Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Spider Ecophysiology pp 173–187Cite as

Male Reproductive System of Spiders

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

The male reproductive system of spiders is very diverse across taxa regarding its gross morphology and sperm ultrastructure. The primary male genital system, which consists of testis, deferent duct and ejaculatory duct, varies remarkably across taxa. Spermatogenesis occurs usually throughout male adulthood, but can be ceased and terminated with the final molt (permanent sperm depletion). The ultrastructure of spermatozoa is complex and reveals high phylogenetic potential. Nevertheless, the evolution and function of the sperm cell components and sperm conjugates is not yet well understood and should be addressed in the future with new methods including computer-based 3D reconstruction based on transmission electron microscopy sections. This will not only help to understand the organization of the often complex spermatozoa but also increase the reproducibility across taxa. The same is true for the recently revealed high structural diversity of seminal secretions. The influence of sex-related secretions was never studied but is indispensable to understand spider reproduction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adams EM, Wolfner MF (2007) Seminal proteins but not sperm induce morphological changes in the Drosophila melanogaster female reproductive tract during sperm storage. J Insect Physiol 53:319–331. doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2006.12.003

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aisenberg A, Costa FG (2005) Females mated without sperm transfer maintain high sexual receptivity in the wolf spider Schizocosa malitiosa. Ethology 111:545–558

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alberti G (1990) Comparative spermatology of Araneae. Acta Zool Fenn 190:17–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Alberti G (2000) Chelicerata. In: Adiyodi KG, Adiyodi RG (eds) Reproductive biology of invertebrates, vol 9B. Wiley, Chichester, pp 311–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Alberti G (2005) Double spermatogenesis in Chelicerata. J Morphol 266:281–297

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alberti G, Afzelius BA, Lucas SM (1986) Ultrastructure of spermatozoa and spermatogenesis in bird spiders (Theraphosidae, Mygalomorphae, Araneae). J Submicrosc Cytol 18:739–753

    Google Scholar 

  • Alberti G, Coyle FA (1991) Ultrastructure of the primary male genital system, spermatozoa, and spermiogenesis of Hypochilus pococki (Araneae, Hypochilidae). J Arachnol 19:136–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Alberti G, Weinmann C (1985) Fine structure of spermatozoa of some labidognath spiders (Filistidae, Segestriidae, Dysderidae, Oonopidae, Scytodidae, Pholcidae; Araneae; Arachnida) with remarks on spermiogenesis. J Morphol 185:1–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertkau P (1875) Über den Generationsapparat der Araneiden. Arch Naturgesch 41:235–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertkau P (1877) Über die Übertragungsorgane und die Spermatozoen der Spinnen. Verh Nat Ver Preuss Rheinlande 34:28–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertkau P (1878) Versuch einer natürlichen Anordnung der Spinnen nebst Bemerkungen zu einzelnen Gattungen. Arch Naturgesch 44:351–409

    Google Scholar 

  • Burger M, Michalik P (2010) The male genital system of goblin spiders: evidence for the monophyly of Oonopidae (Arachnida: Araneae). Am Mus Novit 3675:1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Coddington JA (1990) Ontogeny and homology in the male palpus of orb-weaving spiders and their relatives, with comments on phylogeny (Araneoclada: Araneoidea, Deinopoidea). Smithson Contrib Zool 496:1–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa-Ayub CLS, Faraco CD (2007) Ultrastructural aspects of spermiogenesis and synspermia in the brown spider Loxosceles intermedia (Araneae: Sicariidae). Arthropod Struct Dev 36: 41–51. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2006.07.004

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crome W (1951) Die grobe Morphologie des männlichen Genitalapparates einiger Araneen. D Zool Z 1:169–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Dallai R, Afzelius BA, Witalinski W (1995) The axoneme of the spider spermatozoon. B Zool 62: 335–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dallai R, Fanciulli PP, Frati F, Paccagnini E, Lupetti P (2004) Sperm winding in Collembola. Pedobiologia 48:493–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eberhard WG (2004) Why study spider sex: special traits of spiders facilitate studies of sperm competition and cryptic female choice. J Arachnol 32:545–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eberhard WG, Huber BA (2010) Spider genitalia: precise maneuvers with a numb structure in a complex lock. In: Leonard JL, Córdoba-Aguilar A (eds) Evolution of primary sexual characters in animals. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Foelix RF (2011) Biology of spiders. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Haupt J (2003) The Mesothelae—a monograph of an exceptional group of spiders (Araneae: Mesothelae). Zoologica 154:1–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Herberstein ME, Schneider JM, Uhl G, Michalik P (2011) Sperm dynamics in spiders. Behav Ecol 22(4):692–695. doi:10.1093/beheco/arr053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermo L, Pelletier RM, Cyr DG, Smith CE (2010) Surfing the wave, cycle, life history, and genes/proteins expressed by testicular germ cells. Part 2: Changes in spermatid organelles associated with development of spermatozoa. Microsc Res Tech 73:279–319. doi:10.1002/Jemt.20787

