Easiest true spider to find and breed

[VaejovisCarolineanusSDS]

What is the easiest spider in Kentucky to breed and find? I have been wanting to breed a spider of some sort just for the experience. I have tried to breed scorpions before and I am currently trying to breed my opiliones. I normally have a hard time finding a male and female of the same species at the same time and have no success in breeding yet. I am hoping my scorpion is gravid and I found an egg sack from an unknown spider the other day that hasn't hatched yet. I also had a small lycosa that already had babies. I want to start the process from the beginning. I am willing to try any species that I can find a male and female pair and is easy to breed. I will release the babies, the male, and probably the female. Whether I keep the female or not depends on the species. I just want to watch the process.

 

[Cowturtle]

I'm in Kentucky too I've never bred any native spiders start to finish but I've had a grass spider that months later ended up with babies. I could see wolf spiders being pretty easy too I always see females covered in babies. I've never bred black widows either but It's supposed to be really easy too.

 

[VaejovisCarolineanusSDS]

I'm in Kentucky too I've never bred any native spiders start to finish but I've had a grass spider that months later ended up with babies. I could see wolf spiders being pretty easy too I always see females covered in babies. I've never bred black widows either but It's supposed to be really easy too.

I've thought about trying wolf spiders. They are common and easy to keep. I just have to find a male, the females are easier to find for some reason. I might try pholcidae, I find them everywhere.

 

[VaejovisCarolineanusSDS]

I'm in Kentucky too

Since you're in KY as well, may I ask what your favorite native arachnid is?

 

[Cowturtle]

Since you're in KY as well, may I ask what your favorite native arachnid is?

As of right now Vonones ornata just for their fluorescence I actually just found the first group I plan on keeping today. I'm not super into spiders yet but love scorpions I'm in the northern part of the state but next week I plan on heading South to hopefully find some devil scorpions. Another cool bug we get are Euryurus leachii a fluorescent millipede.

 

[Ungoliant]

I want to start the process from the beginning. I am willing to try any species that I can find a male and female pair and is easy to breed. I will release the babies, the male, and probably the female. Whether I keep the female or not depends on the species. I just want to watch the process.

The main criteria I would use are "easy to find" and "can ensure that the male and female are of the same species."

There are many species (such as wolf spiders and funnel weavers) that can't be conclusively identified to the species (or even genus) level without a microscope, a taxonomic key, and a good deal of experience, so I would steer clear of most of those.

Certain cobweb spiders like Parasteatoda tepidariorum or your native black widows (Latrodectus mactans and Latrodectus variolus) may be good candidates.

Dysdera crocata is also unmistakable due to its huge chelicerae (jaws).

 

[RTTB]

Do you have Lactrodectus or Loxosceles in Kentucky?

 

[Ungoliant]

Do you have Lactrodectus or Loxosceles in Kentucky?

Latrodectus mactans (southern black widow) and Latrodectus variolus (northern black widow) are found in Kentucky, as is Loxosceles reclusa (brown recluse).

 

[The wolf]

How about erategena atrica

 

[The Snark]

L Geometricus.

 

[pannaking22]

Theridiidae tend to be pretty easy. The native widows are pretty simple (though bishopi can be tricky) and the other genera are relatively easy too. The added perk of Parasteatoda tends to be that you find many in an area.

L Geometricus.

I swear, half the time all you need is a male geo to even look at a female and she starts producing sacs...

 

[VaejovisCarolineanusSDS]

As of right now Vonones ornata just for their fluorescence I actually just found the first group I plan on keeping today. I'm not super into spiders yet but love scorpions I'm in the northern part of the state but next week I plan on heading South to hopefully find some devil scorpions. Another cool bug we get are Euryurus leachii a fluorescent millipede.

I have been wanting to go somewhere that I can find v. carolineanus. V. ornata are also pretty cool.

 

[VaejovisCarolineanusSDS]

I think the easiest for me to try would be pholcidae.

 

[Ungoliant]

I swear, half the time all you need is a male geo to even look at a female and she starts producing sacs...

Latrodectus geometricus are truly prolific, which is part of the reason they end up displacing the native black widows.

 

[The Snark]

I'm feeling a little guilty now mentioning Geos since the danged things seem bent on taking over the entire planet. Maybe breeding them isn't all that smert.

 

[Ungoliant]

I'm feeling a little guilty now mentioning Geos since the danged things seem bent on taking over the entire planet. Maybe breeding them isn't all that smert.

They definitely don't need help breeding from us.

I used to find black widows all the time, but for the past several years, I have only seen one or two. Brown widows have taken over.

 

[VaejovisCarolineanusSDS]

I haven't seen any widows around where I live. I am probably just not looking in the right places though. I haven't really made an effort to find any. I think this year I try to find some.

 

[The Snark]

Widows congregate around moisture sources. If the environment is damp they are dispersed. In So Cal they hide where it is cool and damp. This has given the Geo the upper hand as they don't seem to care what the environment is like.

 

[RTTB]

Is the bite of a Brown widow medically significant?

 

[Ungoliant]

Is the bite of a Brown widow medically significant?

Evidence suggests not. See Rick Vetter's "The Brown Widow in Southern California."

Reports have correctly stated that the spider's venom is fairly potent but because the spider injects so little, it is not of major consequence. Yet one hyperbolic report stated that the spider hasn't killed anyone so far. This is not surprising because the brown widow is not a dangerous nor deadly spider. Even though it has venom of high toxicity, this is typically determined with injections of venom into mice or rabbits and conclusions from this are inferred with little real-world relevance.

Much more relevant is the effects of actual spider bites. A South African medical journal reports on the bites of 15 brown widows in humans (Muller 1993) . Only two symptoms of brown widow envenomation were reported in the majority of bite victims: 1) pain while being bitten and 2) a mark where the bite occurred. That's it. Not much more. The bite of the brown widow is about the same as any non-poisonous spider. It hurts and leaves a little mark on the skin. It is no big deal. There are none of the serious, protracted symptoms that one would exhibit when bitten by a black widow. . . . The brown widow is not a spider of medical concern and is not likely to become one. It isn't dangerous where it currently lives and there is no reason to believe that all of a sudden it will become dangerous now that it is in southern California.