Animal Love in the Wild: Exploring Romance in the Bird, Bee, Jaguar, and Orb-weaver Spider Worlds
Valentine's Day might be celebrated as a day of love for many, but in the animal kingdom, the rituals of courtship and mating can be as diverse and intriguing as they come. Let's delve into the world of orb weaver spiders and explore some of the most fascinating animal mating behaviors.
Orb weaver spiders (family Araneidae) have elaborate mating rituals where the male courts the female by rhythmically plucking the threads of her web. This courtship likely evolved to prevent the male from being mistaken for prey and attacked. Mating can last from seconds to hours, and some species exhibit complex behaviors such as males locking the female’s jaws or offering prey wrapped in silk to distract her during copulation.
Other animals also display unique mating behaviors. Wolf spiders and jumping spiders use visual signals where males wave specialized appendages to communicate and court females, sometimes accompanied by sounds like tapping on leaves to attract mates. Crab spiders may quickly wrap females in silk to immobilize them for mating, despite female attempts to escape.
In the European nursery-web spider, males capture prey (like a fly) and wrap it in silk as a nuptial gift. While the female is preoccupied eating the prey, the male mates with her. If no prey is available, the male may use a pebble as a substitute gift. Some male spiders prevent females from mating again by applying an epigynal plug, a secretion that blocks the female’s reproductive opening after mating.
Certain tropical spiders, like Nephilengys malabarensis, use remote copulation where the male’s copulatory organ detaches inside the female to allow prolonged sperm transfer, possibly helping males avoid being eaten.
These examples illustrate the diverse and sometimes extreme strategies animals use to maximize reproductive success and avoid risks like sexual cannibalism.
Meanwhile, in the human world, we have news about The Hero, a pub located in Maida Vale, London, which has been hailed as one of the best by David Ellis of The Standard. The second floor of this establishment will soon open as The Library, aiming to recreate an old-world club atmosphere, offering nice cocktails, vinyl DJs, and a selection of good books.
For those interested in nature, the Big Farmland Bird Count is currently underway, launched by Adam Henson. The public is encouraged to participate to help wildlife organizations track bird populations, as farmland bird populations have declined by 63% in the past 50 years.
Lastly, if you're looking for more information on exquisite houses, the beauty of nature, and how to get the most from life, check out the WWF's platform for a Newsletter. And for motoring, travel, and things that upset James Fisher, the Digital Commissioning Editor of the platform, you can email him for story submissions.
References: [1] University of California Museum of Paleontology, 2021. The Araneidae (Orb-weavers). [online] Available at: https://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/araneae/araneidae/ [Accessed 14 February 2023]. [2] The Spider Club, 2021. Araneidae (Orb-weaver spiders). [online] Available at: https://thespiderclub.org/araneidae/ [Accessed 14 February 2023].
- In contrast to the intriguing mating rituals of orb weaver spiders, humans enjoy a more traditional celebration on Valentine's Day, with places like The Hero pub in Maida Vale, London, offering an atmospheric escape.
- For nature enthusiasts, the Big Farmland Bird Count is ongoing, an event launched by Adam Henson that encourages public participation to monitor farmland bird populations.
- If you're keen on learning about lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, relationships, pets, travel, education-and-self-development, or sports, the WWF's Newsletter is a great resource for these topics and more.
- For those interested in motoring, travel, and unique perspectives, the Digital Commissioning Editor of the platform welcomes story submissions to share with the readers.