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Higginson DM, Miller KB, Segraves KA, Pitnick S (2012) Female reproductive tract form drives the evolution of complex sperm morphology. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109:4538–4543. doi:10.1073/pnas.1111474109

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Higginson DM, Pitnick S (2011) Evolution of intra-ejaculate sperm interactions: do sperm cooperate? Biol Rev 86:249–270. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.2010.00147.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hormiga G (2003) Weintrauboa, a new genus of pimoid spiders from Japan and adjacent islands, with comments on the monophyly and diagnosis of the family Pimoidae and the genus Pimoa (Araneoidea, Araneae). Zool J Linn Soc 139:261–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huber BA (2005) Sexual selection research on spiders: progress and biases. Biol Rev 80:363–385

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ishijima S, Sekiguchi K, Hiramoto Y (1988) Comparative study of the beat patterns of American and Asian Horseshoe Crab sperm: evidence for a role of the central pair complex in forming planar waveforms in flagella. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton 9:264–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Juberthie C, Lopez A, Kovoor J (1981) Spermiogenesis and spermatophore in Telema tenella Simon (Araneae: Telemidae)—an ultrastructural study. Int J Inver Rep Dev 3:181–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knoflach B (1998) Mating in Theridion varians Hahn and related species (Araneae: Theridiidae). J Nat Hist 32:545–604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraus O (1984) Male spider genitalia: evolutionary changes in structure and function. Abh Naturwiss Ver Hamburg 27:373–382

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuntner M, Coddington JA, Schneider JM (2009) Intersexual arms race? Genital coevolution in Nephilid spiders (Araneae, Nephilidae). Evolution 63:1451–1463

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez A (1987) Glandular aspects of sexual biology. In: Nentwig W (ed) Ecophysiology of spiders. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Lopez A, Juberthie-Jupeau L (1983) Structure et ultrastructure de la spermathéque chez Telema tenella Simon (Araneae, Telemidae). Mem Biospeol 10:413–418

    Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P (2007) Spermatozoa and spermiogenesis of Liphistius cf. phuketensis (Mesothelae, Araneae, Arachnida) with notes on phylogenetic implications. Arthropod Struct Dev 36: 327–335. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2007.03.001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P (2009) The male genital system of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) with notes on the fine structure of seminal secretions. Contrib Nat Hist 12:959–972

    Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P, Aisenberg A, Postiglioni R, Lipke E (2013) Spermatozoa and spermiogenesis of the wolf spider Schizocosa malitiosa (Lycosidae, Araneae) and its functional and phylogenetic implications. Zoomorphology. doi:10.1007/s00435-012-0166-z

  • Michalik P, Alberti G (2005) On the occurrence of the 9+0 axonemal pattern in the spermatozoa of sheetweb spiders (Linyphiidae, Araneae). J Arachnol 33:569–572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P, Dallai R, Giusti F, Alberti G (2004a) The ultrastructure of the peculiar synspermia of some Dysderidae (Araneae, Arachnida). Tissue Cell 36:447–460. doi:10.1016/j.tice.2004.08.001

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P, Dallai R, Giusti F, Mercati D, Alberti G (2005) Spermatozoa and spermiogenesis of Holocnemus pluchei (Scopoli, 1763) (Pholcidae, Araneae). Tissue Cell 37:489–497. doi:10.1016/j.tice.2005.09.003

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P, Gray MR, Alberti G (2003) Ultrastructural observations of spermatozoa and spermiogenesis in Wandella orana Gray, 1994 (Araneae: Filistatidae) with notes on their phylogenetic implications. Tissue Cell 35:325–337. doi:10.1016/S0040-8166(03)00054-5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P, Haupt J, Alberti G (2004b) On the occurrence of coenospermia in mesothelid spiders (Araneae: Heptathelidae). Arthropod Struct Dev 33:173–181. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2004.02.001

