Found this behind my bed, how do I care for it?

[MintyWood826]

Pholcidae I think. (Bad pic though)

Is it just me or is it gravid?

I feel really bad for her but don't want to have that many more spiders in my room if she is. I know, they're harmless, but my bed!! + spiders is not a good thing.

If that door wasn't right there I could have my bed farther from the wall and this would not have happened. I realize that there are probably plenty of spiders laying eggs in the house already... just it HAD to be connected to my bed...

How do I care for it, anyway?

 

[loxoscelesfear]

Toss it outside or keep it in the container. It will survive either way. Flies, moths, even other spiders are consumed by Pholcids.

 

[The wolf]

Toss it outside or keep it in the container. It will survive either way. Flies, moths, even other spiders are consumed by Pholcids.

Um these are actually obligate syanthropic spiders so releasing them outside would probably kill them
To keep them put them in a tall cup of container of sorts put a couple of sticks in and feed them pretty much anything

 

[Ungoliant]

Toss it outside or keep it in the container. It will survive either way.

If you decide to release it, put it in a sheltered location like a shed or cellar.

 

[The Snark]

Definitely looks preggo. If you had an unused terrarium/aquarium there's a good chance you could start a pholcid factory. You could also release her in an upper corner of a room like a kitchen. Pretty good chance you could cajole her to stay put.

 

[Veles]

Um these are actually obligate syanthropic spiders so releasing them outside would probably kill them
To keep them put them in a tall cup of container of sorts put a couple of sticks in and feed them pretty much anything

Yeah, you can't exactly find these guys outside.

They prefer to stay indoors.

 

[Veigar]

I like caring for these guys because they look funny when they wrap up other insects. The only annoying thing about housing them is they'er so fragile you have to give them equally fragile prey. I only ever fed them flies.

Also, I have never once seen these guys kill any black widows, dunno why that's a said thing.

 

[MintyWood826]

I like caring for these guys because they look funny when they wrap up other insects. The only annoying thing about housing them is they'er so fragile you have to give them equally fragile prey. I only ever fed them flies.

Also, I have never once seen these guys kill any black widows, dunno why that's a said thing.

I fed her an ant yesterday. Yeah, it's funny watching them wrap prey. However, I thought they could eat other spiders and pretty much anything.

 

[The wolf]

I like caring for these guys because they look funny when they wrap up other insects. The only annoying thing about housing them is they'er so fragile you have to give them equally fragile prey. I only ever fed them flies.

Also, I have never once seen these guys kill any black widows, dunno why that's a said thing.

They really aren't fragile they can take predatory prey much bigger than themselves,I saw a 2-3mm one taking down a 2cm katydid once

 

[Veles]

They really aren't fragile they can take predatory prey much bigger than themselves,I saw a 2-3mm one taking down a 2cm katydid once

They are fragile, its just that web gives them a pretty big adventage.

 

[MintyWood826]

They are fragile, its just that web gives them a pretty big adventage.

Yes, the web helps, but they do also happen to be venomous predators.

 

[The wolf]

It's the long legs actually,makes them impossible to reach

They are fragile, its just that web gives them a pretty big adventage.

 

[Veles]

Yes, the web helps, but they do also happen to be venomous predators.

They could not hunt anything without their web.

 

[MintyWood826]

They could not hunt anything without their web.

So would you say that their web or their fangs are more important in hunting?

Edit: They do need their webs, that's why they make them, but it doesn't make them fragile.

 

[Veigar]

So would you say that their web or their fangs are more important in hunting?

Edit: They do need their webs, that's why they make them, but it doesn't make them fragile.

Even so all of the ones I've cared for don't always go after the things caught in their web.

For instance, if I introduced a black widow (adult female grown) into a web of theirs I have a feeling it would either run, or die. Haven't tried, but based on the ones out here, I feel that's what'd happen.

 

[Veles]

So would you say that their web or their fangs are more important in hunting?

Edit: They do need their webs, that's why they make them, but it doesn't make them fragile.

Their webs are the most important factor.

Have you ever handled one or seen it out of the web?

They can barely walk on solid surfaces(very clumsily at that too).
And their legs easily fall off.

 

[MintyWood826]

They really aren't fragile they can take predatory prey much bigger than themselves,I saw a 2-3mm one taking down a 2cm katydid once

Fragile? Not on their webs.

Even so all of the ones I've cared for don't always go after the things caught in their web.

They aren't always hungry. Or something else. It doesn't mean it's scared of the prey. It took a really long time for mine to notice the ant. Don't they have really bad eyesight?

