Observations on the Structure and Function of Spermathecae in Haplogyne Spiders

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Abstract
The histochemical identification of sperm masses in the spermathecae of Antrodiaetus hageni and Hypochilus thorelli, and the complementarity of form between the female genitalia and the male palpus in Atypoides hadros and other mygalomorph species, help to dispel the notion that haplogyne spider spermathecae do not store sperm. A preliminary histochemical analysis of the spermathecal gland in species of Antrodiaetus and H. thorelli indicates that the gland contains, at certain times and in certain regions, high concentrations of glycogen, and also that, in H. thorelli at least, there are 2 cell types in the gland. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that these glands may serve more than one function.