What does Phrynus whitei courtship look like?

[ReignofInvertebrates]

I just recently put a well fed group of these together and immediately two of them took interest in one another, locking claws and charging at each other a bit. Is this two males fighting or possible courtship? Ventral sexing them isn’t working that well for me which is why I decided to put them all together temporarily.

 

[schmiggle]

Sounds more like fighting to me. You can find vidoes of P. marginemaculatus males fighting in a way that sounds very similar. Would you mind posting videos of what you're seeing?

I'll dig up videos of P. marginemaculatus tonight.

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

Sounds more like fighting to me. You can find vidoes of P. marginemaculatus males fighting in a way that sounds very similar. Would you mind posting videos of what you're seeing?

I'll dig up videos of P. marginemaculatus tonight.

I can try to take a video later. Last time I was in there they were just hanging out on their own bark.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Most amblypygi have species-specific patterns of whip movement, like touching and tapping and stroking. Pretty sure P. whitei do something similar. I don't know of any amblypygi species whose courtship looks like fighting.

 

[mantisfan101]

Charging at whips sounds like fighting to me, it might be better to wait for them to molt and check for spermethecae in the vents

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

So, I wasn’t able to witness this behavior again, and wound up separating them after 4 days or so in the communal. No missing legs or damaged whips, so I assume whatever it was didn’t last very long.

Charging at whips sounds like fighting to me, it might be better to wait for them to molt and check for spermethecae in the vents

Thanks for the advice. I suppose if I pair them again and witness this behavior I can remove males until there’s just one for safe measure.