What's this?

[MainMann]

Hello!
So i found this thing, seems to be a shed exoskeleton of some sort inside my B. boehmei enclosure. Anyone know what this is?

 

[chanda]

That appears to be a soldier fly pupa - or at least what's left of one, after the soldier fly emerged from it.

Compare to these: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1519721/bgimage (note that these are still intact)

 

[MainMann]

That appears to be a soldier fly pupa - or at least what's left of one, after the soldier fly emerged from it.

Compare to these: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1519721/bgimage (note that these are still intact)

Do they inhabit Indonesia? But it doesn't exactly look alike. The texture of this thing is exactly like a T molt, so i was thinking that i may be a roach molt of some sort

 

[chanda]

Do they inhabit Indonesia? But it doesn't exactly look alike. The texture of this thing is exactly like a T molt, so i was thinking that i may be a roach molt of some sort

How big is it?

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, can be found on every continent except Antarctica - plus there are thousands of other soldier fly species, so they certainly could be found in Indonesia.

What are you using for feeders?

 

[MainMann]

How big is it?

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, can be found on every continent except Antarctica - plus there are thousands of other soldier fly species, so they certainly could be found in Indonesia.

What are you using for feeders?

Ah i see! it's around 2cm long, and as for feeders i use crickets and the occasional mealworm. But i always remove any dead/uneaten pray if the spider doesnt eat it in a couple of hours. Can this in any way harm my spider?

 

[chanda]

Ah i see! it's around 2cm long, and as for feeders i use crickets and the occasional mealworm. But i always remove any dead/uneaten pray if the spider doesnt eat it in a couple of hours. Can this in any way harm my spider?

Assuming it was a black soldier fly, it's harmless. It's probably already flown off - or been eaten. Soldier flies are commonly used as feeders - I've used them myself for mantises. As larvae, they are scavengers, eating decaying organic matter, and as adults they'll feed on nectar. Most other soldier flies have similar habits. And if it's just the one, then it won't have had the chance to mate and lay eggs - even if it didn't get eaten.

It still looks very much like an empty soldier fly pupa to me - which would look similar to the molt you'd find from a tarantula or any other arthropod, because that's essentially what an empty pupa is.

 

[Ellenantula]

It reminds me of the dead wax worms I have to pick out of every tub I purchase at the pet store. But yours may be too small to be that sort of larvae.

 

[MainMann]

Assuming it was a black soldier fly, it's harmless. It's probably already flown off - or been eaten. Soldier flies are commonly used as feeders - I've used them myself for mantises. As larvae, they are scavengers, eating decaying organic matter, and as adults they'll feed on nectar. Most other soldier flies have similar habits. And if it's just the one, then it won't have had the chance to mate and lay eggs - even if it didn't get eaten.

It still looks very much like an empty soldier fly pupa to me - which would look similar to the molt you'd find from a tarantula or any other arthropod, because that's essentially what an empty pupa is.

Thank you for the info and reassurance dude!!! Best of wishes from Indonesia