was continuously shaking her head in another room...

And yet most baboons breed like crazy

Yes,Thank you also. I have a Grammastola that was sold to me as female but I think its male as it’s never moulted with me and currently i think it may be in pre moult but instead of hiding away it‘s constantly moving around it’s enclosure which is confusing me. it seems to be rearranging its soil and decor which none of my other sub adult/adult Tarantulas have done. I guess if it is I either ask anyone who might want one for breeding or just enjoy it for what it is, just as amazing but shorter lived.

I’m glad you like it!

Any particular reason why you think it’s male? What species of Grammo?

i want to keep one enclosure as art. Because their sperm webs are works of art that are worthy of being exposed. Like bee hives and wasp nests.

Keep in mind most males tend to destroy their sperm webs once they’re done
But hey, nice enclosures are never too much

 

[viper69]

Never caught a male doing this- very nice

 

[drurymercy]

Wow I catch my boy that no one wants (T albo) doing this daily but not once have I seen the droplet! Awesome photos!!

 

[OldFlash]

Never caught a male doing this- very nice

I’ve only seen it maybe 3 times. First time during the day with this one. Pretty cool to see the whole thing from start to finish

 

[drurymercy]

I’ve only seen it maybe 3 times. First time during the day with this one. Pretty cool to see the whole thing from start to finish

Was this with your phone camera? If so the video is even better!!

 

[OldFlash]

Was this with your phone camera? If so the video is even better!!

Good old phone camera

 

[drurymercy]

Good old phone camera

lol nice!! My phone camera sucks his little emboli’s he looked like a drum player to me lol I’m going to watch again now

 

[Ratmosphere]

Very helpful thread to be honest.

Crazy coincidence that I found my male D. diamantinensis making a web early this morning. Going to pair him with one of my females later today or tomorrow.

 

[jrh3]

Its always fun to watch them. They look like little drummers.

 

[WolfieKate]

I’m glad you like it!

Any particular reason why you think it’s male? What species of Grammo?

I could be wrong. It was sold to me as a female G Iheringi but the pet shop had never seen it moult and neither have I. I can’t see it’s underside. It’s always been quite quiet but now its been madly rearranging things and knocking over plastic leaves and it’s water dish. I don’t know it thats normal pre-molt for this species. It was a rescue as the pet shop was a bit grim and its enclosure was huge (a lizard emporium) and it looked miserable and stressed. I got it last August. If it spread it legs out it would be about 5inches dls. Rita or Bob. Guess I’ll find out eventually.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

My 9 inch MM A. geniculata made his sperm web and had his eboli filled in about 30 minutes. He's an over-achiever. That was a couple of weeks ago with me watching him.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

After the hammock like web is made, they get underneath it, “belly” up.

Once in position, they rub the margin of the genital opening on the under side of the sperm web, depositing a sperm droplet on it. You can see the droplet in this picture:

There should be a step in there somewhere at these stages when the male uses the epiandrous fussilae to reinforce an area of the sperm web before depositing the sperm packet.

Here is a couple of documents that describe the whole process in great detail.

Baerg, William J. "The life cycle and mating habits of the male tarantula." The Quarterly review of biology 3.1 (1928): 109-116.

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/394296

[English language]

Melchers, Mechthild. "Zur biologie der vogelspinnen (Fam. Aviculariidae)." Zeitschrift für Morphologie und Ökologie der Tiere 53.5 (1964): 517-536.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/43262151

[German language; No free download; Send PM if a copy is wanted]

 

[OldFlash]

There should be a step in there somewhere at these stages when the male uses the epiandrous fussilae to reinforce an area of the sperm web before depositing the sperm packet.

Yes. Couldn’t get an angle to get a good picture though :/

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Yes. Couldn’t get an angle to get a good picture though :/

Regardless, you provided excellent photographic documentation of the whole process that this post has made it to the "Tarantula Information for Beginners (and More)" sticky thread at the top of this forum. The link is under the "Breeding" section. Great job!

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