Mate binding behavior of male orb-web "Nephila pilipes" spider
Description:
This video shows mate-binding behaviour of the male orb-web "Nephila pilipes" spider. To reduce female resistance to mating and the chance of being eaten by the female, the much smaller male spider deposits fine silk onto the female's body in between copulation bouts. In a scientific paper published in Animal Behaviour "Mate binding: male adaptation to sexual conflict in the golden orb-web spider (Nephilidae: Nephila pilipes)" ( http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347211003915#MMCvA_1 ) a team of scientists reveal that it is the touch of the male spider that has the most effect in calming the female.
