# It crawled out of my E. campestratus



## Philth (May 8, 2010)

This spider was from a recent import.  I've never actually had this happen before, as most of my collection is captive born stock.  I was quite shocked when I stumbled across this.  Obviously my spider is dead with a big hole in its abdomen .













All I know is this maggot owes me 40 bucks :wall:






Later, Tom

Reactions: Like 4


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## xhexdx (May 8, 2010)

Wow, sorry to hear about that, Tom!

I'm curious to see what it turns into.


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## BrynWilliams (May 8, 2010)

Woah, weird....

Do you think it could be one of those parasitic wasps? I've seen programs where they lay eggs which turn into grubs inside other insects?

I'm certainly no expert so i'll happily stand corrected if someone knows more about them


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## Exo (May 8, 2010)

A parasitic fly larva......that sucks.


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## kylecchh (May 8, 2010)

Ouch, that bites. Was the tarantula showing any symptoms of infestation before the larvae emerged? It appears it literally consumed all of the spider's internal organs. (From the picture.) ._.


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## jbm150 (May 8, 2010)

That freakin' blows.  Kinda cool in some ways but sad and sucky in most of the others.  I'm sorry about your loss


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## Lor&Chris (May 8, 2010)

I'm very sorry for your lose.

I have found that exact larva in with my meal worms about 5-7 days after I bought some from a non chain pet store. I dont usually feed meal worms to my tarantula's, I personally dont like meal worms. I always keep new food items separate from the ones I know to be healthy thankfully for about a month.

I'm sorry once again, Chris.


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## VinceG (May 8, 2010)

wow that really sucks...sorry about your loss


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## kripp_keeper (May 8, 2010)

Wow that would have really freaked me out. A very good reason to always buy c.b.


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## Protectyaaaneck (May 8, 2010)

kripp_keeper said:


> Wow that would have really freaked me out. A very good reason to always buy c.b.


What happens when the sp. you want isn't available captive bred?  What about infusing new bloodlines?


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## Scolopeon (May 8, 2010)

*Dam..*

 Wow that sucks, I would have fed that fat sucker to one of my other T's.. sort of retribution.
Not to mention all the nutrients that fat powerfed mofo is carrying.

Maggot eats spider, spider eats maggot - it's a dog eat dog world.

In other news: You last visited: 02-06-2006 at 12:25 AM
4 years since my last visit to this site :?


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## ZergFront (May 8, 2010)

kripp_keeper said:


> Wow that would have really freaked me out. A very good reason to always buy c.b.


 +1 Ditto. I'll buy slings that hatched from a WC gravid female, but I'd be worried about getting a wild caught adult or juvie. You think parasitic insects would bother with tiny slings in the wild or is it not enough food? :?

 Such a bummer. Are you keeping it to see what it grows into or is it destroyed?


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## bholmes (May 8, 2010)

Philth said:


> This spider was from a recent import.  I've never actually had this happen before, as most of my collection is captive born stock.  I was quite shocked when I stumbled across this.  Obviously my spider is dead with a big hole in its abdomen .
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow so this is strange. Just a few hours ago I was at a very good LPS here in Austin. When I was there I noticed that one of their E. campetratus was on its back waving its legs around. Then I noticed the huge bulge on the abdomen. The owner automatically put it in a freezer because it was obviously about to burst. I wonder if they could have been from the same import. I plan to call him and tell him about yours so he can keep an eye on the others he has.


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## Crysta (May 8, 2010)

ZergFront said:


> +1 Ditto. I'll buy slings that hatched from a WC gravid female, but I'd be worried about getting a wild caught adult or juvie. You think parasitic insects would bother with tiny slings in the wild or is it not enough food? :?
> 
> Such a bummer. Are you keeping it to see what it grows into or is it destroyed?


Yes they would, theres different types. Some small, some big. I've had them in my my w/c jumping spider. She was so beautiful too, small, but great color: a satan pink her whole body was. (silly people would think she was albino  )
But then a parasitic worm busted out of her abdomen one day. 
Also common in...what are they called... Well we call them cave crickets, weird looking crickets heres a picture http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/60739525_02bcbd8060.jpg
Even when they are walking around they sometimes have these parasitic worms crawling out of their bums... If you take some tweezers you can pull them right out. Its weird. So, please don't feed those to your spiders. lol


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## maitre (May 9, 2010)

That looks like a botsfly larva. Lucky it crawled out of your T and not your arm or leg or any other part of your body (youtube it).


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## Philth (May 9, 2010)

ZergFront said:


> Such a bummer. Are you keeping it to see what it grows into or is it destroyed?


Its alive and doing fine, for sure im interested in seeing what it becomes.  Its unfortunate for the spider , but the cycle of life interest me as well.  Im keeping my new $40.00 maggot isolated from the rest of my collection.

Later, Tom

Reactions: Like 2


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## syndicate (May 9, 2010)

Whoa!That's pretty crazy Tom!Should be interesting to see what hatches and ID it to a species level.
-Chris


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## thebugfreak (May 9, 2010)

if it was a parasitic wasp that did that, chances are, he wouldnt have bought them in the first place because the wasp first stings the tarantula, paralyzing it and then brings the T down to her burrow. 

im really curious to see what that turns into.


