One of the only books to treat the whole spider, from its behavior and physiology to its
neurobiology and reproductive characteristics, Biology of Spiders is considered a classic in …

Sexual cannibalism is a well-known example for sexual conflict and has many facets that
determine the costs and benefits for the cannibal and the victim. Here, I focus on species in …

Several animal taxa have gained notoriety in the public imagination through their sexually
cannibalistic behavior, in which the female attacks and consumes her male mate at some …

Abstract Background Argiope bruennichi, the European wasp spider, has been investigated
intensively as a focal species for studies on sexual selection, chemical communication, and …

The evolutionary significance of sexual cannibalism depends on the timing of male death.
Both female and male spiders possess paired genital organs and, while females can mate …

The structures with which male spiders transfer sperm to females are unique among all
animals in several respects. From the ancestral arachnid sperm transfer mechanism via an …

When sexual conflict selects for reproductive strategies that only benefit one of the sexes,
evolutionary arms races may ensue. Female sexual cannibalism is an extreme manifestation …

The morphology of male genitalia often suggests functions besides sperm transfer that may
have evolved under natural or sexual selection. In several species of sexually cannibalistic …

In spiders, sperm transfer from the male to the female is indirect via secondary copulatory
structures, the pedipalps. At the time of transfer the sperm are not mobile and the ejaculate …

Once thought to be energetically cheap and easy to produce, empirical work has shown that
sperm is a costly and limited resource for males. In some spider species, there is behavioral …