Perhaps, like me, you have been concerned about the fate of the Boys, the pair of Latrodectus males I introduced to the females yesterday. The first thing I did this morning was to check to see if they are still alive. They are!
They are hard to spot. I have a fairly messy environment for them to live in, with all that moss and sticks, and I’m realizing that that stripey zebra-like banding that young males have is actually good camouflage in a natural environment. But there they are, just hanging around, with (I hope) cocky grins on their faces because had a glorious experience with a lady…who let them live.
I’m going to leave them there for another day or two because I don’t actually know if they successfully mated yet, before I move them to take their chances with another female.



Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to conceive
Good. I know you said you fed the females before putting the males in with them, but for some reason I had a sudden image of a fly maggot with the female on one end, the male on the other and both slurping up liquified goodness until they meet in the middle a la the spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp. I guess spiders don’t share their meals.
So the reward for survival will be doing it over again?
I could live with that, Jaws.
Sexing, then the reward for surviving it being more sexing, that is?
(Sign me up)
Eagles are different: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-_9LPZm6sU
This is for four-legged ambush predators, not eight-legged.
10 Cheap DIY Cat Hacks That Actually Work (Vet Approved)
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=QZwSZHi8aYk
Maybe Evil Cat will approve?