# Tarantula still alive from sting from Pepsis formosa



## Galapoheros (Aug 17, 2005)

Stung on the 14th.  It's the 17th and is still drinking a few drops everyday.  It only takes a couple of minutes for the droplet to disappear.  It is drinking and not seeping through the mouth parts on to the counter.  I think it will make it.  Starting to see some reaction/movement when I lightly blow on it.  Anyone want to adopt it if it makes it?  Just let me know and I will mail it to you.  I've sent my bro some Ts in Chicago.  I'm in the Austin Tx area.     FREE!   But it's not over yet.

Dr. David MD


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## CedrikG (Aug 17, 2005)

i'Ve read a little about Pepsis formosa, and it says :
The female Tarantula hawk wasp paralyzes a tarantula, with its sting, and lays a single egg on the abdomen of the spider. The first meal for the newly hatched grub is the live spider

dont you think its the case for the spider you are caring of ?


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## Wade (Aug 17, 2005)

The egg is layed when the spider is burried, so it is unlikely that there will be any parsitic larvae since he found it before burrial.

Wade


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## Galapoheros (Aug 17, 2005)

Yea, less risky for the wasp to successfully reproduce if the eggs are laid on the spider after the spider is buried.  The wasp I stole it from still has her eggs.  At least they weren't wasted on this T.


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## Empi (Aug 17, 2005)

I will adopt it if it makes it.


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## Zorack (Aug 17, 2005)

that will be paralized for ever, it will die in the end


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## Galapoheros (Aug 17, 2005)

OH YEAH!  Well....yea, maybe.  It was stung on the 14th.  I see a little more movement when I blow on it compared to yesterday.  I think it will pull through.  We will find out.  I've been stung by a spider wasp and I don't see how a tarantula can take it...geeeezzzz that hurt!  Son of diddly!


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## Galapoheros (Aug 17, 2005)

Oh, if it turns out to be a survivor, the T has already been claimed and found a home...a resting home...Ha!  It could be pretty weak for a while if it makes it.  But every once in a while I will dish out something for free when I have good hunt, over stocked, have a really good day, whatever, so it's probably not the last freebie.


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## Empi (Aug 17, 2005)

Cool. I'm glad it has a good home to go too! Hope the little guy makes it!


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## Wade (Aug 18, 2005)

Zorack said:
			
		

> that will be paralized for ever, it will die in the end



Maybe, maybe not. I nursed one back to the point where it could capture and eat prey. It was never quite "normal", but it wasn't paralized. It did end up dying in a molt, POSSIBLY due to the effects of the venom, but then again molting problems can happen for other reasons as well. 

It is interesting to watch, and record the observations. I'm curious to see how it turns out.

Wade


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## CedrikG (Aug 18, 2005)

Galapoheros said:
			
		

> OH YEAH!  Well....yea, maybe.  It was stung on the 14th.  I see a little more movement when I blow on it compared to yesterday.  I think it will pull through.  We will find out.  I've been stung by a spider wasp and I don't see how a tarantula can take it...geeeezzzz that hurt!  Son of diddly!


it is said to be the most painfull sting


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## Nlneff (Aug 18, 2005)

Since its drinking, I wonder if it would be worth trying to add a little food in the water?  Probably not worth the risk of infection, but has anyone tried this?


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## Galapoheros (Aug 18, 2005)

Someone on the forum did and it worked for them.  Yes, I thought about it but I had the same thought as you.  I was a little worried about food rotting around the mouth parts..fungus...and ultimately, maybe an infection since it can't move to keep those parts clean.  But maybe that wouldn't be a problem.  Just being safe.  It's no big deal but interesting to see if it makes it.  I am keeping up with it everyday......Not drinking anymore today.  Maybe going down hill, or may be full.

I've been thinking about this "paralysis".  When I spray the tarantula with a mist, it will react by slightly jerking it's legs and then slowly relax.  I wonder if this is a numbing paralysis or if the agents from the wasp sting work with nerves in a way that brutally punishes the tarantula with pain if it moves anything.  Maybe some of both.??  But ...it is moving mouth parts to drink......don't know, just a thought.  You know anything about that Wade?...anybody?


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## Wade (Aug 19, 2005)

I don't know exactly what the venom does top the tarantula, although they're not likley to feel pain the we feel it. The one I rescued was similar in the way it responded, it was capable of moving somewhat, but not able to walk. Months later, however, it did regain that ability.

Feeding is probably not as big concern as hydration right away, since they can go incedible periods without food. Before mine was able to capture prey, I smashed crickets (so the guts were exposes) and carefully used long tweezers to stick the cricket into the spiders fangs. This didn't work every time, but sometimes the spider would take the cricket and eat it.

Wade


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## JJJoshua (Aug 23, 2005)

Would putting a little diluted hydrogen peroxide onto the fangs help out with keeping fungus and bacteria from gaining a foothold? Or would it be harmful to the T at all?


