Copulatory pattern and fertilization success in male wolf spiders without pre- or post-copulatory sperm induction

Experiments with Lycosa malitiosa Tullgren 1905 were carried out to determine: a) whether males that had never performed sperm induction can copulate, b) whether these males perform an altered copulatory pattern, and c) whether the stored sperm from a single sperm induction is enough to inseminate two consecutive females. A group of males whose genital pores were sealed with melted paraffin immediately after molting copulated once; then, the seal was removed, and later these males copulated again. A second group of males was untreated prior to their first copulation but then immediately had their genital pores sealed and subsequently were allowed to copulate again. Two other groups of males were used as controls: their genital pores were "pseudosealed" by having paraffin placed beside them. All females were virgins, and the number of progeny produced by each was recorded. Males that never had sperm in their palps maintained the basic species-specific copulatory pattern, although they showed several minor copulatory alterations. The second copulation of males prevented from recharging their palps resulted in the production of abundant progeny. Matings of older males (second copulations) resulted in a similar number of spiderlings as that of younger males (first copulations).