Signature Spider Hatchlings

The Signature Spider Egg Sac shown here, discharging its eggs, is the third egg sac of four produced by the same female spider. Ths female Argiope luzona has been featured in many of my spottings in recent months. A number of spottings dealt with the variety and style of her web decorations (Stabilimenta), some of which were the best I have ever seen. Another showed her carrying out one of her moults. Then she presented me with several opportunities to photograph some of her many prey captures. However, she also displayed the most important function of her life by producing four eggs sacs, at regular intervals. As far as I can tell, from my daily observations (which started in early June), these four egg sacs were the result of just one mating. There is much discussion in scientific papers about the possibility that female Argiopes have the ability to retain sperm (from one copulation) in their bodies and use it to fertilize successive batches of eggs. That seems to be what I have witnessed here. Please look at Notes re. the photos.