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## Galapoheros (Aug 28, 2005)

*Still alive!*

A few people asked about this little, stung tarantula recently.  It is still alive.  I even took it with me out of town once so I could keep giving it water (rain water).  It can move it's legs more but something doesn't seem right compared to the others I have nursed back.  Seems a little mooore..stiff than the others.  The leg joints seem a little frozen.  This is a young one and not very big.  Can't walk but it can hold it's body off the ground.  The sting my have been too much but only time will tell.  I'm still trying!  Took a picture to show the size of the T.  My hands aren't very big either.  Editing to add this...just drank about two drops of water!  That's allot.  I put a drop on the fangs yesterday and the drop just stayed there.  Maybe it didn't reach the mouth parts because of water tension(?).  Anyway, I feel a little better about it now.  Two drops all gone.  Maybe that's why he seemed a little stiff.  Putting my shovel back in the shed for now.


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## Letsgochopping (Aug 28, 2005)

I think in the tarantula keepers guide they actually mention that a tarantula can recover from such a sting if they're placed in an ICU. The tarantula's probably not gonna die of starvation. It will be interesting to hear what happens.


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## Empi (Aug 29, 2005)

Cool, I hope he makes a full recovery!


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## Galapoheros (Sep 4, 2005)

*Oh, he's kickin now*

A big change.  Stung on Aug. 14.  He can almost walk now.  He can stand up.  His fangs work.  Think he almost bit me!  After all that help!  Ha!  Stuck a little soft spider in his fangs.  If I didn't know better, it looked like he was waiting for it.  May have to flush the leftovers out.  Need to wipe his mouth in the picture.  Cool!  I think it's going to make it.  Also, I haven't been able to go out of town much to keep this guy going.  So that will free me up too.  Like having a kid!  Haha...I mean...uhhh...kids are great!!!


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## JJJoshua (Sep 4, 2005)

That's awesome, keep up the great work. :clap: Keep us updated!


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## Steve Nunn (Sep 7, 2005)

Hi,
I hope you have better luck with your experiment 

Here is a link to mine 

http://www.selenocosmia.com/articles1.html

Thanks for posting your observations!

Steve


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## Galapoheros (Sep 7, 2005)

I checked out your link.  That was very interesting.  The first time a tried this was years ago when I found a pepsis wasp dragging a young A. moderatum across a dirt road in W tx.  This was back in the early 90's and had never heard of anybody attempting to revive one after a sting.  Feel like I am in like company to hear about others doing it too...ha, kind of makes me laugh.  Anyway, that one pulled through in two or three weeks.  Someone on the forum let the ones they revived go after a year!  Maybe a determinant factor in their survival has to do with "where" they are stung...internally.  What if vital organs are too close to the sting.  Maybe that instance would cause the organs to fail, so death is inevitable for the T.  But if the sting is further away from vital organs, it's organs may do their job in getting rid of the toxins?....  Oh well, does it matter?  Just my curious nature I guess.  I love it man!  When I pick this tarantula up now, it opens it's fangs.  I'm thinking it just feels threatened.  But I'm truly getting the feeling that it has associated getting picked up with getting food!  Probably fooling myself.  But it keeps it's fangs closed when I pick it up when it has food that I give it.  I use tweezers to pull the leftovers out.  I really think he is going to make it.  I sure want to go out of town.  But that's hard to do after starting the challenge.  It's turned into a commitment.  Here's another picture of it having a meal.


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## Captante (Sep 7, 2005)

Cool, glad to hear he's doing better ... keep us advised!


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## Anthony (Sep 7, 2005)

While there is life there is hope. Good work


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## MysticKigh (Sep 22, 2005)

<bump> Hoping for an update?


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## Stanky105 (Oct 2, 2005)

<Bump> Heres to hoping for an update.


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## Empi (Oct 2, 2005)

I am also curious as to the condition of the little guy...


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## ilovebugs (Oct 5, 2005)

amazing. 

I want to try this with regular spiders found in dirt dauber nests/coccoon/whatever you call 'em.


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## Galapoheros (Oct 5, 2005)

Hey that's a good idea.  I've found some interesting spiders in those dauber nests.  They do all the collecting work for you.  Bad news though.  The T got to the point where it could grab it's food if I nudged it against him.  He was just starting to walk too.  I walked by his isolation cell and he looked weird to me.  He had tried to molt.  He was halfway out and wriggling three legs that he had gotten out of the old exo.  The other legs looked like they hadn't started coming out at all.  He was very alive but he had gotten stuck.  Someone else said the same thing happened to one they had.  I think it was "Wade".  Too weak was his guess and mine too.  I tried to help after I thought he just couldn't do it.  He didn't make it.  They can make it.  I've seen it.  I'm two out of four now.  The other that didn't make it showed no improvement from the time I found it.  Two others seemed completely recovered in a month or two.  This one was almost 2 months stung and still slow but was improving.  I think it would have been pretty healthy in 3 or 4 months.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## cacoseraph (Oct 5, 2005)