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## barabootom (May 9, 2010)

thebugfreak said:


> if it was a parasitic wasp that did that, chances are, he wouldnt have bought them in the first place because the wasp first stings the tarantula, paralyzing it and then brings the T down to her burrow.
> 
> im really curious to see what that turns into.


There's a lot of different species though.  I used to raise a lot of polyphemus moth larvae and about 10% would be infested with a large yellow wasp.  I wouldn't know which ones until they pupated.  The wasp larvae would leave the moth pupae and make a large cocoon inside the poly cocoon.  I would know which ones were parasitized because the moth pupae wouldn't rattle.  Not every wasp digs a burrow and paralyzes the T.  That maggot could be fly or wasp and by its size, I'm assuming wasp.  

Sorry to see that happen to your T.


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## mhill (May 9, 2010)

Dang...very nasty. Sorry bout your T. But, yes it will be interesting to see what it turns into.


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## thebugfreak (May 9, 2010)

thank you for informing that. its that every parasitic wasp ive seen/learned about had to do with paralyzing its victim.


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## Roski (May 9, 2010)

Subscribed. Parasitic life cycles can be so fascinating. You may as well raise it and identify the culprit!

Although... the little character looks too slimy to pay back the $40 it owes you. It might just try to wriggle its way out of it!


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## Malhavoc's (May 9, 2010)

On the plus side if it is indeed wasp- they often are colourful and make wonderful display specimens when preserved. So it may be a 40$ pin cushion in a little while.


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## photobuggirl (May 10, 2010)

I've always loved bugs and I obviously love spiders, but insects (or other things) that happen to be parasitic....they thoroughly freak me out.  I must've had the most twisted up face looking at your pictures.  :barf:  So gross.

I'm so sorry about your T.


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## miho_cro (May 10, 2010)

maitre said:


> That looks like a botsfly larva. Lucky it crawled out of your T and not your arm or leg or any other part of your body (youtube it).


Thx for telling me to look it up on youtube , now i cant sleep


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## Projecht13 (May 10, 2010)

holy cow man! Ive seen this before. Stick it in a small deli container with some substrate and keep it warm a bit humid and see it what it turns in to. Keep us updated with pics. You have no choice in this matter my curiosity level is too high haha. Sorry about your T tho :wall:


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## Widowman10 (May 10, 2010)

Malhavoc's said:


> On the plus side if it is indeed wasp- they often are colourful and make wonderful display specimens when preserved. So it may be a 40$ pin cushion in a little while.


ha, you could preserve the T, then preserve the wasp and hang them next to each other!  i would totally do that.


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## Teal (May 10, 2010)

*I was completely NOT prepared for those pictures  Poor T

I agree that it looks like a botfly.. but they don't normally come out in the larva stage, do they? 

I am very interested to see what it turns into, as well.*


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## BrynWilliams (May 10, 2010)

In a weird way you kinda got a two for one deal... 



Widowman10 said:


> ha, you could preserve the T, then preserve the wasp and hang them next to each other!  i would totally do that.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Widowman10 (May 10, 2010)

Teal said:


> I agree that it looks like a botfly.. but they don't normally come out in the larva stage, do they?


now i know very little (comparatively) about botflies, but aren't they usually deposit (from mosquitos/flies, and the like) onto a _mammalian_ host?


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## Ariel (May 10, 2010)

I guess I thought I should say something since people have been throwing around the idea of it being a botfly larva.

Botfly larva, or cuterebra, is a parasite that attacks mammals, usually small rodents and occasionally cats, dogs, and the rare human. Unlike this parasite they do not live completely inside of its host but instead burrows its way in leaving a hole that it pokes out of. See here: [x]

They also usually look much more 'armor plated' [x]

I'm not an expert on botfly larva/cuterebra but I DO work in a vet clinic where I've had to help in a couple removals and I've picked up a bit of information on them in that time.

Edit/

Also most of the cuterebra I've seen were very dark in color. I've never seen one the light color of the OPs parasite.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kirk (May 10, 2010)

CentipedeFreak said:


> But then a parasitic worm busted out of her abdomen one day.
> Also common in...what are they called... Well we call them cave crickets, weird looking crickets heres a picture http://farm1.static.flickr.com/30/60739525_02bcbd8060.jpg
> Even when they are walking around they sometimes have these parasitic worms crawling out of their bums... If you take some tweezers you can pull them right out. Its weird. So, please don't feed those to your spiders. lol


Are you referring to horsehair worms (nematomorphs)?
[YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Df_iGe_JSzI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Df_iGe_JSzI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]


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## dopamine (May 10, 2010)

link yummy.
This is NOT my picture.

<MOD> and you do not have the rights to it.


