What complex sensory display do male wolf spiders use during courtship rituals?

Vibratory leg-drumming displays onto the substrate.

Reproductive success in wolf spiders is heavily reliant on elaborate, multi-sensory courtship rituals which function critically as pre-mating reproductive barriers, ensuring species recognition. When a male wolf spider approaches a female, he does not rely on simple visual cues alone. Instead, he actively initiates complex behavioral patterns involving physical contact with the ground or substrate. These patterns are described specifically as vibratory leg-drumming displays, which serve as signals to communicate identity and genetic fitness to the female. Furthermore, research indicates these signals are not entirely rigid; males show plasticity by tailoring their vibratory signals based on assessments of the female’s size, possibly to gauge her reproductive capacity.