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P, Hormiga G (2010) Ultrastructure of the spermatozoa in the spider genus Pimoa: new evidence for the monophyly of Pimoidae plus Linyphiidae (Arachnida: Araneae). Am Mus Novit 3682:1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P, Huber BA (2006) Spermiogenesis in Psilochorus simoni (Berland, 1911) (Pholcidae, Araneae): evidence for considerable within-family variation in sperm structure and development. Zoology 14–25. doi:10.1016/j.zool.2005.09.010

  • Michalik P, Knoflach B, Thaler K, Alberti G (2010) Live for the moment—adaptations in the male genital system of a sexually cannibalistic spider (Theridiidae, Araneae). Tissue Cell 42:32–36. doi:10.1016/j.tice.2009.06.004

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P, Rittschof CC (2011) A comparative analysis of the morphology and evolution of permanent sperm depletion in spiders. PLoS One 6(1). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016014

  • Michalik P, Sacher P, Alberti G (2006) Ultrastructural observations of spermatozoa of several tetragnathid spiders with phylogenetic implications (Araneae, Tetragnathidae). J Morphol 267(2):129–151. doi:10.1002/jmor.10226

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michalik P, Uhl G (2005) The male genital system of the cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides (Fuesslin, 1775) (Pholcidae, Araneae): development of spermatozoa and seminal secretion. Front Zool 2:12. doi:10.1186/1742-9994-2-12

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller JA, Carmichael A, Ramirez MJ, Spagna JC, Haddad CR, Rezac M, Johannesen J, Kral J, Wang XP, Griswold CE (2010) Phylogeny of entelegyne spiders: affinities of the family Penestomidae (NEW RANK), generic phylogeny of Eresidae, and asymmetric rates of change in spinning organ evolution (Araneae, Araneoidea, Entelegynae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 55: 786–804. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.02.021

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ōsaki H (1969) Electron microscope study on the spermatozoon of the Liphistiid spider Heptathela kimurai. Acta Arachnol 22:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ōsaki H (1972) Electron microscope study on spermiogenesis in the spider, Oxyopes sertatus. Jpn J Zool 16:184–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Reger JF (1970) Spermiogenesis in the spider Pisaurina sp.: a fine structure study. J Morphol 130:421–434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schärer L, Littlewood DTJ, Waeschenbach A, Yoshida W, Vizoso DB (2011) Mating behavior and the evolution of sperm design. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:1490–1495. doi:10.1073/pnas.1013892108

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider JM, Michalik P (2011) One-shot genitalia are not an evolutionary dead end—regained male polygamy in a sperm limited spider species. BMC Evol Biol 11. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-11-197

  • Suhm M, Thaler K, Alberti G (1996) Glands in the male palpal organ and the origin of the mating plug in Amaurobius species (Araneae: Amaurobiidae). Zool Anz 234:191–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Tripepi S, Perotta E, Saita A (1990) Spermiogenesis in the spider Hapalopus tripepii (Dresco) (Araneae, Mygalomorphae): an ultrastructural analysis. Bull Br Arachnol Soc 8:171–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Weygoldt P, Paulus HF (1979) Untersuchungen zur Morphologie, Taxonomie und Phylogenie der Chelicerata. II. Cladogramme und Entfaltung der Chelicerata. Z Zool Syst Evolutionsforsch 17:117–177

    Google Scholar 

  • White-Cooper H, Doggett K, Ellis RE (2009) The evolution of spermatogenesis. In: Birkhead TR, Hosken D, Pitnick S (eds) Sperm biology: an evolutionary perspective. Academic, Oxford, pp 151–183

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfner MF (2011) Precious essences: female secretions promote sperm storage in Drosophila. PLoS Biol 9(11):e1001191. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001191

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu XM, Song DX, Chen DY (1997) Ultrastructure of spermatozoa and spermatogenesis in wolf spider Pardosa astrigera (Araneae: Lycosidae). Acta Zool Sinica 43:17–26

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Gerd Alberti (Greifswald) for the helpful comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General and Systematic Zoology, Zoological Institute and Museum, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Greifswald, Germany

    Peter Michalik & Elisabeth Lipke

Authors
  1. Peter Michalik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elisabeth Lipke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Michalik .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstr. 6, Bern, 3012, Switzerland

    Wolfgang Nentwig

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Michalik, P., Lipke, E. (2013). Male Reproductive System of Spiders. In: Nentwig, W. (eds) Spider Ecophysiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33989-9_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation