Just confirmation required here please, Venger and the arachnid fans...
Took a photo of a MALE "Daddy Long Legs Spider" (Pholcus phalangioides) under our bathroom sink this morning. (Click on thumbnail and THEN the image to get 100%)
I assume this is the "Daddy" because of his enlarged, "boxing-gloves" pedipalps which he uses in breeding (to
present the female sperm etc.., and wave in a
semaphore manner).
Now compare it to this (admittedly, much smaller) Female, (I think), or "
Mummy
Long Legs Spider"
without the huge pedipalps.
I took this photo a couple of months ago.
Have I got that right? Or
could the second picture be an immature male who has yet to grow his boxing gloves?
Is the abdominal-shape
sex specific in these spiders? Does the female DLLS have a
round abdomen and the male have more of a
cigar-shaped abdomen, or are the pedipalps the best way to tell, on close inspection?
Any help appreciated please...
Cheers
Doug