Help: Nephila Madagascariensis not eating regularly.

[LittleGremlin]

My Golden Orb Weaver 'Nephila inaurata madagascariensis'

• LittleGremlin
• Jul 1, 2017

I got this lovely today!

Nephila madagascariensis

• LittleGremlin
• Aug 20, 2017
• 2

She finally has molted, woo.

This is my Nephila madagascariensis, she's called Malagasy. The first photo is when i got her on the 1st July.

I'm having trouble with getting her to feed regularly, i've read in places that they should be eating 2 fruit flies every 2 days, she doesn't, not even close. The last time Malagasy ate a fruit fly was the 18th, so that's now 8 days ago. She molted on the 16th for the first time since i've had her.

I'm just really concerned she's not eating enough, i always put 2 or three in there , i even try to ping them at her web to peak interest to no avail most of the time. Any advice would be appreciated as she is my first ever orb weaver!

 

[Andee]

Is she losing like visible weight? Or acting off? I'd say if she was molting etc, she is doing well and eating enough but orb weavers are such a pain. I am dealing with a local orb weaver species, not even a more complicated species like yours but definitely harder to take care of. How humid is your enclosure or where you keep her? I think orb weavers in general need higher humidity. Might want to try some pin head crickets? Maybe slightly larger prey will encourage her. I mean honestly testing is something to do since all arachnids are relatively individual from what I have experienced.

 

[The Snark]

From observation, Nephs tend to go into a hibernative state, complete torpor, in order to compensate for the web which takes a huge amount of energy to build and maintain. A complex series of events, incorrect food available, temperature, humidity, animal health and age may trigger the torpor state. Bottom line: they know what to do much better than humans.

I've observed Nephs that have eaten less than 10 times during an entire year. Several weeks at a time unmoving in the same exact spot and leg placement.

 

[spotropaicsav]

From observation, Nephs tend to go into a hibernative state, complete torpor, in order to compensate for the web which takes a huge amount of energy to build and maintain. A complex series of events, incorrect food available, temperature, humidity, animal health and age may trigger the torpor state. Bottom line: they know what to do much better than humans.

I've observed Nephs that have eaten less than 10 times during an entire year. Several weeks at a time unmoving in the same exact spot and leg placement.

Not to mention she recently molted. Though care guides may cite a proposed feeding schedule, your spider may just be different. Is she otherwise displaying her usual behavior?

 

[LittleGremlin]

Is she losing like visible weight? Or acting off? I'd say if she was molting etc, she is doing well and eating enough but orb weavers are such a pain. I am dealing with a local orb weaver species, not even a more complicated species like yours but definitely harder to take care of. How humid is your enclosure or where you keep her? I think orb weavers in general need higher humidity. Might want to try some pin head crickets? Maybe slightly larger prey will encourage her. I mean honestly testing is something to do since all arachnids are relatively individual from what I have experienced.

From observation, Nephs tend to go into a hibernative state, complete torpor, in order to compensate for the web which takes a huge amount of energy to build and maintain. A complex series of events, incorrect food available, temperature, humidity, animal health and age may trigger the torpor state. Bottom line: they know what to do much better than humans.

I've observed Nephs that have eaten less than 10 times during an entire year. Several weeks at a time unmoving in the same exact spot and leg placement.

Not to mention she recently molted. Though care guides may cite a proposed feeding schedule, your spider may just be different. Is she otherwise displaying her usual behavior?

She's not acting off, she's always been a very light eater i guess i was just concerned from reading guides and of course her only moulting once in a month & a half. I I was under the impression they reached maturity in 4 months and at the tiny size she is now that seems impossible!

I'm guessing i just keep trying and she'll eat when she wants to right? She's fairly mobile, maintaining her web.

 

[spotropaicsav]

Seems reasonable to me unless something changes, you always can post how she's doing

 

[The Snark]

If you really want to tempt a nephs appetite, toss her moths.

 

[LittleGremlin]

So i've put a maggot in her web, she always seems to like those more than the flies as they stick better to the web. She has thoroughly inspected it a couple of times but not done anything to it. I'm guessing she's just not bothered at the moment. She's the complete opposite of my jumping spiders who go for anything that moves.

 

[The Snark]

Moths are their primary diet in the wild.

 

[Andee]

My orbweaver is similar (I have a US native species) not worried about eating compared to other true species I keep XD

 

[LittleGremlin]

We have success, she's currently munching on a fruit fly maggot.

Moths are their primary diet in the wild.

I did try that but the moth was just way too big for her web to handle & i can't find any smaller ones