How female false widow spiders use their 'spidey senses' to attract mates—study

According to new research, female widow spiders have the ability to adjust their web's attractiveness to lure males.

New details about how female false widow spiders communicate with each other, and how they can build more attractive webs, have been revealed in a study led by a PhD candidate.

Female false widow spiders deposit contact pheromone components on their webs in order to lure males to their webs.

This latest research, published this week in the journal Nature Communications Biology, sheds light on the chemical structure of the components involved in attraction and courting.

The Department of Biological Sciences' Gries-lab has found that female false widow spiders have a way of constantly'mate call' by slowly breaking down the sex attractant components that lure the males in.

There is little known about the reproductive behavior of the false widow spider, also known as the cupboard spider, which mostly lives in buildings and is able to reproduce year-round.

The method of study is used.

93 sexually mature, adult virgin female false widow spiders spun webs on wood or bamboo skewers. 70 immature sub-adult females were also allowed to build webs.

They put their webs into a glass container. The latest state-of-the-art technology, custom created in the laboratory, and tested for their ability to attract and induce courting behavior in male false widow spiders, was used to identify the various components.

Can females control their attractiveness to males?

Female spiders may be able to change the attractiveness of their web to men. The ability of female spiders to adjust the pH level in their silk may allow them to control the pheromone component of the courting process.

Only insects are known to time the production and dissemination of pheromones. Future study is needed to determine if arachnids can do this.

The males of false widow spiders will die soon after having sex. Within two to four months, the female will lay three or more egg sacs or cocoons containing 200 eggs.

The origin, structure and functional transition of sex pheromone components in a false widow spider is the topic of an article. The DOI is 10.1038/s4 2003-020-07.

Journal information: Communications Biology