Sometimes, the male is so small compared to the female that the
female is practically unaware of him while mating and this gives him
protection.
Most spiders are solitary in nature. Each one builds its own separate
web. If one spider falls by mistake into another web, the bigger spider
will eat the smaller spider. However, there are some spiders called
social spiders that live together in one web. Sometimes there may be
hundreds or even thousands of adults and young ones living in one web.
Even if a single prey is caught (such as a small fly), all the spiders
will share the meal.
Spiders multiply very rapidly. After mating, an egg sac is constructed
and the internally fertilized eggs laid inside the egg sac which is
carried by the female with her palps and fangs. Fertilization of eggs
may be internal or external depending on the species. Within 15 to 20
days, 80% of the eggs hatch. (The eggs hatch into young spiderlings.
The new born spiders are similar to their parents, only smaller. The
spiderlings moult to mature.) After a gap of one week to ten days the
next batch of eggs is laid in a fresh egg sac, and fertilised with the
help of stored sperm. The female can do this three to four times
without mating with another male, although she will readily mate with a
male after the laying of every batch of eggs.
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