20 
Psyche 
[March 
Figs. 16, 17. Latrodectus curacaviensis (Muller), female. 16. Ventral 
view of abdomen. 17. Dorsal view. 
At 7 :29, after climbing around, the male moved behind the female 
jerking the web, and using his long forelegs touched the first legs of 
the female with his and then climbed on the dorsum of the female’s 
abdomen, facing in the opposite direction. The female kept completely 
still even though the male was climbing around her. The male vibrated 
his abdomen occasionally and sat behind the female touching her first 
leg with his. By 7 142 the male had moved below the female. The 
female was completely inactive while the male climbed around and 
boxed her epigynum. At 7 144 the male came to rest below the female’s 
abdomen, facing in the same direction, and seemed to insert one or the 
other palpus in the epigynum while pulling the female’s abdomen up 
slightly with his fourth leg. His abdomen continued to vibrate and 
he kept boxing the epigynum without quite touching it. At 7 150 the 
