Each brood contains approximately fifty spiderlings. In addition, although it is difficult to follow individuals in the field due to web migration, females occasionally produce multiple clutches over their lifetime, sometimes as soon as two months after the successful hatching of the first brood. Molting During development, spiderlings normally undergo five molts, with females more likely to undergo a sixth molt than males and poorly fed individuals more likely to undergo a sixth molt than well-fed individuals. Lifespan Although the lifespan of H. pluchei has been difficult to track due to web migration, individuals raised in the lab can have a lifespan of up to one year. Males’ lifespan in a natural habitat is often terminated prematurely by various environmental conditions, so a faster rate of development for males often yields a higher rate of reproductive success. Mating Stridulations Unlike in many other species of spiders, both males and females of H. pluchei possess stridulatory organs, with the females possessing comparatively thicker pedipalp segments. Stridulations in males of many spider species play a role in courtship, and although H. pluchei female stridulations also play a role in courtship, they may indicate aggressive or preventative behavior. When females copulate with males immediately and willingly, they do not stridulate. Stridulation only occurs in cases where the female is less receptive towards the male’s advances, often leading to an unsuccessful mating attempt by the male. Females can also regulate mate choice through their sternum projections, which serve as filters by limiting male success during sperm transfer. Male/female feeding interactions Although other species in the family Pholcidae exhibit “chivalrous” behavior, in which the male will step aside to cede prey to the female or wrap up the prey and bring it to her, this behavior does not occur in H. pluchei. In contrast, males of H. pluchei often enter females’ webs for the purpose of aggressively stealing food. In competitive interactions over prey, males tend to lose interactions only when they are smaller than their competitor. This, as well as a lack of wrapping or exchanging of the prey, indicates a lack of chivalrous behavior on the part of the male. For males in other species of Pholcidae, chivalrous behavior may induce a female to mate, thereby increasing the male’s reproductive success. Since the first male that mates with the female H. pluchei is unlikely to be the one to fertilize her eggs, there