Nephila pilipes help

[bugguy1]

I recently received a beautiful female Nephila pilipes and have followed all of the care sheets I could find. She is in a cage and has made a web, but it doesn't appear as though it is completed enough to catch anything. I have live crickets in there and have introduced flying insects such as moths and flies. So far I have not seen her eat. Any suggestions?

 

[basin79]

I recently received a beautiful female Nephila pilipes and have followed all of the care sheets I could find. She is in a cage and has made a web, but it doesn't appear as though it is completed enough to catch anything. I have live crickets in there and have introduced flying insects such as moths and flies. So far I have not seen her eat. Any suggestions?

Pictures. Pictures. Pictures.

Is the spider an adult. If not premoult?

 

[The Snark]

For a fantastic overview of Neph webbing, check out this thread. https://arachnoboards.com/threads/staceys-web-development-co.341153/
The webs will vary from spider to spider, sometimes drastically, as @Ah Lee has well documented. He has had two siblings from the same hatching produce extreme differences in their webs, and habits.

 

[Ah Lee]

I recently received a beautiful female Nephila pilipes and have followed all of the care sheets I could find. She is in a cage and has made a web, but it doesn't appear as though it is completed enough to catch anything. I have live crickets in there and have introduced flying insects such as moths and flies. So far I have not seen her eat. Any suggestions?

Congrats on your N. pilipes! Do post some photos of your setup and her web, and we can see what's up.

Some things to note:

1. N.pilipes need lots of space, and good cross-ventilation. It'll be good if you have a mesh opening on both sides of her enclosure, or you can also opt for a mesh-type enclosure if she refuses to web in yours after a week.

2. They need to have built a proper web to feed. If you say it doesn't look completed enough, then it's probably just the draglines she's pulling to get from place to place. At the very least it should be a little platform she hangs out on all the time, then you can probably try hand-feeding if there is an urgent need.

3. Crickets generally are terrible to try feed them with. They definitely will not get caught "naturally" and even if you throw one in, there's a high chance it will break the web or break free. Moths are great for trying hand-feeding. Grab one with forceps by one of it's wing, and bring the fluttering thing near your spider. Flutters always trigger a good feeding response if they are ready to eat. Just try not to disturb them before feeding because thry are reaaaally sensitive to disturbances. Open the cage, leave her alone for an hour or so, then slowly try hand-feeding.

Good luck and do let us see some photos!

 

[The Snark]

@Ah Lee Bad news. You are hereby officially appointed as go to for all my stupid Nephila questions.

 

[Ah Lee]

@Ah Lee Bad news. You are hereby officially appointed as go to for all my stupid Nephila questions.

I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm just the messenger. You ask a question, I ask Coffee, give her food, and she gives me answers...

 

[bugguy1]

I have it in a cage with a lot of ventitaion. She (?) definitely hangs out in the middle of the web all of the time. I will try the moth with tweezers.

 

[The Snark]

Moths and butterflies, always. Earth bound pray they can't relate to. Many, especially tropical Nephs, also avoid caterpillars as some pack a lethal wallop with spines or their insides. Some caterpillars feast on Oleander which contains cardiac glycosides called Oleandrin and Neriine. Very bad news. Nephs almost always love flying dinners.