# Genus Dolomedes



## syndicate (Jun 10, 2007)

ive been thinking we should have a thread dedicated to Dolomedes.
theres been some topics on them lately so why not have a place to keep all of our images and findings on these spiders in one spot.
heres some shots i took today

Dolomedes tenebrosus unsexed sub adult


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## padkison (Jun 11, 2007)

Alright, here are my better pictures

D. tenebrosus


























D. albineus
















D. unknown


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## Stefan2209 (Jun 11, 2007)

Hi there,

N I C E  !  !  !

Keep them coming  :clap: :worship: :clap: 

Greetings,

Stefan


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## AviculariaLover (Jun 11, 2007)

Heres a big lady I had the pleasure of encountering... I tried raising the babies but they were too small for the pinhead crickets I ordered so I released them (I had wolf spider babies at the same time which took care of the crickets).



























And yes they could crawl out of that KK... I had some cloth on top of it, I took that picture once I brought them outside and they started scattering.


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## syndicate (Jun 11, 2007)

Dolomedes triton mature male


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 11, 2007)

THANK YOU!:worship: I've had the pleasure to encounter a female with a sac living in a hole in a log filled with rain water at camp. I managed to get a pic of her when she was out crawling on her log a few days before she made the sac. And I never managed to get a decent pic because I think I might've scared her and she went under a tangle of vines that was on her log and she was well camouflaged.

That was the only pic that I could get. I didn't get it developed yet because I didn't know which camera it was in but fortunately I found 2 of the cameras that I used last year one is done and the other one has 24 pics left that I plan to use for none other then taking insects and spider pics hopefully all will turn out decent and clear and that the bugs will cooperate. 

And the reason why I think that the spider I saw that lived in the log was a Dolomedes sp. was because of these 2 reasons:

 It had similar markings to the ones in the first 2 pics

 Every time she was peering out from the water in the log with her sac I would try to catch her. Never did as she always jumped back into the water _with_ her sac!

And one of the pics shows one in water so that's what got me thinking the spider that I saw was a _Dolomedes sp._ Can you tell me what method they use to stay underwater? I'm familiar with this one. Thanks! And nice photos!


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## padkison (Jun 14, 2007)

Dolomedes unknown sac hatch

Mom






Spiderlings


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 14, 2007)

Awwwwwww the spiderlings look so cute!  

Black Widow88


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 14, 2007)

THANK YOU!:worship: I've had the pleasure to encounter a female with a sac living in a hole in a log filled with rain water at camp. I managed to get a pic of her when she was out crawling on her log a few days before she made the sac. And I never managed to get a decent pic because I think I might've scared her and she went under a tangle of vines that was on her log and she was well camouflaged.

That was the only pic that I could get. I didn't get it developed yet because I didn't know which camera it was in but fortunately I found 2 of the cameras that I used last year one is done and the other one has 24 pics left that I plan to use for none other then taking insects and spider pics hopefully all will turn out decent and clear and that the bugs will cooperate. 

And the reason why I think that the spider I saw that lived in the log was a Dolomedes sp. was because of these 2 reasons:

 It had similar markings to the ones in the first 2 pics

 Every time she was peering out from the water in the log with her sac I would try to catch her. Never did as she always jumped back into the water _with_ her sac!

And one of the pics shows one in water so that's what got me thinking the spider that I saw was a _Dolomedes sp._ Can you tell me what method they use to stay underwater? I'm familiar with this one. Thanks! And nice photos!

Black Widow88


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## syndicate (Jun 14, 2007)

nice one padkison!congrats on the spiderlings.im wondering if this could be an undescribed sp?
oh also today the head chef at my work brought me in a tenebrosus he cought in his yard.huge female looking very gravid.will get some pics of her soon


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 14, 2007)

syndicate said:


> nice one padkison!congrats on the spiderlings.im wondering if this could be an undescribed sp?
> oh also today the head chef at my work brought me in a tenebrosus he cought in his yard.huge female looking very gravid.will get some pics of her soon



OOOOOOH you are sooooooo lucky! Looking forward for the pics. And that was very nice and unusual for him to do that for you.

