Courtship in slo-mo

Spiders are among the most patient of animals. They spend their lives waiting. They build a web and sit in it day after day, unmoving, waiting for dinner. If it comes, good. If not, they eat the web and build it again the next day. And sit waiting again.

Comes time to raise a family; the male finds his mate, parks himself nearby and waits. Waits for her to be in a good mood, maybe. Waits for her to have fed so she won't think of him as dinner, maybe. Waits. For days, sometimes weeks.

Cellar spider female, waiting.

A female cellar spider set up shop in a corner of my living room. A male found her there, and built his own minimalist web about 8 inches away. And sat waiting, watching her.

And the male. About half the size of his prospective mate.

All day he sat there, not moving, watching, waiting. And she sat in her web, waiting for flies. And maybe watching her suitor; facing him, anyhow.

I saw them first at 8 in the morning. At midnight, they were still there, in the same positions. This morning, the male sits forlorn in her web; she's gone. I found her, hiding in a secluded haven where her new family will be safe.

And her mate has lucked out; he has not been eaten. This time. He can live to wait again.