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## thedude (May 10, 2010)

I forgot to tag the previous psoter who asked. .but yes, Bot flies do spread their eggs via other flies and mosquitoes. This is definetly not a bot fly.. It's a central/souther american something.. Personally i think it looks more dipterian than hymenopterian. Keep us updated.. i assume it'll probably pupate within the next 24 hours and then hatch within the next 2 weeks


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## Teal (May 10, 2010)

*Thanks for the clarification on botflies yall! The only bit I've seen about them has been on those Monsters Inside Me episodes on tele lol 

Definitely still interested in seeing what it turns into! *


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## Crysta (May 10, 2010)

Kirk said:


> Are you referring to horsehair worms (nematomorphs)?
> [YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Df_iGe_JSzI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Df_iGe_JSzI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]



Ouu gross, but cool! The ones here seem to be a thinner version. 
and the one that came out of my jumping spider was much smaller, and pure white, so maybe a different species?

I just read this article here: http://etfarmnews.com/agriculturenews/x1290581395/Horsehair-worms-not-harmful and it says not harmful at the top. (maybe they meant to humans) then I read through it and it says it kills its host when it matures....  harmful for my soul.


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## Kirk (May 10, 2010)

CentipedeFreak said:


> Ouu gross, but cool! The ones here seem to be a thinner version.
> and the one that came out of my jumping spider was much smaller, and pure white, so maybe a different species?


Might have been a nematode.



CentipedeFreak said:


> I just read this article here: http://etfarmnews.com/agriculturenews/x1290581395/Horsehair-worms-not-harmful and it says not harmful at the top. (maybe they meant to humans) then I read through it and it says it kills its host when it matures....  harmful for my soul.


Correct, nematomorphs are harmless to vertebrates. The larvae/juveniles are the parasitic stage of the life cycle, inhabiting the haemocoel of an arthropod host (usually cricket, grasshopper, beetle) until ready to emerge in water. The process does kill the host, since arthropods have an 'open' circulatory system.


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## Crysta (May 10, 2010)

I learn something new everyday! Thanks for the information!


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## ZergFront (May 11, 2010)

Widowman10 said:


> ha, you could preserve the T, then preserve the wasp and hang them next to each other!  i would totally do that.


 +1 That's actually not a bad idea. Like put them in a little shadow box together.


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## ZergFront (May 11, 2010)

Widowman10 said:


> now i know very little (comparatively) about botflies, but aren't they usually deposit (from mosquitos/flies, and the like) onto a _mammalian_ host?


 Yup. The Ap show "Monsters Inside Me" had botflies. A botfly is very large and conspicuous to a host alone so instead they wait for a mosquito. Before the mosquito lands on a mammal, the botfly catches the mosquito and lays her eggs on it. When the mosquito lands on an animal, the body heat alone encourages the larvae to hatch and fall off onto the new host.


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## thedude (May 11, 2010)

Shame you can't get a few of these things. Would be nice to see larvae, pupa and adult displayed with eachother.


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## Scoolman (May 11, 2010)

acrocerid flies.
I found a posting in the other forum with the same situation. The parasite there looked just like this one and the acrocerid flies were named as the most likely culprit. probably in the genus Lasia.


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## robd (May 11, 2010)

Teal said:


> *I was completely NOT prepared for those pictures  Poor T.*


Neither was I, and (to the OP) I feel for ya man. When I saw that it kinda made me sad. And if that ever happened to our E campestratus I'd probably want to smash it that larvae thing with a hammer till it was just a big gushy mess. I only say this because I love our Pink Zebra Beauty cause she's such a sweetheart. Loves being handled. Arguably the best species out there when it comes to this.

I too am intrigued to see what comes of this. Very sorry for your loss.


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## pato_chacoana (May 11, 2010)

Tom, it has good chances of being a _new_ sp. I'm guessing a Pompillid wasp could be it... these wasps usually specializes on one species, and to my knowledge there's nothing about one on _E. campestratus_ ...anyway, it will be cool to se what turns out to be!

Best regards,
Pato


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## Kaimetsu (May 14, 2010)

Did this thing hatch yet?  Parasitic wasps really are frightening things, when i was in the amazon in Ecuador i had the priviledge of seeing an emerald coachwhip wasp dragging a huge cockroach down the trunk of a tree.  I feel bad for the tarantula in this situation but i would love to see the wasp that emerges from that cocoon, i hope it's a new species.


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## Scoolman (May 14, 2010)

Scoolman said:


> acrocerid flies.
> I found a posting in the other forum with the same situation. The parasite there looked just like this one and the acrocerid flies were named as the most likely culprit. probably in the genus Lasia.


Alright, I know its bad form, but this is an important issue and I feel everyone who keeps tarantulas should have all the information available, so here is the link:
Tarantula parasite
Posts 8 and 10 have the diagnosis.


