Sexual inhibition in Servaea incana jumping spiders: expression and mechanisms

Sexual inhibition has been studied extensively in insects but this research area remains very poorly developed in spiders. Once mated, females of many jumping spider species become sexually unreceptive and aggressive toward males but the mechanisms responsible for this sexual inhibition are unknown. We assessed the mating frequency of 88 Servaea incana (Araneae: Salticidae) females from maturation until death. Virgin females were highly receptive but sexual inhibition was induced immediately after their first copulation; females became aggressive towards their first mate and almost always rejected courtship from subsequent males. Even after experimental removal of their first and second batches of eggs (simulating predation), females very rarely remated. Given low levels of female remating, virgin females are at an extreme premium for male reproductive fitness. We discuss results for two sexual inhibition experiments in S. incana and propose mechanisms that might mediate sexual inhibition in this jumping spider. Data of population dynamics and natural history provide context to the findings of sexual inhibition experiments.