# Antrodiaetus pacificus?



## web eviction (Aug 31, 2012)

I believe is what these are? I had to remove a stump today and found around 8 of them along with 2 large egg sacs loaded with hatchlings! I plan two keep a couple of the adults out of interest...


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## zonbonzovi (Aug 31, 2012)

Cool find.  It's most likely pacificus based on your location but if memory serves there are 6(?) species in the NW.  Any shots of the sacs/hatchlings?


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## web eviction (Aug 31, 2012)

No I will go see if I can get a couple shot though theres a giant completely rotten fir tree on my property where I have seen these guys before I'll see if I can find another sac as I think I'd like a few slings as well.

---------- Post added 08-31-2012 at 03:19 PM ----------

Mom and slings there are about 75 in the web tube behind her...











Little better shot of the slings...





And this is a very large fat girl I found 





I found a large mature male to and noticed the mothers had slings a quarter ther size still with them the all curl up in a ball and play dead when you find them too.


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## zonbonzovi (Aug 31, 2012)

Thanks for posting those...haven't seen the slings before.  I was curious to see if they emerge with that signature carapace and tergite fully formed.  Yep!  I've heard some peculiar suggestions on how to find these but have to say old stumps/trees with bark still intact are the way to go.  You should see if that big'n can break the skin


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## web eviction (Aug 31, 2012)

Well she threw up a nasty threat display and with the size of her fangs she was happy to show me lol I think I'll keep my fingers to my self...


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## Ciphor (Aug 31, 2012)

Agree with zonbon on the ID. Great find, lucky sob! Zonbon if you know any secrets to finding them in our neck of the woods you need to share lol! I find males all the time, never found a burrow or female. So frustrating to know they are right there around you and not find them lol!!!


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## zonbonzovi (Aug 31, 2012)

Ha!  I was finding them consistently in well aged stumps on a nearby undeveloped property that locals use for trail walking/riding.  Always in the gaps between bark and pulp dug out by other insects.  The difference between this spot and the surrounding area is that it is always drier.  I've never found them in areas that remain moist for the better part of the year but I have heard otherwise.  Maybe an old clearcut that has grown over in your area would work?  I also see stuff that is more prone to be found in arid regions like Phidippus clara, et al.


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## web eviction (Aug 31, 2012)

I found all these in rotten fir tree which is very damp inside and there are seriously tons of them in it!


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## Ciphor (Aug 31, 2012)

zonbonzovi said:


> Ha!  I was finding them consistently in well aged stumps on a nearby undeveloped property that locals use for trail walking/riding.  Always in the gaps between bark and pulp dug out by other insects.  The difference between this spot and the surrounding area is that it is always drier.  I've never found them in areas that remain moist for the better part of the year but I have heard otherwise.  Maybe an old clearcut that has grown over in your area would work?  I also see stuff that is more prone to be found in arid regions like Phidippus clara, et al.


Sounds like a plan! I live 10 miles from the weyerhaeuser district, chalked full of stumps. Thanks!


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## web eviction (Aug 31, 2012)

Good luck man hope you find some! They play dead usually when you find them but the big girls will defend there hole lol and they are big bulky females!

---------- Post added 08-31-2012 at 07:14 PM ----------

Biggest female...


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## cacoseraph (Sep 1, 2012)

most likely Antrodiaetus, but no idea on the species... there are tons and they are a pita to tell apart

at least 10 A. sp. in OR that have been described so far... and i wouldn't be surprised if there are more and at least some are cryptic... that is, you generally need a mature male to ID down to species as females are not external morphologically different
http://scabies.myfreeforum.org/about3743.html

Reactions: Like 1


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## web eviction (Sep 1, 2012)

Thanks for the info! I do have a mature male I'll see if I can a couple decent pictures of him...


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## Ciphor (Sep 3, 2012)

Well, ripped up about 6 stumps out in the forest this weekend, no luck  

Web, can you describe the condition of the stump? Any idea what type of tree? Most the stumps out in the snoqualmie national rainforest are hemlock or some type of pine. Most are covered in moss, and are quite soft. No dry, but not moist either.


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## web eviction (Sep 3, 2012)

I found them in a old fallen fir the whole thing flakes apart very easy most I found were about 8 inches In the bark itself was 4 inches thick and the interior of it is fairly moist The stump I found them in was for as well and very rotted like the fallen tree..


