Steatoda Borealis family unit behavior

[Itsmom0527]

I can’t be the only one who finds Steatoda sp. to be interesting, I’m curious whether something you’ve observed in the wild or from a specimen you may have around your house. Have you ever noticed a MM and a MF in the same web apart from pairing? I’ve seen something suggesting males stay and scavenge off of the females meals and I’m curious how often this has been observed.

 

[darkness975]

I can’t be the only one who finds Steatoda sp. to be interesting, I’m curious whether something you’ve observed in the wild or from a specimen you may have around your house. Have you ever noticed a MM and a MF in the same web apart from pairing? I’ve seen something suggesting males stay and scavenge off of the females meals and I’m curious how often this has been observed.

I wouldn't be surprised. Latrodectus spp. Do it and they're in the same family.

 

[The Snark]

I wouldn't be surprised. Latrodectus spp. Do it and they're in the same family.

Recollections of cleaning out USFS disused bathrooms in remote locations. Some literally wall to wall, floor to ceiling Latro webs. Multiple generations of spiders that could not avoid using neighboring guy lines for their webs. How did they managed to keep MF and MM and of which generation sorted, if they did at all, is a mystery.

 

[Itsmom0527]

That is fascinating to me! I had no idea Latrodectus lived that way as well