Habronattus hirsutus mating 1

While I’ve photographed Habronattus hirsutus many times at the mouth of the Elwha river, I never saw a pair mating before April 2010. This pair, mating on top of a freshwater beach log, ignored me while I took a dozen or so photos, and I only disturbed them when I collected them live in a small jar for further study at home. After a couple of days, I returned them to the same log I originally found them on.

Image 1 shows that the female rotates her abdomen 90 degrees while mating. The characteristic white markings visible near the end of her abdomen are on the dorsal surface. Image 2 shows the male using his pedipalps to insert sperm into the female’s genital opening, located on the underside of the abdomen near where it joins the cephalothorax.

Image 5 shows a male in full display to a female who was on another rock about 25 cm away. I took this photo in mid May 2011, also at the mouth of the Elwha river.

I made a video (6) while the pair shown in images 1-4 was in a small petri dish on my microscope desk. In addition to a modest foreleg display, you can (just barely) see that the male is vibrating his abdomen on the surface. He begins vibrating when he approaches the female.

See Seismic signals in a courting male jumping spider, for example.
The short video on this ONH page shows Habronattus americanus drumming on a log with a female nearby.
Also see Maddison Jumping Spider Courtship for many wonderful videos.