Figure 7 in Asemonea cf. tenuipes in Karnataka (Araneae: Salticidae: Asemoneinae)

Figure 7 (16 SEP―5 OCT 2018, continued from previous page). Series of photographs following colour changes of a female (identified by missing leg L2) in a shelter beneath the leaf of a potato tree (Solanum macranthum). 2-3, After 6 days the moth eggs were gone and this female had deposited a globular cluster of 14 eggs. After laying her eggs the opisthosoma of this female returned to its normal light green colour with a distinctive pattern of black spots. The fate of the moth eggs is not known and given the small size of the female's opisthosoma it seems unlikely that she was feeding on them, although it is possible that some of them were consumed. Remnants of these moth eggs can be seen below the female in (2). 4, After feeding on unknown prey the opisthosoma of this female was once again enlarged, this time with a dark red-purple colour and iridescent blue lines. 5, One day later a dark brown object that appeared to represent the abdominal segments of an insect, perhaps prey of this spider, was visible at the center of the shelter. At this time only 11 of the original 14 eggs remained, and they were more loosely distributed. 6, Detail of (5) showing large PME. 7, After 3 more days the opisthosoma of the female was still dark in colour. 8-9, The eggs of the original cluster began to hatch. At this time the opisthosoma of the female was still enlarged but was returning to its normal green colour with black spots. 10-16, After 4 more days the spiderlings that had emerged from the original cluster continued to develop, but most of the eggs of this cluster had not hatched (10, detail). The female, now much reduced in size, had deposited a second batch of 14 eggs near the opposite side of her shelter, this time in two parallel rows, and generally occupied a central position near the insect fragment (16, arrow). One day later (6 OCT 2018) the area was visited by heavy rains and this leaf, already turning yellow, fell down. The subsequent fate of this female and her two broods is not known.