Sling drumming while hunting

[TheaSpider]

Last week I picked up a tiny Eu. sp. Red sling after reading so many good things about them here. Today was the first time I tried to feed it. I've read they can be picky eaters and sometimes food needs to be pre-killed. However this one, instead of being timid seems to be stalking this pinhead fine, but when it gets close it drums- like an adult looking for a mate. This makes the cricket run off.

I thought it might be that the spider 'lost' the prey item and wanted it to move again, but having now seen it be within easy grabbing range I'm thinking this might be a type of food refusal?

I wasn't overly hopeful this sling would eat today, as it might still be settling in, but figured I'd try anyway. I've never seen a spider drum at prey before. Has any one else observed this behavior before? It has now chased the pinhead around it's elaborate burrow, up to the surface, and around again at least twice. Most my other spiders will just ignore prey when they're not hungry. I might try killing the cricket for it and see what happens to see if it is actually hungry or not.

Has anyone seen this behavior? Opinions?

 

[prairiepanda]

I've seen some of my Ts feel around for their prey if it's not moving, and that can look like drumming sometimes. My rosie especially tends to do this when her crickets freeze to make themselves "invisible"...of course, when she finds them they usually run off as soon as she touches them. Not a big deal, they're capable of catching the prey eventually.

 

[TheaSpider]

I've seen some of my Ts feel around for their prey if it's not moving, and that can look like drumming sometimes. My rosie especially tends to do this when her crickets freeze to make themselves "invisible"...of course, when she finds them they usually run off as soon as she touches them. Not a big deal, they're capable of catching the prey eventually.

I'm not really concerned, just curious. Like I said I wasn't overly optimistic it would eat this week with their reputation and the recent move. I wish I could take video of the behavior but it's too little and my camera does a poor job at macro in video capacity. I've seen a few others feel for things but this one is VERY dramatic about it.

 

[macbaffo]

I've seen that with my C. fimbriatus. She was "drumming" (just a couple of shakes) on the web to locate the prey. I think it's almost like and active search system which either makes an immobile prey move or locate the prey through vibrations.