The spiders we keep in the lab are arachnid spiders called Parasteatoda tepidariorum (formerly called Achaearanea tepidariorum). They live individually in plastic tubes with Styrofoam stoppers. Single males and females are placed into the same tube for a few days to mate. After mating, an adult female will deposit a cocoon, containing over 100 synchronised embryos, every two to four days. Baby spiders begin spinning webs within a day of hatching.