Male Spiders Tie Up Sexual Partners To Prevent Cannibalism

A recent study out of the University of Nebraska has found that male nursery web spiders often tie up the legs of their female partners with silk in order to reduce the risk of sexual cannibalism during or after sex.

For some male spiders, mating can be dangerous so they’ve developed an interesting way to protect themselves. 

A new study by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has found that select members sometimes wrap silk around their partner’s legs in order to reduce the odds of being eaten during or after sex. 

The practice is called sexual cannibalism, and it has been observed in some insects as a way to nourish the forthcoming offspring right after the egg has been fert