Galapoheros said:
			
		

> Hey that's a good idea.  I've found some interesting spiders in those dauber nests.  They do all the collecting work for you.  Bad news though.  The T got to the point where it could grab it's food if I nudged it against him.  He was just starting to walk too.  I walked by his isolation cell and he looked weird to me.  He had tried to molt.  He was halfway out and wriggling three legs that he had gotten out of the old exo.  The other legs looked like they hadn't started coming out at all.  He was very alive but he had gotten stuck.  Someone else said the same thing happened to one they had.  I think it was "Wade".  Too weak was his guess and mine too.  I tried to help after I thought he just couldn't do it.  He didn't make it.  They can make it.  I've seen it.  I'm two out of four now.  The other that didn't make it showed no improvement from the time I found it.  Two others seemed completely recovered in a month or two.  This one was almost 2 months stung and still slow but was improving.  I think it would have been pretty healthy in 3 or 4 months.


i wonder if you could dope a pepsis stung tarantula with the stuff i've heard "they" use to keep some of the large meal worms or superworms (or whatever species i heard that in connection with)  from molting

i think that stuff might only keep them from doing their ultimate molt, though... not sure


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## Empi (Oct 8, 2005)

Galapoheros said:
			
		

> Hey that's a good idea.  I've found some interesting spiders in those dauber nests.  They do all the collecting work for you.  Bad news though.  The T got to the point where it could grab it's food if I nudged it against him.  He was just starting to walk too.  I walked by his isolation cell and he looked weird to me.  He had tried to molt.  He was halfway out and wriggling three legs that he had gotten out of the old exo.  The other legs looked like they hadn't started coming out at all.  He was very alive but he had gotten stuck.  Someone else said the same thing happened to one they had.  I think it was "Wade".  Too weak was his guess and mine too.  I tried to help after I thought he just couldn't do it.  He didn't make it.  They can make it.  I've seen it.  I'm two out of four now.  The other that didn't make it showed no improvement from the time I found it.  Two others seemed completely recovered in a month or two.  This one was almost 2 months stung and still slow but was improving.  I think it would have been pretty healthy in 3 or 4 months.



 That's too bad. Poor guy...


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## Galapoheros (Oct 9, 2005)

Empi said:
			
		

> That's too bad. Poor guy...


Yea that sucked.  I spent allot of time trying to get him healthy again.  It was a challenge.  But, he is living on through one of my centipedes. :drool:


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## Stanky105 (Oct 12, 2005)

Galapoheros said:
			
		

> Yea that sucked.  I spent allot of time trying to get him healthy again.  It was a challenge.  But, he is living on through one of my centipedes. :drool:


lol, well, "waste not" i suppose. Its cool reading about the experience though.


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## parabuthus (Oct 12, 2005)

Aww man, I would have buried the little guy after all that effort!   
Great read btw. Better luck next time.


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## Galapoheros (Oct 12, 2005)

Nice to hear that several enjoyed the sitcom.  Could be my imagination but it really seemed that this guy learned that he was going to get fed when I picked it up.  I feel lucky to be in the middle of a T colony.  I was watching my pedes last night in my kitchen.  I stood up and saw something out of the corner of my eye that obviously saw me move because it darted around the edge of a wall.  It was about 7 feet up the wall by a window.  It was a tarantula.  It saw me move and I was a good 10 feet away.  Could have been something else that scared it but I don't think so.  Just thought it interesting that it sensed me that far away.


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## desertdweller (Aug 27, 2007)

I too have a stung T that I scooped up before the nasty T Hawk could drag it away.  Totally new to this T World but my T is still alive and keeps its body suspended on its own, no walking though.  I put drops of water in its mouth not knowing if it is taking the water in but I live in high desert of Arizona so know it can go for long periods with no food or water.  I have had this one 10 days and already see a tiny improvement.  Will stay the course, now that I know recovery is possible.  Have REIKI'd it too.  Will post more with changes.


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## 8+) (Aug 27, 2007)

Why is this in this forum, something to do with it being started 2 years ago?

I don't understand why you guys are "rescuing" these spiders, is it just as an experiment? :? 

This is nature, and the wasps are every bit as interesting and deserving of life as any T. From the descriptions, it sounds like the cure causes more suffering than the affliction.  

At any rate, turning them loose after recovery sounds like the worst idea of all, as they weren't meant to pass on their genes.


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## Galapoheros (Aug 28, 2007)

Ha, how'd this thing get woken up?  I started this thread before I had ever looked at the T section.  Yeah, at the time, just an experimental challenge, for me anyway.  You might want to start a new thread in the T section desertdweller, you'll get more feedback with the intended audience.  good luck.


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## desertdweller (Aug 30, 2007)

Thanks Galapoheros,  will probably do just that.  Just learning to navigate this site.  Sorry about your T. Mine is showing steady improvement at only 2 wks.  Hopeful.


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