News Animals

First spider superdads discovered

Males give up solitary life to protect egg sacs, spiderlings — often as single parent

Manogea spider

SPIDER DAD OF THE YEAR  The small Manogea males buck the trend among spiderkind, giving up their solitary ways to stay near their offspring and fight off attackers.

Marcelo O. Gonzaga

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

The first normally solitary spider to win Dad of the Year sets up housekeeping in a web above his offspring and often ends up as their sole defender and single parent.