She has eaten him.

[TheLastTrainForTheCoast]

My rather splendid female spider has today eaten her mate.

I am a little sad, they have been sharing a web for the last couple of weeks, I was beginning to think they had a Understanding . But alas, today Mr spider is no more.

For reference they are not pets, rather squatters that inhabit my ceiling.

Honestly judging by what some women post on here about their 'D' H I wish I could advise them to do the same thing.

they Have probably mated, spiders often eat the male after mating.
look out for an egg sac

Wow, you learn a new thing everyday, no spider will be safe now lol, well they won't get much peace put it that way lol. Thanks for sharing

Oh, what a tangled web we weave
A leg behind he did leave
The single limb did look forlorn
But after dinner... it was gone

This thread is the gift that keeps on giving. I also vote for it to be moved to classics 🕷️ 🕸️

p.s. my first ETB 😂

Anyone know what this Beauty/Beast is?
The thing she's sitting on is 6 inches deep, just for an idea of size.
And I'm in the UK!
I tolerate spiders in the house but I think this one ate something bigger than a spider 😂

I love spiders. But I loath horseflies.
Wasps have a valid role but horseflies? Absolute bastards.

I hate the wee horsefly bastards too. I still have a scar on my leg where I was bitten/stabbed/mutilated by one.

I don't kill any living creature but those. Bite my horse? You die!!

Spiders a fantastic and fascinating, but horse flies are the devil's work they are a absolute bastard of a bug.

I got bitten by one many years ago it took about 5 years for the scar and lump to go down .
It hurt like hell !
If someone could bred a spider that would catch and kill them you could make a fortune selling them to stables / dairies / farms

Most female arachnids do eat their mates after copulation, it's called sexual cannibalism, because doing so provides much needed nutrition to the female.

Seems a bit greedy. Most women are happy with a cuddle ...

I wonder if the males are surprised when the female starts eating them or if they know it will happen.

Some species of spider, including at least one British one (Pisaura mirabilis), have evolved the behaviour of bringing a 'nuptial gift' to their intended. They'll wrap up an insect and present it to her. While she's busy eating it he'll have his wicked way. If the gift is inadequate she'll ETB. Some males chance their..well...everything and just give her a bundle of silk. I'm assuming the mad lads are hoping they'll get the job done before she finishes unwrapping and realises she's been conned.

They know...they often try to escape before it happens and sometimes they succeed. And as a PP said, they sometimes bring a gift to try to avoid it.

They think the risk is worth the reward. Or do I mean reward is worth the risk...whatever. They think it's worth it.

Well, everyday is a school day! Go female spiders!

Wow. With all that going on, I'm amazed there are so many spiders about.

Yes it seems like a crude but effective deterrent in the absence of a spider 💊

Arachnophobes look away now.

I'm not...it shows just how far the males are prepared to go and what they're willing to risk in order to reproduce. It's surprising that there aren't more of them!

And to think of the guys we get on here whining about paying for dinner...

Yes, they could actually be dinner!

I thought you might like an update. She has had two (broods?) 'spider multiplying events' and I'm pretty sure they are cannibals.

I resisted hoovering up her progeny but they seemed to do a good job at reducing the numbers themselves.

Anyway my kindness has been repaid via her services to Crane Fly Reduction.

Don’t they get wrapped up injected and saved for later? Better look for her larder… under the windowsill perhaps…

I am sure miss spider will be ok, there will be another snack err dh walking past soon.

I thought this was the case and have been putting up with mummified bodies hanging over the door.
But seems that she eats them immediately and just leaves their spindly corpse. So Henry has been permitted to hoover up the remaining legs.

Welp I saw a mantis eat dh head
first, so the surprise won’t last long.
He kinda seemed to let her do it though

@coldcallerbaiter yeah praying mantis are ruthless…. I watched a zoo program and she’ll kill and eat the make if she doesn’t like him, also after mating… so the zoo keepers were feeding the female before introducing the male and removing him straight after mating .. poor males!!
I’ve also seen on programs where the spider lays her eggs inside the male and paralysis him…. So when they hatch they eat their dad as their first meal!!

Yep. I never believed this until I saw one in DMs house with a giant house spider wrapped up in its web 🤢