Male Phidippus Regius- is he an adult?

[Noah Clark]

Fantastic. I didn't see this post as I had your other post opened and had to let Typhon out.

Really, really chuffed for the 2 of you.

Thanks, my friend!
His fangs are kinda awkward I guess, I'd honestly have trouble landing those long unruly things accurately if I were a spider.

 

[basin79]

Thanks, my friend!
His fangs are kinda awkward I guess, I'd honestly have trouble landing those long unruly things accurately if I were a spider.

They do sport a fine set.

I'd honestly give him freshly hatched blue bottles. They're harmless, soft and really move so the spider gets to flex their grey matter to capture them.

 

[Noah Clark]

They do sport a fine set.

I'd honestly give him freshly hatched blue bottles. They're harmless, soft and really move so the spider gets to flex their grey matter to capture them.

There was a cricket in my room (weird, right?) so I gave it to him. He's eating it, what a good boy!
He did the same thing where he had a bunch of failed bites, I think it's definitely an accuracy thing. I think he realised that, as he kind of grabbed the thing with his arms and pulled it towards him, where he bit it right on its back.

 

[Noah Clark]

They do sport a fine set.

I'd honestly give him freshly hatched blue bottles. They're harmless, soft and really move so the spider gets to flex their grey matter to capture them.

hmm I would urgently request your assistance
He is now standing up as tall as he can and straining, he is doing it repeatedly. Moulting behaviour?

 

[basin79]

hmm I would urgently request your assistance
He is now standing up as tall as he can and straining, he is doing it repeatedly. Moulting behaviour?

Unsure. I know some T's stretch after a moult though.

 

[Noah Clark]

Unsure. I know some T's stretch after a moult though.

I've come to the conclusion that either he must be an adult (which wouldn't make sense because I don't think adult males would eat to the point where they are very fat?), or he just moulted before he was shipped. I know at least with Phidippus audax (very similar, smaller, northeastern version in the US) in the penultimate instar it can be a few months before the final moult (Based on a very detailed Phidippus audax life cycle pdf I found). He's eaten again, and until he starts ignoring food and making a nest, I'll continue feeding him.

 

[basin79]

Time will tell then.

 

[Noah Clark]

Time will tell then.

I think he might be up to something.
His fangs are wide open, he isn't grooming himself or anything like that either. I know they moult starting at the front of their heads, could this be what he's doing?

 

[basin79]

I think he might be up to something.
His fangs are wide open, he isn't grooming himself or anything like that either. I know they moult starting at the front of their heads, could this be what he's doing?

I'm honestly clueless. I think he's a lot more intelligent than a regular jumper and is winding you up.

 

[Torech Ungol]

Bahaha I must say, I love the idea of a salticid acting contrary just to mess with someone!

 

[Noah Clark]

I'm honestly clueless. I think he's a lot more intelligent than a regular jumper and is winding you up.

All he seems to want to do is climb to the top of his enclosure now. He's very fat. But there is a problem. He and the female both live in separate enclosures, but they are the same. the female can climb to the top relatively easily. For him, however, it's a struggle. He can't seem to grip, and hhe even seems to have trouble gripping my skin sometimes. Why is this?

 

[basin79]

All he seems to want to do is climb to the top of his enclosure now. He's very fat. But there is a problem. He and the female both live in separate enclosures, but they are the same. the female can climb to the top relatively easily. For him, however, it's a struggle. He can't seem to grip, and hhe even seems to have trouble gripping my skin sometimes. Why is this?

The only thing I can think of that would cause that is old age. But that doesn't really make sense.

I'm ruddy well at a loss with your little man. He's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

 

[Noah Clark]

The only thing I can think of that would cause that is old age. But that doesn't really make sense.

I'm ruddy well at a loss with your little man. He's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

He certainly is a special boy! I helped him to the top, I put my finger in and he climbed onto it, then I lifted him up to the top. He's now hanging out at up there. I'll let you know if he does anything! Perhaps he can't grip because he's so fat. Who knows, lol.

 

[Noah Clark]

The only thing I can think of that would cause that is old age. But that doesn't really make sense.

