What's the difference between
a male and
female spider?

What's the difference between
male and female spiders?

• In most species of spider, the male is smaller and thinner than the female.
  
  
• This is particularly marked when the female is gravid ie. carrying eggs. The the female's abdomen is swollen and rounded.

• The males have large pedipalps from their jaws - which look like downward-facing antennae - which become more swollen when they are ready to breed. 
  
  Spider sex
  
  The male places his sperm carefully on a string, or small web and then picks them up on the end of his palps.
  
  He then uses the palps to place the sperm inside the female (who said romance was dead?). She saves the sperm until she is ready to produce eggs.