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## Philth (May 14, 2010)

What ever it is, its changing.  Im pretty happy with my maggot so far.  It didnt move for a few days so I thought it was dead but today is a different story.








pato_chacoana said:


> Tom, it has good chances of being a _new_ sp. I'm guessing a Pompillid wasp could be it... these wasps usually specializes on one species, and to my knowledge there's nothing about one on _E. campestratus_ ...anyway, it will be cool to se what turns out to be!
> 
> Best regards,
> Pato


thanks Pato,  I kind of hope its a wasp.  Flys suck.  If its a new sp. I want named after me

Reactions: Like 1


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## moose35 (May 14, 2010)

that friggin thing is creepy....keep it on long island please.


             moose


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## Philth (May 14, 2010)

moose35 said:


> that friggin thing is creepy....keep it on long island please.
> 
> 
> moose


I've seen worse things in Jersey ;P

Reactions: Like 2


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## pwilson5 (May 14, 2010)

i say wasp... you can see the eyes/head mandibles forming and they look like wasp


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## thedude (May 14, 2010)

geez man, that thing is looking uglier (and cooler). It looks like it's starting to take on shape


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## thedude (May 14, 2010)

pwilson5 said:


> i say wasp... you can see the eyes/head mandibles forming and they look like wasp


I thought that too. But as far as i know most wasps that parasatize spiders, or anything for that matter don't really have big mandibles as they're flower-feeders. But i do agree that it's taking on a very hymenopteran shape


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## jebbewocky (May 14, 2010)

If it is a new species, I for one vote you name it after your T.


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## Projecht13 (May 14, 2010)

it is def a wasp/fly you can see it forming! gross!!! lol keep it warm and a bit humid to ensure it doesnt die! we must see what it turns in to!


ps it wont be long now and Im leaning towards some sort of wasp.


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## Slappys_g1rl06 (May 15, 2010)

I'm going to have to say humpback fly...  Blech!!! :barf:  ...Just judging from the folks on the other forums and Google that have had this similar problem.  That poor, poor t!  Best wishes to you and your science project maggot!


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## dtknow (May 15, 2010)

ever it is, get it sent to a good entomologist when it emerges. I too think it is a humpback fly similar to what we sometimes see in Aphonopelma.


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## sharpfang (May 15, 2010)

*I'll Buy your $40 Mystery Maggot*


I am Sorry to hear and see your T's state.....I wonder: Was it dug out a burrow, already inflicted ??? Or after collection.....were the Masses of T's, attacked ?


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## robd (May 15, 2010)

jebbewocky said:


> If it is a new species, I for one vote you name it after your T.


Me too! I didn't catch what your T's name was or if you named it. Imagine if your PZB's name was like Fuzz-Ball. It'd be hilarious if the taxonmist decided to name it like Hymenoptera fuzzballicus.

I doubt that's realistic though as I imagine those guys might have a stick in their butt when it comes to the naming of species. I've heard they're not very fond of hobbyists, but then that may just be Tarantula taxonomists and not the same group as those who might specialize in the area of wasps. Not completely sure on that though.


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## Versi*JP*Color (May 15, 2010)

*crap*

Keep it see what it turns into,then smash it with a hammer.


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## Philth (May 15, 2010)

Im thinking Acroceridae fly know too, looks like its getting the "hunchback"  I really wanted a wasp haha:wall:  I guess time will tell for sure.






Later, Tom

Reactions: Like 1


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## xhexdx (May 15, 2010)

Really great pics, Tom.  I'm very curious to see how it turns out.


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## Anastasia (May 15, 2010)

Philth said:


> Im thinking Acroceridae fly know too, looks like its getting the "hunchback"  I really wanted a wasp haha:wall:  I guess time will tell for sure.
> Later, Tom


oh, wow, make sure that thang whatever that is dont escape


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## stonemantis (May 15, 2010)

I'm leaning towards Ogcodes melampus

http://www.eol.org/pages/56378

Just an educated guess.


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## ziggybond_007 (May 15, 2010)

Wow, I'm sorry for your loss. That had to be pretty traumatic.

It looks like a giant version of the parasitoid wasp larvae I work with. Looks like the same results at the end as well. I'm sorry that happened.


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## BrynWilliams (May 16, 2010)

aww man totally awesome photos! I can't wait to see whether it's fly or wasp!


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## robd (May 16, 2010)

Man this thing looks even more gruesome on that most recent pic.


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## codykrr (May 16, 2010)

hey Tom, i had this happen with an Aphonopelma henzi, i caught at the missouri bug hunt last year.  actually twice. i now have a male and female small headed fly pair.  

keep us updated.


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## codykrr (May 16, 2010)

here is one of my threads. the first thread i made had pictures of the maggot emerging from the A. henzi sling.  the second one i wasnt so lucky. but i did keep both unidentified specimens.

here is a link for one of my threads.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=172827&highlight=small+headed


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## gumby (May 16, 2010)

Hey codykrr I was just wondering if the scientific note on your small headed fly ever got published Id like to read it if it did.


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## stonemantis (May 16, 2010)

Heres another cool link that is bit more detailed info on Diptera in general:

http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/bcdiptera/Order Diptera Text Files/family_descriptions.htm

Please note Figure 33

http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/bcdiptera/Family illustrations/acroceridae.jpg

I really am pretty excited on what emerges as well. My condolences to your poor E. campestratus. I hope you notify your source of the import of this discovery on the  E. campestratus because they probably where all collected in the same general area and maybe all infected.

