Pedipalps are a pair of "feelers" on a spider's face. Analogous organs exist on other arachnids, and share the same name. The term is often abbreviated to just palp or palpus (plural palpi). They are typically used for grabbing prey and holding it in place as the spider sinks its fangs in.
Pedipalps are also used for mating by mature male spiders. Before male spiders trek off to find a potential mate, they discharge sperm through an opening onto sperm webs (Discovery Books, 2000). Afterwards, the sperm is absorbed into spermaphors within the enlarged tips of their palps. When the male finds a mate, he inserts his palps into the female’s epigynum or genital opening, and the stored sperm is released (Discovery Books, 2000).
Sources
Discovery Books; 2000; Insects and Spiders; St. Remy Media Inc.; New York; 35
External link
Close-up view of sperm-laden pedipalps in a mature tarantula (http://lymphocytes.741.com/pedipalps.html)
Pedipalps, the second pair of appendages of the cephalothorax in Arachnida, is homologous with mandibles in Crustacea, and corresponding to the mandibles of insects.
The pedipalps are appendages of six segments: the coxae, a single trochanter, the femur, a short patella, the tibia, and the tarsus.
The pedipalps are distinctly raptorial in Amblypygi, Thelyphonida, Schizomida and Opiliones.
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