Spiders in Love

I read that a university is seeking female spiders for some type of study. I must emphasize that I did not read the article so have no idea what, where, or why.

But on such slight information the wheels of whimsy begin to spin.

Thought I, shouldn't the shortage be of male spiders? Don't female arachnids kill, then like cannibals eat their mates after the ultimate rapture?

Do the males know this is going to happen? Who survives to tell them? The females wouldn't let them know ahead of time--or do they, and thus allow them to nobly sacrifice their lives for the continuance of the species?

Do the males perhaps observe this ritual, then knowing what's in store for them, run for their lives? Is there a band of brothers--a resistance movement--somewhere living deep underground determined to survive, at least until the cruel chill of winter brings their life spans to a melancholy, but natural end?

Were I a writer of fantasy, I could go places with such a premise.

But no. I write romance, and at the moment there's not much romance in a female killing and eating her mate.

Not yet, anyway.


Cat