Brian


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## codykrr (May 16, 2010)

gumby said:


> Hey codykrr I was just wondering if the scientific note on your small headed fly ever got published Id like to read it if it did.


not yet...i still have to send the specimens off to hank. to be honest its been the last of my worries since getting laid off. but hopefully soon.


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## codykrr (May 16, 2010)

i doubt "ALL" were infected but there is a chance a good majority were.

out of 3 slings i caught from here in Missouri 2 were.  so yeah, i would definatly inform the person.

what strikes me as odd is the size of the tarantula at which this maggot emerged.  


mine where both from a 1 to 1.5 inch tarantula.  But BrianS said he lifted a rock and saw a full grown female A. henzi dead with a few maggots around it. so i wonder if these parasites can affect them at all stages of there life.  

Either way, when it hatches just make sure you note how long it lives. I found that the species i had both were dead within a day.  so there lifespan is exceptionally short for such a long gestation time. Pretty wild how nature works.


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## dianedfisher (May 17, 2010)

God, Tom, that thing is pure evil.  Terrible shame about your PZB.  I can't wait to see photos of the fully morphed bug from hell.  Di


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## Irene B. Smithi (May 17, 2010)

any new changes??
Sorry about your little guy.


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## gumby (May 17, 2010)

This thread reminds me of the animal planet most extreme zombie ant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63IDKUbh8kI

It also makes me ask the question what triggers the parasite to emerge from the tarantula? In the ant video it seems like there are triggers for the parasite to evolve each time. Im just wondering if there is something we do that speeds up that trigger for the parasites in our Ts?


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## Malhavoc's (May 17, 2010)

for this kind of parasite its time within the hosti s determined by its growth rate, it emerges when fully grown, so. increasing heat and power feeding the tarantula would speed up its parasites growth rate aswell


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## gumby (May 17, 2010)

That's kinda what I was figuring. I t makes me want to do two things:
1. feed WC specimens less often 
2. keep WC specimens permanently in a different room.
looks like I will need two T rooms now.


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## Malhavoc's (May 17, 2010)

all WC specimens as good habbit should be "qurantiend." during these period they should be powerfed, and Heated IMO to induce a molt, since the molt is the spiders way of regeneration of damage parasites mites ticks etc, should help eliminate risks of cross contamination with your collection.


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## mochatheturd (May 17, 2010)

nasty. sorry about your loss dude.


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## Scolopeon (May 23, 2010)

I'm curious what the fully molted adult looks like, got any updates for us?


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## AndrewBiddar (May 23, 2010)

Philth said:


> I've seen worse things in Jersey ;P


How Dare yoU!


what does it look like im so interested!


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## Philth (May 23, 2010)

Has not really changed since the last pic.  I think its still alive , but its hard to tell because it doesn't really move.  I'll be sure to post photos if it changes, but Im almost certain that its some kind of fly.

Later, Tom

Reactions: Like 1


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## Philth (May 28, 2010)

Its a fly, ..... its gross.  pics to follow soon.

Later,Tom

Reactions: Like 1


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## Philth (May 28, 2010)

Later, Tom

Reactions: Like 2


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## sharpfang (May 28, 2010)

*Amazing!*

Deffinately Worth $40 in Exp. Pts. Thanx 4 sharing  Wow..............Jason


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## Wesker 121 (May 28, 2010)

If your T wasn't captive bred, it's most likely Pepsis formosa.  They love T's and their stings really, really hurt from what I've seen in documentaries.


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## rochin (May 28, 2010)

Thanks a lot for sharing it!!!!!!


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## Scoolman (May 28, 2010)

It is a samll headed fly.
Order: Diptera
Family: Acroceridae
Genus and species: Lasia purpurata Bequaert -- this is a purple small headed fly.
Not sure what specis that one is.


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## jbm150 (May 28, 2010)

Ugh, good god that thing is ugly.  The nonscientific part of me says to feed it to one of your Ts.  Justice served.  Unless its parthenogenic, that is....


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## scar is my t (May 28, 2010)

I personally would take a picture of the maggot beside the dead T then post a picture of the fly being eaten by another t right beside it. Then make that into a poster and on the bottom put Irony- *insert something funny*
Look at my sig for an example of a definition....


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## syndicate (May 28, 2010)

Oh man!That is a big ugly looking fly haha!
What I'm interested in now is how did it manage to get inside that spider :?
I understand how parasitic wasps do this but what about flies?
-Chris


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## Philth (May 29, 2010)

Hey Chris, from what I understand (wikipedia, take it for granted) I think the flys maggots are laid in the dirt, and grab hold of the spider, then crawl into a opening, booklung, epigastric furrow, ect...

Once it hardens and its true colors set in Ill get a few more pics.

If anybody has a small headed/hunchback male fly available let me know 

Later, Tom

Reactions: Like 1


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## codykrr (May 29, 2010)

philth, yes, they are laid in the "dirt" and they usually access through book lungs...ect..ect but they can also enter them when molting. or through the joints in their legs.


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## codykrr (May 29, 2010)

like said, the family is correct. now species. i am not so sure. as i habe 2 unidentified specimen from a W/C A. henzi. one male and one female.

it is truly amazing. also it will probably die within a few hours. so make sure to either freeze or submerge it in alcohol.

surprisingly some of the species in this family only live for a few hours, possibly days.

just look at it like this. me and you are 2 of the very few to experience this! take it how you like, but it is amazing!


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## thebugfreak (May 29, 2010)

that is the fattest, ugliest fly i have ever seen.


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## Slappys_g1rl06 (May 29, 2010)

Wow... that's a pretty disgusting looking little fly!  And as gross as it is, I must agree w/codykrr... you are pretty priviledged to have the opportunity to document something like that!  And I'm glad you shared it with the rest of us!  Very educational!!!


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## BrynWilliams (May 29, 2010)

how cool that your were able to grow it up  as others have said make sure that you either preserve it or get a really good set of photos if you can


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## syndicate (May 29, 2010)

Philth said:


> If anybody has a small headed/hunchback male fly available let me know


Standard 50/50 loan?hahah!
Thanks for the info btw to!
-Chris


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## Philth (May 31, 2010)

Its still alive.  Until today it hadn't moved from the spot were its last molt was, but it started to walk around a bit.  When I take the lid off it dose not try to fly or anything, I wonder if they even can fly? It seems like such small wings for such a heavy bodied fly.:?  I kind of want to see it fly.....













Later, Tom

Reactions: Like 1


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## Anastasia (Jun 1, 2010)

eww, make me wonder what is the benefit of this thing in this world :?


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## fantasticp (Jun 1, 2010)

That last pic of the fly on its side makes me think an even tinier fly is going to burst out of that one. That's a fat fly for never having eaten.


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## stonemantis (Jun 1, 2010)

Parasitoids only have one purpose, "Reproduction".


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## Anastasia (Jun 1, 2010)

fantasticp said:


> That last pic of the fly on its side makes me think an even tinier fly is going to burst out of that one. That's a fat fly for never having eaten.


maybe the only time they eat is when inside the host, soon is they leave only one thing follows breed and lay eggs

eew, Tom, I would have nightmares with that thing in your house
watch out, this thing will lay eggs on you and you end up like that poor E. campestratus  ... shrugs....


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## codykrr (Jun 1, 2010)

Philth, thats exactly how the ones i had acted too.

they pupated, then emerged to only barely move then die.  they can and do fly. but i wonder why the 2 i had never did.

They seemed rather 'weak' once they emerged. i wonder if conditions were not ideal for them.

i did read a great artical of small headed flies, saying they only live like 12 to 40 hours after "birth"  which is just for reproducing and laying eggs.

also seems like that is a decent sized female too.

Did you ever contact Hank?  he might have some more insight on these for you.


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## Malhavoc's (Jun 1, 2010)

Fat fly.
Doesnt move.
doesnt fly.
Last picture of it on its side..

I smell fly tipping..

Very fascinating, I assume that the male does most of the flying finds the female, mates- female then locates nearest spider and deposits eggs.


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## BrynWilliams (Jun 2, 2010)

don't these lay eggs in the soil which emerge into maggots which cling to passing larger animals/Ts/etc and then burrow inside them to grow in a parasitic fashion



Malhavoc's said:


> Fat fly.
> Doesnt move.
> doesnt fly.
> Last picture of it on its side..
> ...


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## Malhavoc's (Jun 2, 2010)

I was under the impression they deposited them near a burrow and the young manualy crawled into the spiders nest and then into the spider.


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## wicked (Jun 10, 2010)

Oy! That's a nasty maggot. 

My condolences on your T, Tom. 

Excellent pictures, and excellent documentation. Thank you for posting them.


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## Paladin (Jun 13, 2010)

stonemantis said:


> Parasitoids only have one purpose, "Reproduction".


I would argue every organism ultimately shares that very same game plan and parasitoids do it in such an interesting fashion.


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## BrynWilliams (Jun 13, 2010)

is it still alive?


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## smallara98 (Jun 13, 2010)

Did the thing die yet? Or did you let it go or something?


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## Philth (Jun 13, 2010)

It died on Memorial day 5/31.

Later, Tom

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## wormwood____ (Mar 1, 2015)

*It crawled out of my E. campestratus Part II; It Crawled Out Of My P. scrofa*

Hey guys, stuff like this is not common by any means so i thought this would be a cool 'documentation process' if you will... Whilst checking up on my spiders i looked at my P. scrofa and noticed something very unusual...a yellow mass next to her. uke: I quickly pulled back the three cages on top of her and upon closer inspection discovered the true horror that i feared....  it was a parasite/fly of some sort (now i've found out it's most likely in the family Acroceridae, maybs in the genus Lasia?)

I bought her last year, looked fine, but after her first molt with me, she had a strange lump on the side of her abdomen and i guess this was that lump. :unhappy: Very sad to find out, i can't believe her life had to end with such a scifi-esque death. I thought she was captive bred but it appears that wasn't the case..N E WAYS, I messaged tom about it and found out that this apparently is actually quite uncommon and it happened to him too, which is why im posting about it in this thread. I plan to (hopefully) post 1 pic every day of its transformation (if it survives) here are some pics of her when I discovered her





Apparently parasites can somehow control the spiders thinking and behavior, which is the best guess as to why she made all this webbing, since heavy webbing is uncommon for tarantulas in the Grammostola/Euathlus/Paraphysa/Phrixotrichus group

Reactions: Like 1


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## wormwood____ (Mar 1, 2015)

*day 2*

asdfghjkl;'

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tim Benzedrine (Mar 1, 2015)

Well, this thread should be disgustingly interesting again.

Reactions: Like 4


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## IHeartTs (Mar 1, 2015)

And I was having such a delicious lunch......

Reactions: Like 1


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## Philth (Mar 1, 2015)

Thanks for adding to the thread wormwood____,   it is pretty cool.  I suspect it will be a fly in the family Acroceridae, but time will tell for sure. 



wormwood____ said:


> Apparently parasites can somehow control the spiders thinking and behavior, which is the best guess as to why she made all this webbing, since heavy webbing is uncommon for tarantulas in the Grammostola/Euathlus/Paraphysa/Phrixotrichus group


My _E. campestratus_ did exactly this. days before the larva emerged, she abnormally webbed up the cage with thin lacy webbing, not normal to this species.  I think its to give the parasitic larva a place to cling on and grow.  

Thanks again, Tom

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## Poec54 (Mar 1, 2015)

With all the wild caught spiders I've had over the decades, I never had one with a parasite, thank god.

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## Philth (Mar 1, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> With all the wild caught spiders I've had over the decades, I never had one with a parasite, thank god.


I hear ya, I was at first upset about my spider, but it only happened once with all my WC's so its not common.  In hindsight, I'm happy I hit the lottery and got to document some cool and rare "nature" take place.

Later, Tom

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## truecreature (Mar 1, 2015)

Well I think this thread filled my quota of heebie jeebies for the next few years. My skin is crawling!

Reactions: Like 2


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## lalberts9310 (Mar 1, 2015)

This should be super gross and very interesting...

Sorry for your loss tough..


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## Ellenantula (Mar 1, 2015)

Fascinating and makes your skin crawl.  Poor T.


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## Tim Benzedrine (Mar 1, 2015)

Too bad the timing was so distant between these two incidents, a 50-50 breeding project could have been established...

What?

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## Biollantefan54 (Mar 1, 2015)

wormwood____ said:


> Hey guys, stuff like this is not common by any means so i thought this would be a cool 'documentation process' if you will... Whilst checking up on my spiders i looked at my P. scrofa and noticed something very unusual...a yellow mass next to her. uke: I quickly pulled back the three cages on top of her and upon closer inspection discovered the true horror that i feared....  it was a parasite/fly of some sort (now i've found out it's most likely in the family Acroceridae, maybs in the genus Lasia?)
> 
> I bought her last year, looked fine, but after her first molt with me, she had a strange lump on the side of her abdomen and i guess this was that lump. :unhappy: Very sad to find out, i can't believe her life had to end with such a scifi-esque death. I thought she was captive bred but it appears that wasn't the case..N E WAYS, I messaged tom about it and found out that this apparently is actually quite uncommon and it happened to him too, which is why im posting about it in this thread. I plan to (hopefully) post 1 pic every day of its transformation (if it survives) here are some pics of her when I discovered her
> 
> ...


Do you have pictures of this mass on the side PRIOR to it coming coming out I am curious to see what it looked like.


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## ASAP TARANTULA (Mar 2, 2015)

Sorry for your loss Philth and thank you for documenting it. Really interesting stuff I would have never guessed the larvae would of been a fly. Also its funny how people are saying how gross the fly is, to me it looks kindof cool in its own way.


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## cgrinter (Mar 2, 2015)

Tom- Beautiful pictures of the parasitoid. This sure looks like the genus Ocnaea, but I'm a moth-guy who only worked for Ev Schlinger for a handful of years and never really had to identify these flies. They are very rare in collections, so I hope you've kept your specimen or at least sent it along to someone who was interested.

Looking forward to seeing what emerges from the newest pupa!

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## Tim Benzedrine (Mar 2, 2015)

I don't think the fly is particularly gross. The maggot and pupae in the other hand...look like something straight out of "Alien".

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## Philth (Mar 2, 2015)

cgrinter said:


> Tom- Beautiful pictures of the parasitoid. This sure looks like the genus Ocnaea, but I'm a moth-guy who only worked for Ev Schlinger for a handful of years and never really had to identify these flies. They are very rare in collections, so I hope you've kept your specimen or at least sent it along to someone who was interested.


I wish I had kept it, but by the time I found it dead, I was away for the weekend and it was all shriveled up so I foolishly tossed it.  A few days later I was contacted by a professor from the School of Environmental Sciences,
University of Guelph in Canada that wanted it.  I wasn't able to give it to him, but I loaned him some of the pics in this thread for a book he was working on.  Not sure if that book every saw the light of day though, I have to look into that now.

Later, Tom

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## MrCrackerpants (Mar 2, 2015)

Sorry for the loss of both Ts but one of the most fascinating threads I have read in a while. I am looking forward to future pictures.

Reactions: Like 1


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## klawfran3 (Mar 3, 2015)

How long does a thing like this last in a pupae form? I know some beetles last almost a year long, but I'm pretty sure flies pupate Faster. Either way, thanks for keeping us updated!


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## TsunamiSpike (Mar 4, 2015)

Nyah...someone call Sigourney Weaver!

Reactions: Like 2


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## gambite (Mar 5, 2015)

miho_cro said:


> Thx for telling me to look it up on youtube , now i cant sleep


yeah botfly larvae was my first thought as well, this looks exactly like the ones I have seen videos of. HOWEVER, I am not aware of them infecting invertebrates, so it might be something else with a similar looking larvae.


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## ARACHNO-SMACK48 (Mar 5, 2015)

bholmes said:


> Wow so this is strange. Just a few hours ago I was at a very good LPS here in Austin. When I was there I noticed that one of their E. campetratus was on its back waving its legs around. Then I noticed the huge bulge on the abdomen. The owner automatically put it in a freezer because it was obviously about to burst. I wonder if they could have been from the same import. I plan to call him and tell him about yours so he can keep an eye on the others he has.


Why the freezer? Seems completely unnecessary.


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## lalberts9310 (Mar 5, 2015)

I would love to see an update here actually..


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## Ellenantula (Mar 5, 2015)

lalberts9310 said:


> I would love to see an update here actually..


Ditto.

Such a disturbing thing to happen......


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## Philth (Mar 5, 2015)

klawfran3 said:


> How long does a thing like this last in a pupae form?


Its a good question that impossible to answer, since there is no way to tell when the spider was infected.  I wonder if environmental factors, temps and stuff effect the growth rate while its living inside the spider :? Wormwood's said his spider molted once while he had it, before the maggot emerged, so it seems like they can be in there for a long time.  



gambite said:


> yeah botfly larvae was my first thought as well, this looks exactly like the ones I have seen videos of. HOWEVER, I am not aware of them infecting invertebrates, so it might be something else with a similar looking larvae.


As its been said, they are likely Small Headed Flies, from the family Acroceridae.



bholmes said:


> Wow so this is strange. Just a few hours ago I was at a very good LPS here in Austin. When I was there I noticed that one of their E. campetratus was on its back waving its legs around. Then I noticed the huge bulge on the abdomen. The owner automatically put it in a freezer because it was obviously about to burst. I wonder if they could have been from the same import. I plan to call him and tell him about yours so he can keep an eye on the others he has.


I agree it was a bit preemptive to stick it in the freezer.  Its not the same import as if you look at the dates at the beginning of this thread, its from 5 years ago.  This is a random solitary thing that can happen to any WC spider.  Its got nothing to do with being a "bad batch" of spiders.

Later, Tom

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## wormwood____ (Mar 15, 2015)

*U p d a t e*

it......it died


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## Biollantefan54 (Mar 15, 2015)

How'd it die? Just passed?


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## Philth (Mar 15, 2015)

wormwood____ said:


> it......it died


Do you have a pic of it ? I often thought mine was dead, sometimes it would'nt move or do much for days.

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## wormwood____ (Mar 15, 2015)

i'll post a pic, i mean it completely deflated, and it almost flat and browning out so im sure its dead


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## wormwood____ (Mar 15, 2015)




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## wormwood____ (Mar 15, 2015)

*I am going to post a few pics of my scrofa a few months before the incident.*

soooo idk the exact date of these pics and im not going to look it up through the file, BUT I bought the P. scrofa from S&S Exotics on March 22nd last year, so almost a year ago, i think these pics are scattered throughout july to maybe october. like i said, after she molted, she had a very strange lump on the side of her abdomen... here we go
(.P.S. I am lookin at the small icon photos on my comp so if you can't see the lump that well i am sorry, im going to try to upload a few photos that [hopefully] best show the lump)










so these are the only ones i could find

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## Philth (Mar 15, 2015)

yeah that thing doesn't look so good , oh well. 

Later, Tom

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## Creeper (Mar 15, 2015)

Its very interesting that the spiders lay down a bed of webbing like that. Gotta wonder if the parasite is controlling them into building a nest or just taking up so much room in the abdomen by that point that the spider is vacating space.


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## Fishcrunch (Mar 19, 2015)

My A. moderatum succumbed to one these Acrocerid flies as well, when it emerged however, I immediately froze it. That maggot too owed me $40! Now we both know by experience to avoid wild-caught spiders! Geez.....just my luck to get pick the infected moderatum out of the lot...it's not like they're a dime a dozen.


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## Blueandbluer (Mar 19, 2015)

This thread was amazing... I had to go back and read it from the beginning. I'm sorry to those who lost spides, but thank you so much for sharing your experiences! Fascinating, if really nasty, stuff.

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