Giant Amazon Fishing Spider - Andy Newman Images©

Giant Amazon Fishing Spiders Mating (Ancylometes Bogotensis)

 After many of my males got eaten before and after mating I was able to witness my first paring of these fascinating spiders and film it, there are pictures now on the web from collectors of these spiders mating, most taken in containers, I had a female which had eaten a male a year earlier, it is known that some females will eat a male rather than mate with it. Another generation later the original female is still alive, I placed a new generation male into her container, the female spends most of its time in a damp fibre plant pot, covered in moss, with her legs touching her water dish. When the Male spider found the female, he covered her front legs in thick silk, binding her so she cannot move, escape or bite him, his legs completely covered her body and occasionally he would vibrate his body violently against hers, as to assure her.
She did look like she was in a kind of trance so I tipped the pair while still together onto my wheelbarrow of moss which I use for photography. After mating the male spider retreated very fast, obviously not wanting to be a meal, I expect that some of my other males got eaten because they were trapped inside the females enclosure. The female spent some time freeing herself, and eating the silk that was binding her, it all took about 10 minutes. Andy Newman© 02/08/10