Black Widow88


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## padkison (Jun 14, 2007)

I found large four Dolomedes tenebrosus that looked gravid this past month.  Three laid sacs and one molted.  The one that molted was slightly smaller than the others, maybe 3.5" leg span vs a 4" leg span.



syndicate said:


> nice one padkison!congrats on the spiderlings.im wondering if this could be an undescribed sp?
> oh also today the head chef at my work brought me in a tenebrosus he cought in his yard.huge female looking very gravid.will get some pics of her soon


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## syndicate (Jun 14, 2007)

yeah id say this girl is easily 3"+
my camera sucks in bad lighting but i manged to get this shot of her tonight.
gonna set her up in a new enclosure this weekend


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## Helio (Jun 14, 2007)

I miss my male dolomedes sp. :'(


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 14, 2007)

Helio said:


> I miss my male dolomedes sp. :'(


Why? What happened? Did he die?

Black Widow88


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## Helio (Jun 15, 2007)

Escaped, and then i found him dead (aquatic species...the floor of my house is too dry :/)


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 15, 2007)

Awwwwwwww so sorry to hear that! May he rest in peace looking over you....

Black Widow88


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## padkison (Jun 17, 2007)

Note how this Dolomedes tenebrosus egg sac has swollen.  First picture is shortly after sac was created.  Second picture is yesterday.  Do all spider sacs do this?  I am assuming the swelling has something to do with the spiderlings inside having hatched and are moving around, stretching out the sac and that an emergence is imminent.


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## syndicate (Jun 17, 2007)

sac looks alot bigger man yeah.just rehoused my hopefully gravid female.hey any idea on how to tell the difference between d.scriptus and tenebrosus?according to spiders of the eastern usa they are distinguished by dif genitalia structure but i guesse they both overlap the same habitats.i just ordered the book spiders of connecticut the other day so hopefully that will help figure this out.


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 17, 2007)

Gee that is weird because the one I saw had a sac that was waaaaay smaller then this one. But the spider had similar markings to this one. I'm confused! :? 

Black Widow88


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## padkison (Jun 17, 2007)

I don't know how to tell scriptus from tenebrosus.  I did note that the male/female sizes for tenenbrosus had the most difference in my spider guide.  Based on how small the males of the species pictured above are (and the markings), I am saying this is tenenbrosus.



syndicate said:


> sac looks alot bigger man yeah.just rehoused my hopefully gravid female.hey any idea on how to tell the difference between d.scriptus and tenebrosus?according to spiders of the eastern usa they are distinguished by dif genitalia structure but i guesse they both overlap the same habitats.i just ordered the book spiders of connecticut the other day so hopefully that will help figure this out.


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## syndicate (Jun 17, 2007)

do u have pics of any male tenebrosus?it seems like the males of scriptus are more gray and black colored from the pictures in this book here.ive yet to find any mature males here this summer but now im questioning whether these 3 ive got here are actually tenebrosus or not :?


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## padkison (Jun 18, 2007)

Here's one in a 25 dram vial which is 1.5" diameter.









syndicate said:


> do u have pics of any male tenebrosus?it seems like the males of scriptus are more gray and black colored from the pictures in this book here.ive yet to find any mature males here this summer but now im questioning whether these 3 ive got here are actually tenebrosus or not :?


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## padkison (Jun 18, 2007)

Tenebrosus sac hatch today.  Looks like somewhere in the range of 200-300.  Too bad these aren't pokie metallica slings instead.  Note they have the dorsal abdominal pattern of the adults.


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 18, 2007)

Awwww look at the mommy and cute babies!  

Black Widow88


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## syndicate (Jun 18, 2007)

congrats man!thanks for that pic of the mature male to.just got home from work and noticed my big female is puttin the finishing touches on an eggsac right now.will be interesting to grow some of these up and try to captive breed them.


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## syndicate (Jun 18, 2007)

oh btw when did your female make her sac?


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## padkison (Jun 18, 2007)

About 4 weeks ago.



syndicate said:


> oh btw when did your female make her sac?


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## padkison (Jun 18, 2007)

I think I will keep about 5 and see how they do from slings and how long it takes to reach 4".

I've got several juveniles and am thinking they might not mature in one year.

The remaining will be seeded in the woods behind the house and back where they came from.

Likely sell some too.  They are neat spiders and easy to keep.  A "poor man's" pokie.

Oh yeah, I put one of the albineus males in with the female.  She ate him sometime during the night.  Now I will see if she lays a sac or molts and grows.  I suspect she is immature.  I have two more males to work with.  I won't try mating again until she molts twice more, I'm thinking.



syndicate said:


> congrats man!thanks for that pic of the mature male to.just got home from work and noticed my big female is puttin the finishing touches on an eggsac right now.will be interesting to grow some of these up and try to captive breed them.


