Саиец Argiope bruennichi пришёл к самке A. lobata. Он очень старался обратить на себя внимание дамы, очень. Но всё напрасно, самка его абсолютно игнорировала. И даже не съела.
Last photo (not mine) is the ventral view of female showing bumpy sternal protuberances.
Earlier observation of female: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/209446334
this one's for the male, living dangerously > female: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/198759566
following the development of a little Argiope first observed 12th Jan https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37692445 Young 'Argopi" was frequently changing the stabilimentum of the web. Unfortunately our juvenile was not destined for a long and fruitful life as a visiting large Jumping Spider curtailed the young life as recorded in this observation..
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37692445
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37954455
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37954456
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37954458
UPDATE
With reference to this submission:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/155565115
This is the same male as in the observation cited above.
The male was identified by Prof Ansie Dippenaar as a Trichonephila species.
The observation confirms that a Trichonephila male was observed with his "genitals" inside the genitals of an Argiope female.
The following may now be applicable:
My question is whether inter-genus matings in spiders have been observed before.
Thank you if you can shed some light on my observation - appreciated.
@hrodulf
@razorspider
@geologyistheway
UPDATE
See my comment below (lower down in the discussions).
ORIGINAL NOTES
Am I confused?, or is the spider confused?
What is going on here? Yes, I can see it is spider sex, but why is a Trichonephila male mating with an Argiope female?
@hrodulf, I need your help here (because I have seen some of your spectacular spider mating photographs before).
To me the male looks like one of the Trichonephila species - I have observed them on many occasions with their female counterparts.
In some of the photographs the pedipalps of the male can be seen and also where the male is inserting his pedipalps into the female's vulva.
I am aware that many different species of spiders may inhabit one loose standing orb web, but cross species mating in such webs?
Thank you if you can correct me or clarify the situation.
A possible id on the Argiope female would also be appreciated.
Thanks!
Саиец Argiope bruennichi пришёл к самке A. lobata. Он очень старался обратить на себя внимание дамы, очень. Но всё напрасно, самка его абсолютно игнорировала. И даже не съела.