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## Ciphor (Sep 3, 2012)

web eviction said:


> I found them in a old fallen fir the whole thing flakes apart very easy most I found were about 8 inches In the bark itself was 4 inches thick and the interior of it is fairly moist The stump I found them in was for as well and very rotted like the fallen tree..


Any moss on the stumps? Was there visible burrows? Or when it broke apart you saw them? Did the burrows go vertically up and down the trunk side with an opening on the top of the stump? Last question, was the stump in an open field or near a forest edge?

Sounds a lot like the stumps I was ripping apart. I could only get about 3 inches into the stump before it turned from rotted soft wood into something that had not yet been broken down to the point I could easily rip it apart.


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## web eviction (Sep 3, 2012)

Ciphor said:


> Any moss on the stumps? Was there visible burrows? Or when it broke apart you saw them? Did the burrows go vertically up and down the trunk side with an opening on the top of the stump? Last question, was the stump in an open field or near a forest edge?
> 
> Sounds a lot like the stumps I was ripping apart. I could only get about 3 inches into the stump before it turned from rotted soft wood into something that had not yet been broken down to the point I could easily rip it apart.


Ya lots of moss and ferns growing on top burrows weren't visible untill moss or bark removed there cover burrows ran straight in not verticle and it was at forests edge... Most the time they play dead they just curl up and roll out as I pulled the the wood apart. 
Try to find a fallen log that has been around a while like rotted to the core usually once you peel the bark back there little 1/4 inch to 1 inch tunnels become very visible .... Hope that helps good luck and let me know if ya find some

Reactions: Like 1


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## Ciphor (Sep 3, 2012)

Your stumps sound identical to mine. Hopefully with everyones help I will have better luck next weekend.


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## Entomancer (Sep 4, 2012)

Gah! Lucky sob _indeed_!

I found one mature male Antrodiaetus sp. on my school campus a week or two ago.

It seemed to have been scared away by a lawnmower, because they were mowing the lawns that day. 

I went out into the nearby forest to look for more, and I had read about finding them in old tree stumps too, so I walked around until I found a rotten one, and dug around in it.

I didn't find any spiders. Just some very disgruntled bumblebees. >.>


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## cacoseraph (Sep 5, 2012)

ftr, i have never found Antrodiaetus in stumps.  i have found them with burrows in the open, under rocks, and in root clusters

i think a big mistake a lot of collectors, myself included, make is to overly limit their searches because they "know" where the bugs should be and ignore any places that don't match this preconceived notion.  some fo the best collectors i have ever worked with were young children.  they check EVERY where and find stuff in places i would not have believed!


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## zonbonzovi (Sep 5, 2012)

cacoseraph said:


> i think a big mistake a lot of collectors, myself included, make is to overly limit their searches because they "know" where the bugs should be and ignore any places that don't match this preconceived notion.  some fo the best collectors i have ever worked with were young children.  they check EVERY where and find stuff in places i would not have believed!


Haha.  Yep.  The fallacy of the seasoned veteran.  That's great advice.  Used to take kids on chanterelle hunts for that exact reason(and because they have a better line of sight).  Didn't you used to be near a riversi hotspot?  Any old photos kickin' around?


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## Ciphor (Sep 5, 2012)

Lol let me borrow your kids! Mine pluck every _A. diadematus_ they see from their web and show me.

When I search for spiders I look everywhere (even climb trees), but its important to know I primarily search the snoqualmie national forest, which has a thick amount of debris on the ground especially after last years winter/ice that destroyed the forest. It can be quite time consuming searching for a needle in a branch stack, and any known spots that stick out like a stump and narrow the search down are very appreciated 

It is having kids that limits my time to search hehe.


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## cacoseraph (Sep 5, 2012)

pretty sure you are not supposed to stump rip in national forests, though you are totally within your rights to collect bugs for non-commercial use


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## web eviction (Sep 5, 2012)

Glad I got plenty of stumps and dead falls in my back yard


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## Ciphor (Sep 5, 2012)

Correct, however I am on private property and so is this section of forest. I have to invite the USDA forest services down to collect _H. annosum_, _F. annosus_ & _P. subacida_ samples that I find, as they cannot invite themselves onto the property.

I am quite conscious of the environment however, and trust me, with the storms in recent years there are plenty of new stumps and fallen trees in the SNF. The 4 or 5 stumps I tore the outside off of will not have a negative impact on the local fauna.

They also informed me that they do not prosecute people who do these things responsibly, rather they seek out individuals or groups who do such with blatant disregard to the ecosystem. These are who the laws are intended for, and forest services (from my experience) tend to be quite logical and understanding.


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