Female Spiders Use Clever Tactic to Avoid Being Eaten During Sex

Female funnel weaving spiders engage in sexual catalepsy, playing dead during sex to make males less worried about being eaten, allowing them to choose the best mates. Researchers have found that sexual catalepsy is controlled by females and acts as a way for them to choose their mates. This behavior is observed in several other species of funnel weaving spiders, but it is too soon to tell if the technique works the same way across the rest of the group.