Pedipalp
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:20040817 010343 DSC5954.jpg
Pedipalps are a pair of "feelers" on the front end of a spider's prosoma (aka cephalothorax), which can be thought of as its head. Analogous organs exist on other arachnids, and share the same name. The term is often abbreviated to just palp or palpus (plural palpi). They are typically used for grabbing prey and holding it in place as the spider sinks its fangs in.
Pedipalps are also used for mating by mature male spiders. Before male spiders trek off to find a potential mate, they discharge sperm through an opening on the adbomen onto sperm webs (Discovery Books, 2000). Afterwards, the sperm is absorbed into spermaphors within the enlarged tips (bulb) of their palps. When the male finds a mate, he inserts his palps into the female’s epigynum or genital opening, and the stored sperm is released (Discovery Books, 2000).
The enlarged tip of the pedipalps in males is unique between different species of spiders and so is used as a morphological marker to identify species and see how they relate to each other.
Sources
- Discovery Books; 2000; Insects and Spiders; St. Remy Media Inc.; New York; 35