He spins a little web and deposits sperm in it, then moves the sperm to the palpal organ. After sperm are transferred to the female, they can be stored in her body for an extended period. Courtship behavior is often complicated. Males may use draglines to detect and recognize mates, or they may signal their approach by plucking on the female's web. In spiders with well-developed eyes, complex mating displays have evolved that are associated with bright color patterns.
Male spiders are sometimes much smaller than the females.
The dwarfing of males is pronounced when the females tend to remain in one place. Males mature earlier, and the sooner the male gets to a female the more apt he is to reproduce. Spider eggs are protected in cocoons. The female may guard the cocoons or carry them about. In some spiders the hatchlings remain with the mother for an extended period and may be carried on its body.