I'm ruddy well at a loss with your little man. He's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

Last time I thought he was going to moult, he ended up losing some weight and ate again. This time its been almost 2 weeks and he's lost none at all. He's still really fat. He drinks a LOT of water. When I give him some, he will drink a whole drop (bigger than his head) and ththen drink more. He gets ever so slightly larger every time. He has made a silk sheet and he is just sitting on it now. I'm hoping it'll be any time now, but i am playing with the possibility that he's already an adult, but that would not make any sense at all because adult male jumpers never get fat. and his head is smaller than the female's now, and the female is now bigger than him by a decent amount. Thing is, I don't even know if she's an adult yet either.

 

[Noah Clark]

The only thing I can think of that would cause that is old age. But that doesn't really make sense.

I'm ruddy well at a loss with your little man. He's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

Here's my boy. He's still been doing nothing but trying to get to the top. I think he wants to get up there before moulting. I'm not alarmed by how long it's taken him to moult as his sister species Phidippus audax can spend over 70 days in subadult. But he can't climb. where should I put him where he can make a sac and finally emerge an adult? SSee how fat he is? His abdomen dwarfs his head! Definitely not an adult. He's also still very alert and agile. He just sucks at climbing smooth surfaces like a plastic enclosure. He just climbed up a vertical wire with no issue whatsoever.

 

[basin79]

Here's my boy. He's still been doing nothing but trying to get to the top. I think he wants to get up there before moulting. I'm not alarmed by how long it's taken him to moult as his sister species Phidippus audax can spend over 70 days in subadult. But he can't climb. where should I put him where he can make a sac and finally emerge an adult? View attachment 256662 SSee how fat he is? His abdomen dwarfs his head! Definitely not an adult. He's also still very alert and agile. He just sucks at climbing smooth surfaces like a plastic enclosure. He just climbed up a vertical wire with no issue whatsoever.

I'm unsure why he can't climb. My adult male could climb around with no problems until right near the end of his life.

 

[Noah Clark]

I'm unsure why he can't climb. My adult male could climb around with no problems until right near the end of his life.

Honestly, it is very smooth plastic. I've taken up the idea of allowing him to freely roam my room. I'm watching him, of course. He's climbing up the wall with no issue. I'm going to watch him explore for a bit and see if he finds a place to settle down and make a nest.

 

[basin79]

Honestly, it is very smooth plastic. I've taken up the idea of allowing him to freely roam my room. I'm watching him, of course. He's climbing up the wall with no issue. I'm going to watch him explore for a bit and see if he finds a place to settle down and make a nest.

The tub I kept my male in was. I'd just offer him cork bark slabs with plastic plants spruces pushed into them. It'll give him something tactile to climb and the plants will give him somewhere to spin a hammock.

 

[Noah Clark]

i haven't thought of using plants....lol
Perhaps some jumpers are different than others
Some humans are naturally born more capable of running, while some aren't and suck at running and have to work way harder to reach the same ability. These little dudes have been around far, far longer than we have, almost all the surfaces in their natural environments with no human influence whatsoever have decently rough textures, textures on which these spiders have absolutely no problem using their full agility on. Perhaps some are just born with stickier feet.

 

[Noah Clark]

The tub I kept my male in was. I'd just offer him cork bark slabs with plastic plants spruces pushed into them. It'll give him something tactile to climb and the plants will give him somewhere to spin a hammock.

Ive been Giving him water and offering food on occasion (he didn't eat it) and even though he had plenty of area to make a hammock, he never did. He sat like a black lump. Well... He died today, really not sure as to what exactly happened with him but i thought I'd let you know. I feel like he was suffering and maybe experiencing old age before he could even be a true adult. The female is still very healthy and I'm not entirely sure whether she's even an adult yet. Very quirky and active little girl. I'll send pics later tonight, I'm curious to see your opinion as to whether she's an adult yet. Though I'm saddened by what happened to my boy I'm happy for the time i got to spend with the rather interesting fellow. In mid spring I'll be ordering another male and mating them.