# new pet sow bug killer



## duncan27 (Jun 24, 2008)

found this little guy on a bug hunt in the yard.  I was bummed because I lost a baby (about 4 mm) that stowed away in some dirt I put in to my millipede cage the night before so when I saw this guy I grabbed him.     I think these guys are pretty neat and I want to see him take on a pill bug.

As of right now he has made a little hide in his dixie cup (you can see it on the right) and seems to be a happy FAT camper.  I have thrown in a pill bug but it crawled right into his hide and got eaten.   I didn't get to watch.

I found a mouse spider crawling on the floor and threw him in, I know mean but you know, survival of the fittest.  That is what you see him munching on here.


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## jrlh84 (Jun 24, 2008)

She is very plump. I think she may be gravid. Great pics and a great find. I'm looking for some myself.


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## duncan27 (Jun 24, 2008)

yeah I thought that too.  Not sure what I am going to do if she lays an egg case.  This container was only temporary.  Anyone have a clue as to how long it takes to incubate and is it safe to relocate the egg case in to another container???

As for finding them, they are not too hard to find out here, Southern Cali.  I can usually find 1 if I look hard enough.


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## duncan27 (Jun 30, 2008)

She cacooned herself in her little hide-a-way yesterday.  I can make out a little silloheute (sp??) if I hold it up to the light and I think I see an egg mass.  

Anyone have any info on how long it will take for the eggs to hatch??


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## crpy (Jun 30, 2008)

duncan27 said:


> She cacooned herself in her little hide-a-way yesterday.  I can make out a little silloheute (sp??) if I hold it up to the light and I think I see an egg mass.
> 
> Anyone have any info on how long it will take for the eggs to hatch??


You wait from the time she webs the eggs up, till they start emerging,, if you you need any more help ,let me know;P  :razz:

Sorry, I just had to go there, I like this spp. too.


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## proper_tea (Jun 30, 2008)

These are really cool little spiders... and fairly tolerant of each other.  I have 2 males and a female living in a deli cup at the moment.  They went through a pretty intense period of territorial dispute (locking up and wrestling... but nobody ever got hurt).  After a day they settled in and started to hide.  They come out at night.

If you're unsure if your female has laid a sac, wait until dark, and then come in the room, turn on a light, and see if she's crawling around.  They tend to make silk burrows anyway, even when they aren't laying eggs.  I've only seen the females do it, but the males might too... but they come out at night to hunt.

If you're out spider hunting and you flip over a rock and just see a little cotton ball of silk... prod it a little, 'cause I bet a female will come running out.

-c


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## duncan27 (Jun 30, 2008)

as of yet, I have not noticed her out at night.  Could have missed her though.  Should I leave a small pill bug and see if it gets eaten?  I am assuming that she will stay in until the eggs hatch.

Woke up to my wolf spider's eggcase hatched    I may be crawling in slings soon


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## proper_tea (Jun 30, 2008)

I find these generally in areas that are absolutely infested with pill bugs, so I wouldn't worry about leaving one in there as long as you want...  they don't bite.  I found mine with a bunch of pill bugs, and I keep mine with a bunch.


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## duncan27 (Jul 1, 2008)

do they take on large prey or should I keep it small?


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## proper_tea (Jul 1, 2008)

mine seem to be fairly timid about prey, but I've heard others describe fairly impressive feedings... expirement, and let me know what happens.  They seem to be fairly hardy spiders over all... they will get dehydrated, so mist them.  other than that... keep me posted with what you try, and I'll keep you posted with what happens with mine...


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## duncan27 (Jul 9, 2008)

ok I definately believe she laid some eggs.  haven't seen any trace of her coming out of her sac.  Left a pillbug and it is still there.  I put up a flashlight to her sac and see, instead of an egg case, a bunch of small eggs.   Maybe about 10 of them I think.  Can't be sure though.  They aren't wrapped up like a ball but do seem to be clustered in one spot.  Does this sound right to you guys?  And any idea on how long it taken from laying to hatching??


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## proper_tea (Jul 9, 2008)

Never had a sac, but I'll let you know, 'cause I think my female is gravid... or you let me know, 'cause you'll probably have an answer before I do...


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## duncan27 (Jul 9, 2008)

lol, will do.  sucks being the "first" with this.  I tend to like having info to be sure to do the right thing.  Well, all I can do is wait it out.  

Just fyi here is what I am doing so far, let me know if this sounds ok to you.

