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Tidarren argo sp. nov. (Araneae: Theridiidae) and its exceptional copulatory behaviour: emasculation, male palpal organ as a mating plug and sexual cannibalism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 July 2001

Barbara Knoflach  and
Antonius van Harten
Barbara Knoflach
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology and Limnology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Antonius van Harten
Affiliation:
General Department of Plant Protection, P.O. Box 26, Sana'a, Republic of Yemen
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Abstract

Tidarren argo sp. nov. is described from Yemen. As in its congeners, the male amputates one of his palps before maturation and enters his adult life with one palp only. The new species is shown to adopt exceptional copulatory behaviour. As soon as the male achieves genitalia coupling with his palp, the palp is torn off by the female. The separated gonopod remains attached to the female's epigynum for c. 4 h and apparently continues to function independently. Furthermore, it serves as a mating plug. In the meantime the female feeds on the palpless male. Emasculation synchronizes sexual cannibalism and sperm transfer, and may lengthen the interval between copulations. This unique mating behaviour probably allows continuation of insemination by the dismembered palp and is reported for the first time.

Keywords

courtshipmating systemcopulationsexual cannibalismamputationemasculationTidarren argo sp. novYemen
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Zoology , Volume 254 , Issue 4 , August 2001 , pp. 449 - 459
Copyright
2001 The Zoological Society of London

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