MATING BEHAVIOR AND SPERMATOPHORE MORPHOLOGY IN THE PSEUDOSCORPION DINOCHEIRUS TUMIDUS BANKS (CHELIFERINEA, CHERNETIDAE)

¹ Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, N. C. 28516

1. The mating behavior and the spermatophore of Dinocheirus tumidus Banks are described.

2. During the mating dance the male grasps one palpal hand of the female. Then, he shows a characteristic display with his other hand, touching the back of the female. Finally he deposits a spermatophore and pulls the female over it. When she has taken up the sperm package, the male presses the swollen inner side of his free hand against the femur of one of the female pedipalps (the hand of which he holds in his other hand) and shakes the female with a series of short, quick movements.

3. The spermatophore is of the chernetid type. It consists of a stalk, a drop of fluid and a sperm package. Only the duct of the sperm package is introduced into the female genital opening. Then, the sperm package is emptied by a swelling mechanism triggered by the drop of fluid.