192 
Psyche 
[September 
degenerate, and wander in search of females. Most of the wander- 
ing is nocturnal, and the males are usually inactive during the day- 
light, often resting within the circular base of an abandoned web. 
Females do not undergo a drastic physical metamorphosis during 
their final molt, and they continue to carry on their normal preda- 
tory and defensive behavior patterns. 
Courtship and mating. In all 19 observations of courtship be- 
havior, wandering males were seen to use their first pair of legs as 
“feelers,” often waving them about when advancing along a rock 
surface. When a male makes contact with silk, he stops immediately 
with one or both first legs touching the silk. (No males were seen 
to contact any silk but that of 1 Hypochilus webs ; what their reaction 
is to other webs is unknown.) After a brief pause, he strokes the 
web with one first leg. The stroke may be either a “tapping” of 
the silk, or a plucking motion wherein he extends his leg over the 
silk, then draws it across the silk back toward his body. If this 
precipitates an attack by the female, he backs rapidly away for 8 to 
15 cm. If no rush occurs (usually the case when the male has con- 
tacted the guy lines of the web) , the male proceeds a little farther 
and strokes the silk again. If by this time he has reached the support 
lines or the mesh of the lampshade, his stroke will cause a rush by 
the female and he backs away, returning again after a pause of from 
30 seconds to well over an hour. This sequence may go on for some 
time, usually ending with the male’s leaving in search of another fe- 
male. One such encounter observed went on for 3 hours, after which 
time the male left. 
The female usually exhibits a normal predatory response at first. 
After several fruitless rushes, however, the female may scramble out 
of the lampshade and onto the guy lines in pursuit of the male. (No 
females were seen to actually capture any males.) One female did 
not show any response at all to a male that held on to the lampshade 
for 1.5 hours. This male had stroked the web only once. 
One female attacked five times in 25 minutes, but stopped and al- 
lowed the male to enter her web. He remained there for 1 hour, 
during which time they approached very closely. Both “tapped” fre- 
quently, often striking one another. This encounter did not result in 
copulation; the male abruptly left with no apparent threat by the 
female. 
Mating behavior was observed once (13 September 1970), with 
captive specimens. The male contacted the female’s web 10 minutes 
after he was introduced to the box (at 6:58 PM), and plucked the 
web. The female gave no apparent reaction, and the male suddenly 
