Sex can be dangerous, even deadly if your partner has plans to eat you. When the male orb-web spider has its first, and sometimes last, sexual encounter it has a trick up its sleeve: detachable ...

Removing one palp reduced the spider's body weight by 4 percent, removing both reduced their weight by 9 percent. In turn, their endurance increased 32 percent in half-eunuchs and 80 percent in full ...

There comes a time in a male spider's life when amorous behaviour leads to sexual intercouse and perhaps the ripping off of genitals. Scientists have long wondered why some males evolved to sacrifice ...

After mating they left the palp in the female for different amounts of time (up to 20 minutes), then measured how much sperm was left in the palp and in the female's sexual organs. The researchers ...