For instance, if I introduced a black widow (adult female grown) into a web of theirs I have a feeling it would either run, or die. Haven't tried, but based on the ones out here, I feel that's what'd happen.

I don't know, it's definitely not something I want to test, but we aren't talking about adult female black widows. They can take down at least some kinds of spiders though. Others have observed it. Not to say that other spiders can't kill these.

Not my image I found this pic on Google


Also... I may have lost her... I knew it was a bad idea to try handling.

 

[The Snark]

Pholcid stuff
-Possibly the most durable and tolerant of all web based spiders. Getting banged around or the web trashed that would trigger a death curl in most others, they just drop to the surface below and amble off. They will start a new web within hours.
-Their legs are extremely tough. It's extremely rare to see one with a missing leg. Analogous of seasoned bamboo poles.
-They prefer being up high. No idea why or how they tell. The couple dozen in our house at any given time will always move towards the ceiling corners. I'd like an explanation of this. Note, there's lots of exceptions to this rule. the kick space under my comp desk has to have a half dozen of them at any given time.
-No sticky lines in the web. It's all about tangling prey and nipping. This coincides in some way with them often ignoring what seems suitable prey in their webs. Again, I've no idea the rationale as to what or why.
-Serious melee combatants. All about legs and the body to get a chomp on, very elusive.
-Dislikes dust mites. Again, no idea why. When dust mites establish themselves in a corner or angle, Pholcids often expand their web and move away. This helps vacuuming the niches where dust mites are without seriously agitating the pholcid a few inches away.
-Are communal. Males gather harems. But with individuals, two webs up against each other, each spider appears to know what is their territory. I've never seen them attack their own. Slings roam freely among adjacent adults webs.
-Their venom appears to be very weak. Around half the time they don't even subdue prey with bites, just relying on tangling and webbing. I've never found any info on their venom being studied.

Very perplexing animals. I've observed them almost every day for nearly 20 years and never have fully figured out their master plan.

Also... I may have lost her... I knew it was a bad idea to try handling.

Leave that area where it was undisturbed for a few days if possible. Then carefully search for the new web. It could have strolled off but normally not more than a few feet away.

 

[MintyWood826]

Pholcid stuff
-Possibly the most durable and tolerant of all web based spiders. Getting banged around or the web trashed that would trigger a death curl in most others, they just drop to the surface below and amble off. They will start a new web within hours.
-They prefer being up high. No idea why or how they tell. The couple dozen in our house at any given time will always move towards the ceiling corners. I'd like an explanation of this.
-No sticky lines in the web. It's all about tangling prey and nipping. This coincides in some way with them often ignoring what seems suitable prey in their webs. Again, I've no idea the rationale as to what or why.
-Serious melee combatants. All about legs and the body to get a chomp on, very elusive.
-Dislikes dust mites. Again, no idea why. When dust mites establish themselves in a corner or angle, Pholcids often expand their web and move away. This helps vacuuming the niches where dust mites are without seriously agitating the pholcid a few inches away.
-Are communal. Males gather harems. But with individuals, two webs up against each other, each spider appears to know what is their territory. I've never seen them attack their own. Slings roam freely among adjacent adults webs.
-Their venom appears to be very weak. Around half the time they don't even subdue prey with bites, just relying on tangling and webbing. I've never found any info on their venom being studied.

Very perplexing animals. I've observed them almost every day for nearly 20 years and never have fully figured out their master plan.

Haha yes perplexing. I'd only seen them being high, then two (this was the second) make low webs.

Her web was destroyed at least twice which means she'd made 3 webs IN THE SAME SPOT before I decided to catch her. Not exactly fragile.

Their venom does seem to be either weak or slow acting. The ant was still wriggling around a bit when she was wrapping/eating it.

 

[Veles]

Pholcid stuff
-Possibly the most durable and tolerant of all web based spiders. Getting banged around or the web trashed that would trigger a death curl in most others, they just drop to the surface below and amble off. They will start a new web within hours.

Uh this isnt durable at all, you wont make a spider go into a death curl by banging it on the web.

-Their legs are extremely tough. It's extremely rare to see one with a missing leg. Analogous of seasoned bamboo poles.

No, these guys dont lose legs because they never engage prey outside of the web.

Losing a leg and letting it twich, therefore distracting a predator is literarly their defense mechanism.

-Serious melee combatants. All about legs and the body to get a chomp on, very elusive.

Staying outside of the prey's range and webbing it up is everything except melle combat.