Surprise Argiope Aurantia Eggsac (pls help!!)

[serenitylx]

(Photo taken outside her enclosure to inspect; put her back home shortly after)

I have a beautiful, young, female A. Aurantia who has just recently laid an eggsac. I've had her since summer 2017, she has molted once, and I have not introduced any males to her enclosure.

Are A. Aurantia capable of holding onto sperm for several months until they are ready to lay their eggs, or could this be an empty/unfertilized sac?

Assuming there are live eggs inside, what can I do to give them the best chance of survival?

**I had to move them to a separate enclosure because other household members are concerned they will escape through the ventilation of mom's tank and go everywhere, if/when they hatch. Is it alright to keep them separate from her? Will she be too stressed without her babies? (I want her to be as happy and comfortable as possible!)

Assuming it is safe to keep them separate, what should I do to make sure their nursery is adequate? What temperature and humidity levels should I look to maintain for them?

I'll update with more questions as it becomes necessary. Looking forward to your expertise!!

~A Concerned Spider Mom

 

[Ungoliant]

I have never kept these spiders, so I can't give care advice, but:

I have a beautiful, young, female A. Aurantia who has just recently laid an eggsac. I've had her since summer 2017, she has molted once, and I have not introduced any males to her enclosure.

Are A. Aurantia capable of holding onto sperm for several months until they are ready to lay their eggs, or could this be an empty/unfertilized sac?

Since she has molted in your care, that means that she was immature when you found her. Therefore, she should not have mated. (Even in species that continue to molt after maturity, any sperm that was stored would normally be lost with the molt.) Since you say she has never mated in your care, it is likely that the egg sac is a dud.

**I had to move them to a separate enclosure because other household members are concerned they will escape through the ventilation of mom's tank and go everywhere, if/when they hatch. Is it alright to keep them separate from her? Will she be too stressed without her babies? (I want her to be as happy and comfortable as possible!)

Even if it were a viable egg sac, I would not worry too much about separating it from the mother. In the wild, most of these mothers would never live to see their slings. They often die soon after creating their egg sacs, which they try to hide in a protected area.

She may look for the missing sac for a day or two, but after that, she will forget about it.

 

[serenitylx]

Sorry for the delay in response. I ended up opening the eggsac, because the curiosity was too much. I feel bad for doing it, because I'm sure I could have seriously harmed her babies--if she had any. The sac turned out to be completely empty except for a rust coloured, cotton boll-like silk.

Is that normal..? What could it mean?

(Thank you so much, Ungoliant, for taking the time to reply to me! )

 

[Ungoliant]

I ended up opening the eggsac, because the curiosity was too much. I feel bad for doing it, because I'm sure I could have seriously harmed her babies--if she had any. The sac turned out to be completely empty except for a rust coloured, cotton boll-like silk.

That sounds like a dud. (I wouldn't expect a fertile sac from an unmated female.)

 

[serenitylx]

It's been a sad week for me...my spider passed away under mysterious circumstances, a few days ago. I went to look at her, like I do every day, and did not immediately see her in her web. I figured she was still cleaning up house from the previous day, but she was nowhere in sight.....until I looked down. She was laying motionless, right side up, in her enclosure. There were no visible wounds, and she had access to water droplets, food, and consistent temperatures. I don't understand what could have happened to her... I'm utterly heartbroken, though.

What do you think could have caused sudden death in such a young spider..? (and after several months of good health, too)

 

[Ungoliant]

What do you think could have caused sudden death in such a young spider..? (and after several months of good health, too)

Sadly, many true spiders do not have long lifespans. Like many orbweavers, Argiope aurantia is an annual species. Spiderlings emerge in the spring and mature in summer. Males die shortly after mating, whereas the females may hang on through late fall or early winter depending on climate.

So enjoy your memories of her, and take comfort in knowing that her death wasn't caused by anything you did wrong.

 

[serenitylx]

Thank you...that's wonderfully sweet and comforting of you.

 

[Mjb30]

It sounds like you gave her the best life she could have had and it was just her time. She was just an old lady as well as being magnificent to behold.