Something unusual ?

[MIC]

The story is this.

My MF B.smithi, almost five years old, decided to lay an egg sack.
Till now nothing strange but...

• The only very very sort mating tentative occured on Octomber 2009.
• Only recently i noticed that her butt became round and bloated like a ping-pong ball.
• I wasn't able to see her laying any egg before she has rolled the mesh into a ball even though I was watching what she was doing from a very close position.
• ....But her abdomen became half of its original size. I am wondering if this is due to the extensive production of silk and not from the egg load that I doubt a lot.

Under those circumstances what am I suppose to do? Have I to pick up the ball and check or not? If I have to do it after how much time I will subtract it to check?

 

[Warren Bautista]

The abdomen became smaller due to the excessive load of eggs being released.

If this is your first time breeding, I would suggest you leave the eggs with the mother.

 

[Thoth]

Has she molted at all between mating and egg laying? If so it could be a false egg sac which happens on occasion. I had a H.lividum that would do that on occasion.

 

[cacoseraph]

unless she molted between mating and the eggsac i don't see where the unusual part comes in?



do you think there was no inserts when she was mating?

 

[Moltar]

It only takes a second to get a good insertion so that part's certainly possible. Are you saying the amount of time elapsed since the mating is too long? I don't think 6 months is out of the question for a Brachypelma, others here can verify that but I think i'm correct. If she hasn't molted since the nookie you may have a good sac. Congratulations?

 

[cacoseraph]

6 months is pretty middle of the road for Brachypelma, i would imagine

 

[MIC]

Thank you guys for the replies. I see that you have pinpointed my doubts.
First the insertion time was extremely short, just a couple of seconds and 6 months appeared to me as a very long period. Anyway to answer your question no there wasn't a molt after the mating.

According to what you are saying maybe I will be lucky enough to have stork in the family.

Meanwhile, should I give food to the spider or not?

 

[forrestpengra]

Well given that you did mate her and that 6months is pretty small in a B. smithi molt cycle, I think there is a good chance that you have a fertile sack.

If she will eat I would feed her.

I'm hoping to breed B. smithi sometime this year, I just love them to death!

 

[Moltar]

If you haven't already, go check out the breeding reports section for B. smithi. Other brachy experiences may also be helpful. It could be you'll need to like, up her humidity or change the temp or feed her olives and saltines or something. They can be finicky.