# Steatoda grossa group



## buthus (Jan 18, 2009)

_Steatoda grossa_ tend to stick together like a mafia family ..at least seems so when the conditions allow for it.  Obviously, prey must be plentiful, there needs to be some structural delineation in their living space, warmth, h2o(yet very little is needed..but it has to be there) ..etc, etc. 

I collected a couple smaller ..1st to 3rd instar slings... but didnt get them in the pics ...bummer.   






The teen-age kids ... an immature male, a mature male(maybe not part of the family), freshly molted sweet 16 and an immature female.






Fresh molt ...she was really weak.  Love how blue grossa are right after they molt.  






The big mature male...






Head (current) of the household...







This group I collect from under a plastic garbage can that I have been composting in.  Wood lice are the constant food source (if at all needed) with cricks, pedes, wigs and other spiders constantly taking shelter within the space also.  Two other specie of spiders were living directly with the grossa family...  _Pholcus phalangioides_ and those tiny "wall spiders" (i have an id somewhere here..but lazy).  Prey carcasses were NOT to be found.  This tells me that the breakdown/cleaning cycle is really quick.  Moisture keeps the spent prey soft..wigs, wood lice, rollys, cricks all take care of the rest.  IMO... this quick breakdown (and perpetual food baiting) allows grossa groups to live under tight, moist(ish) structure.  In dry spaces, I usually find the large fem alone with only slings and some juvs. Males dont stick round cause they dont have the lifespan to wait for the slings to sexually mature and as for big mommy...she most likely will not accept any more callers.  
My goal now with grossa and other Steatoda is to keep them in self cycling groups.  Ive done this in smaller dry enclosures, but was not able to get a diverse group ...due to obvious reasons.


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## Widowman10 (Jan 19, 2009)

with the tons of S. borealis i find here in CO, i'll find HUGE groups all living in VERY close proximity to one another. they are practically on top of one another, living in the tightest of quarters. i will find (in these groups) MFs, MMs, IFs, and IMs. guess there's enough food, but i'll have to take some pics when summer hits again. sure surprised me to see them all together. cool pics and everything, as usual. thanks buthus.


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## jsloan (Jan 21, 2009)

That's a nice group of spiders you've found there!  _*S. grossa*_ can be very interesting.  I'm envious.     They aren't around where I live now, but years ago I kept some in Corvallis Oregon.  I noticed that adult males were tolerated in the webs of both adult and penultimate-instar females (I blew on the web that contained the male and penultimate female, and they both ran and hid in the web's retreat area.  It was the female's web).   On the other hand, I tried putting a penultimate female into the web of an adult female.  The adult promptly attacked and ate it.

Anyway, at the time I made some notes on the mating process of these spiders.  I'm editing them now and hope to have them online before the end of the month.  If you want, I can let you know when they're up.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the _*Latrodectus*_ video you posted, as I'm on dialup.  I managed to see the first 30 seconds or so, but even that little bit took 30 minutes to download.


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## Mocknbird2 (Sep 24, 2010)

*Need help re my Steatoda g's*

I tried to find the answer to this and couldn't so please don't crucify me if the answer has already been posted elsewhere.
I recently moved from the Seattle area in Wa state to Olympia.  I won't have as much time as used to and need to know if i realease my steatoda Grossa pets outside, will they be able to survive outside on their own.  I've heard they are indoor spiders and can't survive outside, but then I saw a tv show years ago (acorn the nature nut) where the host showed healthy, fat steatoda grossa living outside in British Columbia (an almost identical climate to that here in Olympia).  If I release my Spiders, will they be able to live on their own and survive the wet and sometimes cold weather here in the pacific northwest??

Help is much appreciated.  I don't want to condemn my spidies to starvation or other cruel ending.
THanks


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## Violet (Sep 26, 2010)

I tried a communal Steatoda grossa set up only a couple of months ago.
My plan was to start with two mature females and let the group grow from there. Despite having plenty of room, hiding spots and food, one female ate the other in less then a week.    

Heres is a current photo:







This was/is a dry setup.


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## Mocknbird2 (Oct 10, 2010)

*Steatoda cannibalism among adult females*

I've rarely had any luck getting two adult females to live together. Invariably, one eats the other.  THe only exception I've found to this is when  a female allows one daughter to grow to adulthood.  I've had mother/daughter coexist for years together.  the mother continues to lay eggs and raise offspring, while the daughter remains unmated, or at least I've never seen the daughters mate and/or lay eggs in the presence of the mother.  Usually, I've moved the daughter to her own container (at which point she willingly mates and raises her own daughter) after a few years and the mom then raises another daughter in her place.  I've seen this happen many times with more than 15 mother/daughter pairs over several years.  I have one female that is the 5th generation.  She's my favorite.  She's so cool.  Her great great grandma was one of my first S.Grossa.  
I always make sure my spiders have plently of food and water, yet still the daughter eats her siblings til she's mature. THen the new offspring cannibalize despite plenty of room, food and water.


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## Mocknbird2 (Oct 10, 2010)

*Hey Violet*

Nice setup!  I didn't know they had S.Grossa in your area!  Cool!!       You clearly like your Spiders.  :clap:


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## buthus (Oct 10, 2010)

yeeks :}   ...talk bout an old post dredged up!


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