Phidippus audax gender/life stage?

[aspooder]

Hey y'all!

New to the sling world, although not to the "odd" pet world (have owned exotic mammals). My lil buddy was wild caught in our yard at our new home, where I've also seen Carolina mantis and other predatory insects (yay!).

My partner knew I'd been wanting a jumper for a while and caught it and brought it home where I set it up a temporary enclosure to give it enough space, humidity, and crickets to eat...

I figured y'all would know more than me regarding life stage + gender! Definitely not juvenile, phidippus audax from my basic knowledge and searches, but would love additional insight from folks!

No name yet either - but open to ideas/suggestions! Just got in larger acrylic home than the smaller home it's been living in the last week while I waited for more things to arrive. Have some clay LECA balls as base layer, some mixed substrate (fernwood, coco fiber, fir bark, spagnum with no added fertilizer), some chola and cork for climbing/jumping/natural hiding, as well as some magnetic side ledges and an insect dish (photo'd as well). I'm still waiting on a hide to add to the top of the enclosure made from a southern pecan (I live in Central TX, USA).

Anyhow, I welcome feedback, as I am definitely still learning. They've eaten a couple crickets and my local place was out of them yesterday when I went to get more, so am trying mealworms and wax worms, which I understand they eat as well but no dice yet on the mealworm.

Thanks y'all!

 

[SalticusScenicusStar]

I'd say adult female.

 

[regalpaws]

I'm thinking adult female as well, she might be gravid especially if you caught her outside! I'm pretty new to the hobby, but from what I've heard and also from having a juvenile male is that the male's pedipalps will be bigger, have white markings and look a lot like boxing gloves.

 

[SkittlesTheJumpingSpider]

Judging by it's pedipalps, probably a female. Not sure about the age, but it looks pretty large, so I'd say adult.

Here are some name suggestions: Charlotte, Pumpkin, Silky, Ember, and Lily.

 

[aspooder]

I have been thinking likely female as well, since pedipalps seem smaller but am super new to this so wasn't sure. Thanks y'all super helpful!

I love the name recs also, thanks @SkittlesTheJumpingSpider!

She's just been doing zoomies/rounds on the top of her enclosure since I got her in there and got things set up earlier this afternoon. Definitely happier than in the smaller enclosure I had her in. @regalpaws do you say she might be gravid only because I found her outside/time of year or something else? I ask because her abdomen doesn't seem large enough to be gravid? But I'm new to this so *shrug*

 

[LadyShia77]

She has a big abdomen like my female phidippus audax I recently obtained. I named my girl Artemis. Atalanta is also a name I like for female spiders (Had a striped knee tarantula years ago I called Atlanta). Both are names of female deitiies that were huntresses. There are other female deities associated with Artemis if you like those types of names. Congrats on the beautiful jumper.

 

[regalpaws]

To me, she does look quite big, but maybe since you just fed her thats why she's chonky. If it doesnt change much in the next few weeks, she may lay an egg sac. Its very common for wild caught jumpers to be gravid, but if she starts to build a very thick web you'll probably know for sure by then.
Her chelicerae are so pretty

 

[egyptiancrow]

like others said check so you know if shell be gravid or not.
heres a care guide if you wanted somewhere to start!

Spider care 101!

docs.google.com

 

[aspooder]

@regalpaws & @LadyShia77 definitely helpful to head that she's got a big booty - she ate a couple of days ago (cricket) but hasn't really touched the mealworm I put in there yesterday so not entirely sure if she's just chonky from being well-fed in the last week, or perhaps she is indeed gravid!

@egyptiancrow thank you so much for sharing this resource I'll definitely take a look so I can figure out if she's gravid or may be.

Y'all are rad, thanks so much! My partner thinks we should name her Ruby - whatever her name ends up being, she's dang purdy!

 

[LadyShia77]

I ahve both a male and female

@regalpaws & @LadyShia77 definitely helpful to head that she's got a big booty - she ate a couple of days ago (cricket) but hasn't really touched the mealworm I put in there yesterday so not entirely sure if she's just chonky from being well-fed in the last week, or perhaps she is indeed gravid!

@egyptiancrow thank you so much for sharing this resource I'll definitely take a look so I can figure out if she's gravid or may be.

Y'all are rad, thanks so much! My partner thinks we should name her Ruby - whatever her name ends up being, she's dang purdy!

My girl has only had crickets so far. My beetles haven't reproduced yet for me to try her on mealworms. I'll try to get a good picture of her tomorrow when she wakes up and starts wandering around her enclosure so you can compare females. She's wild caught and I've had her for about a week. I tried to get a picture tonight, but there was too much glare and my camera wouldn't focus.

 

[aspooder]

I ahve both a male and female

My girl has only had crickets so far. My beetles haven't reproduced yet for me to try her on mealworms. I'll try to get a good picture of her tomorrow when she wakes up and starts wandering around her enclosure so you can compare females. She's wild caught and I've had her for about a week. I tried to get a picture tonight, but there was too much glare and my camera wouldn't focus.

Nice! Yea I got the combo of waxworms and mealworms to see if she might eat one or the other since both are readily available from exotic pet supply stores here. Where are you located out of curiosity? This gal I think it's been just under two weeks...

Looking forward to seeing your girl soon!

 

[LadyShia77]

Nice! Yea I got the combo of waxworms and mealworms to see if she might eat one or the other since both are readily available from exotic pet supply stores here. Where are you located out of curiosity? This gal I think it's been just under two weeks...

Looking forward to seeing your girl soon!

I live in western North Carolina. I think a lot of phidippus audax look similar. Yours looks a lot like mine in spite of being in different states. I'm not sure of my girl's age, but she seems a little smaller than my male that I posted about a while back. My eyes could be playing tricks on me, though. Will definitely send you a pic as soon as I get one.

 

[LadyShia77]

As promised, here are pictures of my girl. I hope you can see them okay.

 

[aspooder]

As promised, here are pictures of my girl. I hope you can see them okay.

She's purdy! Wish I could see her chelicerae!! Got a whole mealworm nearly her size down yesterday and now her abdomen looks FAT to me so y'all are probably right, since that was on the smaller end for her abdomen, altho not as small as when we initially found her/housed her - we'll see in the next couple/few weeks if she starts to make a thick web if she's indeed gravid or just enjoying easy meals and being chonky. I was able to confirm from looking at her underside that she's reached sexual maturity, so am assuming at this point she's likely gravid.

Thanks again to @egyptiancrow for the details and info for what to do with bbs/assuming she is indeed gravid. We've got some good wild areas of our yard that bb's will be thrilled to roam, I'm certain!

 

[LadyShia77]

Here's one of her munching on a cricket. It's hard to get a pic of her facing me. I hope you can see them a little better in this one. Excuse the leftovers on the bottom. I haven't had a chance to get them out yet.

 

[aspooder]

@LadyShia77 Nice! Nom nom nom!

 

[CRX]

Here's one of her munching on a cricket. It's hard to get a pic of her facing me. I hope you can see them a little better in this one. Excuse the leftovers on the bottom. I haven't had a chance to get them out yet.

The abdomen on this girl is insane! WTH! I have never seen one that fat lol

 

[LadyShia77]

The abdomen on this girl is insane! WTH! I have never seen one that fat lol

She has been eating good, but she is wild caught as well. I've only had her for about a week or so.

 

[ant1gen]

Just got in larger acrylic home

Where did you get that enclosure? Very nice.

 

[aspooder]

Where did you get that enclosure? Very nice.

So sorry I didn't see this before! I purchased from Etsy - seller's shop is called ArachnidShop! There are a couple of other folks on Etsy who also create enclosures - it's served us well!