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## syndicate (Jun 18, 2007)

if u end up gettin an albineus sac u might have to send me a couple slings ;]
heres a shot of my girl with her eggsac


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 18, 2007)

A beautiful spider and her sac and an ass kicking photo IMO. :clap: I definately want some of these when I'm 18 and have my own place. That way my mommy doesn't have to worry about finding one in her bed sleeping with her......

....unless I put it there  ;P 

Black Widow88


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## pronty (Jun 19, 2007)

*Dolomedes fimbriatus*

Looks like my female made an eggsac last night 













And don't forget my last year's Dolomedes thread


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## padkison (Jun 19, 2007)

Wild caught this year or from the babies you had last year?



pronty said:


> Looks like my female made an eggsac last night


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## pronty (Jun 19, 2007)

padkison said:


> Wild caught this year or from the babies you had last year?


Wild caught this year. I captured her from the same place where I found the other ones last year  This year I only found 2, a male and a female. The male molted and I put him with with the female. They mated and she got herself a nice little snack


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 19, 2007)

OOOOOOH! Glad she settled her marrage problems. ;P  Congrats to you for getting another sac! And I didn't know that there was another Dolomedes thread that you started last year! Are you going to do one every year?

I like the colors on the female in the pic with her sac she looks pretty!  What species is she if you don't mind me asking ?:} 

Black Widow88


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## pronty (Jun 19, 2007)

Black Widow88 said:


> And I didn't know that there was another Dolomedes thread that you started last year! Are you going to do one every year?


Nah  Last year I was just so excited because it was the first time I found them :} But I'm pretty sure I will take pics whenever I find them  


> I like the colors on the female in the pic with her sac she looks pretty!  What species is she if you don't mind me asking ?:}


Dolomedes fimbriatus


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## syndicate (Jun 19, 2007)

congrats pronty!beautiful spider


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 19, 2007)

I agree! Makes me want one right now! If I see any at camp I'll take pics for sure! 

Black Widow88


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## Tim St. (Jun 20, 2007)

Since you guy were nice enuff to ID this as a Dolomedes id better add to this thread, here my 3" Dolomedes WC and i think shes gravid























Eating a Cricket.


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## padkison (Jun 20, 2007)

Nice spider.

I find mine spread out on the trunks of trees in the wild, so rather than a stick for perching, I supply a piece of bark in the enclosure that allows them to spread out and flatten themselves.



LRG said:


> Since you guy were nice enuff to ID this as a Dolomedes id better add to this thread, here my 3" Dolomedes WC and i think shes gravid


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 20, 2007)

OOOOOOOOOOH! I hope she is gravid!

Black Widow88


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## syndicate (Jun 20, 2007)

hey padikson do u have a ventral shot for any of those tenebrosus females?oh btw just got my copy of spiders of connecticut today and will see if i can scan the descriptions of tenbrosus and scriptus up here.tells how to determine the two species.nice book!


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 20, 2007)

Can you please get me a copy?

Black Widow88


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## padkison (Jun 21, 2007)

Ventral shots are difficult with these guys.  They stick to the bark rather than the sides of the container.  I'll see if I can prod one onto the side for a shot.



syndicate said:


> hey padikson do u have a ventral shot for any of those tenebrosus females?oh btw just got my copy of spiders of connecticut today and will see if i can scan the descriptions of tenbrosus and scriptus up here.tells how to determine the two species.nice book!


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## Tim St. (Jun 21, 2007)

Lol Without a doubt, i hate it when iam right


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## syndicate (Jun 21, 2007)

nice one man!must be that time of year


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## Tim St. (Jun 21, 2007)

yeah, thats one sexy Momma. hahahaha


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## syndicate (Jun 21, 2007)

pronty said:


> And don't forget my last year's Dolomedes thread


man some great pictures in there!very cool to see the habitat shots and especially the ones of them breeding.u should post those pics back up in this thread


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## padkison (Jun 21, 2007)

Vent shot of 3" juvenile female


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## syndicate (Jun 21, 2007)

awesome man thank you


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## Tim St. (Jun 21, 2007)

this was taken the first day i got her, so Post-Sac


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 22, 2007)

Nice pics and I'm so happy that she got a sac! YAY!  

Black Widow88


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## padkison (Jun 26, 2007)

Albineus female molted.  I don't think she is adult yet based on pictures I've seen online and her size.  I am expecting her to molt into the grey w/ white described in guides and to get larger.  She's about 3" leg span now.

