What is a sperm web and how do you know when one is created?

[The Breaker]

As in the title...

What is a sperm web?

how do you know when one is created?

how does it differ from other webs?


Thanks all

 

[Mack&Cass]

A sperm web is a special web created by a mature male in order to transfer sperm from the epiandrous fusillae to the palpal bulbs. It is usually tubular in shape but that depends on species. Sometimes you can catch a male in the act of "loading" his palps. Although we don't have a picture of any of our males doing this, we have seen them doing this. I am sure there are some pictures of this on here or on a search engine. Males tear down the web after it is made. With our terrestrials it is visible as a twisted web lying on the substrate, often balled up. Our arboreal males have always had so much webbing that distinguishing a sperm web after the fact is almost impossible.
Mackenzie

Edit: try searching "tarantula sperm web" on Google. I found several pictures illustrating the act.

 

[Protectyaaaneck]

Here is my MM a. versicolor making a sperm web.

 

[robd]

Awesome pic man. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[JC]

Mature male Psalmopoeus irminia depositing sperm onto sperm web:

[YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OzcCMy7zscs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OzcCMy7zscs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]


Mature male Psalmopoeus irminia collecting sperm with pedipalps(top view):

[YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kL9z6b1mMJ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kL9z6b1mMJ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]


Mature male Psalmopoeus irminia collecting sperm with pedipalps(bottom view):

[YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/56wfvM1eyr4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/56wfvM1eyr4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Protectyaaaneck]

Nice vids JC. Those yours?

Sorry, didn't actually click on them to see who's they were. Either way, nice vids of the males doing what they do.

 

[JC]

Nice vids JC. Those yours?

Hmmm...maybe? :?

 

[TalonAWD]

Her was my boy doing his thing live.

[YOUTUBE]FbnX3umcAcY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[AbraCadaver]

Oh man, that music in the first vid JC posted is so funky! I'm gonna be humming it all night..

Sweet vids, that's really neat!

 

[Papiroach]

i have a quoestion regarding SW, I have bought a MM balfouri, and the vendor said, it has active SW, but then when I put him to my MF balfouri enclosure, he doesn't care , he just wanna spin around, without drumming hi pedipalps.

1 question, does MM continues to build SW during it life sa MM
2 can you still use a once or twice used MM to other MF TS?

thank you

 

[jrh3]

1. Yes, a MM will make multiple sperm webs.
2. Yes, you can pair a MM with multiple females but you need them to make a new sperm web between each pairing.