Researchers say the spiders do so to ensure the females will only have their offspring

Jun 12, 2014 00:13 GMT  ·  By
Study finds some spiders use something similar to chastity belts to keep their girlfriends from cheating on them
   Study finds some spiders use something similar to chastity belts to keep their girlfriends from cheating on them

Nothing good ever comes out of being extremely possessive and trying to control your loved one's behavior, somebody should really tell male dwarf spiders (Oedothorax retusus) in Europe.

Thus, a new paper in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology explains how, in an attempt to make sure their lovers will not cheat on them and will only have their offspring, some spiders turn to something similar to chastity belts.

Long story short, they use plugs to block the copulatory ducts of females they have just had an affair with. They do so to ensure that, even if the females fancy other males, they will not be able to become pregnant with them.

“The mating plug in the dwarf spider clearly functions as a mechanical obstacle to rival males,” says researcher Katrin Kunz with the Zoological Institute and Museum in Greifswald, Germany.

“Mating plugs are a powerful mechanical safeguard whose efficacy varies with plug size and age,” the specialist goes on to explain this peculiar mating behavior.

As detailed by Springer, the plugs are delivered into the females' bodies in a liquid form. In time, they harden and eventually come to block the copulatory ducts. Apparently, it takes about a day for them to become effective.