After her next molt, if she looks adult, I will introduce another male.  I will likely move her to a large enclosure and let the male in after she gets settled.


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 26, 2007)

For a minute there I thought that was a male!  How do you tell male from female in this genus? The reason why I ask is because the pedipalps are large on the females too.

Black Widow88


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## beetleman (Jun 26, 2007)

ooh i like that sp.:clap:


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## padkison (Jun 26, 2007)

Both my males are smaller and have distinct boxing gloves on their pedipalps.  The angle of the this photo may make the pedipalps on the female appear fat on the ends, but that is not the case.



Black Widow88 said:


> For a minute there I thought that was a male!  How do you tell male from female in this genus? The reason why I ask is because the pedipalps are large on the females too.


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## syndicate (Jun 26, 2007)

man that female is amazing!i think u need to catch me one of these  
awesome pics btw


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 26, 2007)

Padkison:

Ah thanks!

Black Widow88


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## padkison (Jun 27, 2007)

I've been looking, but only more males so far.  It'll be a couple weeks before I get out again.



syndicate said:


> man that female is amazing!i think u need to catch me one of these
> awesome pics btw


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## syndicate (Jun 27, 2007)

some new shots of this tenebrosus and her eggcase.it apears to be growing in size quite rapidly since she laid it aswell.looking good so far :]


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 27, 2007)

WOW! Look how big it is! The one I saw had a smaller sac.

Black Widow88


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## syndicate (Jul 3, 2007)

my tenebrosus eggsac hatched today.will try and get some pics up of the little guys


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 4, 2007)

YAY! Congrats to you!  

Black Widow88


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## syndicate (Jul 7, 2007)

heres a couple shots of the mother and her slings.seems like some of the sac may have went bad.i noticed some dried up eggs that had fallen onto the substrate.easily over a 100 slings hatched tho.
eggsac was layed 6_18_07 and hatched on 7_3_2007













btw if anyone is interested in some of these slings pls private message me.i will be releasing whatever isn't being kept or given to friends.


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 7, 2007)

Nice photos! I would love to have some but you know my mom not liking those kind of things.

Black Widow88


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## 8+) (Jul 8, 2007)

Wow! it only took 2 weeks to hatch? 

Loving all these great pics! :clap:


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 8, 2007)

I know! I thought it would take a little longer then 2 weeks.

Black Widow88


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## padkison (Jul 13, 2007)

More albineus pics of the female.  I am thinking one more molt to adulthood.


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 13, 2007)

She's adorable! 

Black Widow88


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## syndicate (Jul 13, 2007)

great photos padkison


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## Tunedbeat (Jul 13, 2007)

Hogna sling.


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## syndicate (Jul 13, 2007)

think that might be some sort of lycosidae


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## Tunedbeat (Jul 14, 2007)

You might be right, though i think her abdomen patterns look Dolomedes..


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## padkison (Jul 14, 2007)

It's a wolf spider, check the eye pattern



Tunedbeat said:


> You might be right, though i think her abdomen patterns look Dolomedes..


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## padkison (Jul 31, 2007)

Male D. albineus.  I thought this guy was mature prior to molt since I saw boxing gloves.  However, post molt he is a lot leggier and the coloring is that of  the mature albineus female I saw last year.  Do true spiders show boxing gloves prior to ultimate molt?


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## syndicate (Jul 31, 2007)

not sure man.thats one nice looking male tho.u gonna be pairing it up with your girls?


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## David_F (Jul 31, 2007)

Nice pics, man.  D. albineus is a really great looking spider.



padkison said:


> Do true spiders show boxing gloves prior to ultimate molt?


Yes.  I've noticed in the male widows I've kept and some small wolf spider species we have running around at work that the palpal emboli start showing a molt or two before maturity.  Until maturity they're a light color; after maturity they're dark, almost black.  Never seen a mature male Dolomedes though so.....


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## beetleman (Aug 1, 2007)

ive had some central american wandering spiders in the past,and the males had their boxing gloves already before reaching maturity. but then again it's not will all true spiders i gather.hmm don't know.


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## padkison (Aug 17, 2007)

Dolomedes albineus mating

Slowly... Slowly...













Uh.... you sure you want to hang out by those fangs?












Alright.. I am off to bed.. good luck





Well.... I hope it was worth it .... Didn't I tell you about those fangs?