I have her set up in a small deli cup with a couple pin holes poked in the top.  A shollow layer of substrate, dirt from the yard, that is kept moist, not soggy.  Kind of what you would find under a rock where I normally find them.  It was meant as a temp set up until I got something better, but she made her hide and laid the eggs within 3 days and I wasn't prepared.  I keep her at room temp near a sliding glass door where it doesn't get too hot or cold.  Pretty cool all day actually.  I took your advice early about watching out for it being too dry.  Other than that I am playing a guessing game.


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## duncan27 (Jul 12, 2008)

ok stuck the flashlight to the sac again and saw 3 spiderlings crawling around.        They must have hatched within the last 2 days.

Nobody is venturing out of the sac right now.  I will keep you posted.  Got to start finding food for them.  Finding baby pillbugs is gonna be a pain in the rear.  I have a couple that were laid about 2 weeks ago.  But they won't be enough.  :?


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## proper_tea (Jul 12, 2008)

I found a huge colony of pill bugs under a piece of ply-wood.  I just scooped them up and got some dirt along with it and it turned out to be filled with babies.  That might not be a bad way to find some.


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## duncan27 (Jul 12, 2008)

good call.  I have filled a couple of containers with dirt from the yard to use as substrate and always seem to find treasures and surprises.  Baby Sow bug killers, centipedes.... No pill bug babies yet though.  The search is on  

oh yeah, got a better view of the babies this morning.  They were laying in just the right spot that the light gave a good impression of them.  Can't wait for them to venture out of the sac.  

Sorry, would take pics, but it wouldn't do anygood right now.


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## duncan27 (Jul 20, 2008)

ok everyone is still in the sac.  Slings are moving about and momma is moving, barely.  Kinda scared she is gonna be too weak to survive.  Hasn't eaten for quite a while.  Nobody has seemed to have left the sac so babies haven't eaten either.

Just playing the waiting game right now.


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## proper_tea (Jul 20, 2008)

My female actually just died.  I'm pretty bummed about it.  I'm not sure what happened.  She started carrying her abdomen at a weird angle, and the next thing I know, she's dead.


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## crpy (Jul 20, 2008)

proper_tea said:


> My female actually just died.  I'm pretty bummed about it.  I'm not sure what happened.  She started carrying her abdomen at a weird angle, and the next thing I know, she's dead.


I've had that happen and I wonder if its the doing of a braconid wasp sometimes I have to look further into it.


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## duncan27 (Jul 20, 2008)

ok momma came out.  I put in a pill bug and she attacked it.  Even saw a baby.  still creamy white.  think they will probably hide out in the sac a while longer til another molt.


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## duncan27 (Jul 29, 2008)

ok update time.  I seperated the mother out last week and had about 7 babies crawling around.  Left for 4 days and upon return have found the momma doing fine.  I left 2 pill bugs for her and they were both eaten.

The babies are down to 4.  I couldn't find any baby pill bugs so I left in some small white critters that seem to accumulate under stuff eating rotting vegetation.  The remaining 4 seem to be eating them, I can't tell for sure but they don't seem too skinny.

I found a second spider outside and threw her, I believe it is a she, with the origianl momma.  The new one was slightly bigger than my original spider.  This morning I find the new spider torn up. legs scattered here andt there and the body eaten up.  Guess momma didn't want any guests.  Well so much for the communal spider idea, lol.


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## duncan27 (Aug 3, 2008)

she is still doing well, roaming around at night.  I am waiting for a second egg sac to be laid.  I only have 3 left, not much luck keeping them.  My pillbugs starting laying more eggs so I have been putting in little baby pillbugs... hope this helps the last 3 make it.

Caught a fly the other night and threw it in with the momma.  Didn't really expect anything to happen.  Went and check an hour later and she was feasting on it.  So, voracious eater she is.  Pill bugs, mouse spider and flies.  She is now nice a PLUMP again so I am hoping for an egg sac soon.


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## duncan27 (Sep 13, 2008)

well she dissapeared under her bark not more than a couple days after my last post.  I left her totally alone and just decided to wait and see what happened.

yes she laid an egg case and it has hatched.  a more healthy group this time.  I looked in to her cage and saw some legs starting to feel around from under the bark and thought of yes finally she is out.  Upon closer inspection I noticed that there were about 15-17 spiderlings hanging out along the top edges of the container.  So they must have come out of the sac pretty resently.

I set up a second container for the slings and so far have only gotten about 5 in there.  Every time I open the cage they all scramble for cover and I don't want to tear up momma's home to get them.  A couple run out of the cage and those are the ones I got in to the new set up.

Pill bugs are laying eggs so I hope to have a better food supply for these guys.  They are also bigger than the first batch so I am hoping for better luck with this batch.


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