Spiteful female... didn't even bother eating him


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## padkison (Sep 14, 2007)

*Dolomedes albineus spiderlings*

Egg Sac from the D. albineus hatched


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## Black Widow88 (Sep 14, 2007)

So glad it was worth it!

Black Widow88


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## ErikWestblom (May 12, 2008)

This thread has been dead for a while, hope u don't mind be bringing it back to life 

Dolomedes fimbratus is the only one common in Sweden (d. plantarius is rare)
A few shots of my 2 d. fimbratus:

Small one, only 10mm bl, pre and post molt (post molt is bad quality). Notice her new tiny leg!











Bigger female, about 16mm bl and 50mm ls (that's about 2 inches)
She is now in an enclosure similar to the smaller one. As soon as the food touches the surface of the water, they grab it 
















That's all for now folks


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## bluefrogtat2 (May 12, 2008)

*unknown dolomedes*

i received a dolomedes as a freebie in purchase(which arrived dead)it intrigued me to buy another.
no clue where it was collected.(eastern us)
any clue as to the sp. greatly appreciated
http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk130/bluefrogtat2/?action=view&current=dolomedes.jpg
andy


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## MaartenSFS (May 12, 2008)

I remember that these were quite formidable and aggressive. They can also jump quite far. Are they at all related to the huntsmans over here? They seem very similar, especially the legs and the places that they hang out. Except that huntsmen are even quicker and much larger (At least in Guangxi).


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## ErikWestblom (May 12, 2008)

bluefrogtat2 said:


> i received a dolomedes as a freebie in purchase(which arrived dead)it intrigued me to buy another.
> no clue where it was collected.(eastern us)
> any clue as to the sp. greatly appreciated
> http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk130/bluefrogtat2/?action=view&current=dolomedes.jpg
> andy


I have no experience from your spiders at all, but after looking at the other pics in this thread I have to say it looks like a dolomedes tenebrosus...


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## syndicate (May 12, 2008)

hey the threads back alive!nice 
great looking D.fimbriatus Eric.
ill add some new Dolomedes pics up here tonight


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## syndicate (May 12, 2008)

D.tenebrosus adult female







D.tenebrosus mature male


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## ErikWestblom (May 13, 2008)

Ok, my mistake, don't think the spider in that link is a tenebrosus anymore...

Edit: Thanks syndicate  Will try to get some photo's of them in their enclosures. The big one ate a huge fly yesterday, a show like always


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## ErikWestblom (May 16, 2008)

The big one, Swamp Thing (swedish common name is Swamp spider), molted today. She is now 18mm BL and 60mm LS, which is pretty impressive by our standards


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## Black Widow88 (May 16, 2008)

ErikWestblom said:


> The big one, Swamp Thing (swedish common name is Swamp spider), molted today. She is now 18mm BL and 60mm LS, which is pretty impressive by our standards


PICTURES!  

I would like to see how big she is.

Black Widow88


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## ErikWestblom (May 16, 2008)

I'll get hold of a camera this sunday, so I'll take some pics when rehousing. Don't worry


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## Black Widow88 (May 17, 2008)

YAAAAAAAY!  Thankies!

Black Widow88


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## ErikWestblom (May 18, 2008)

Here are some pics I took when rehousing her. The coin is 1" arcoss.


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## froggyman (May 18, 2008)

thats a pretty cool dolomedes you got there


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## Black Widow88 (May 18, 2008)

Awesome! That's huge! And it's a male due to the large pedipalps.

Black Widow88


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## ErikWestblom (May 18, 2008)

Oh, ok, aren't they supposed to be swollen like boxing gloves this time of year? When I caught this one saw 2 MMs with pretty big boxing gloves...


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## Black Widow88 (May 18, 2008)

Well the male's pedipalps are always longer then the females no matter if they're swollen or not. And I also had no idea that the male's palps get swollen a certain time of year. I always thought they were like that through out the year.

YAY! I learned something new today! Yippee!  On a side note is this the same for all spiders?

Black Widow88


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## ErikWestblom (May 19, 2008)

Haha I'm just a noob, so since u thought it was a male and the pedipalps aren't swollen at all, I just figured they must be swollen a certain time of year. Got no idea really 

Will post a pic of his(?) new home tonight.


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## Black Widow88 (May 19, 2008)

I'm a N00B too in certain areas. Mind you I'm not a _Dolomedes_ expert so I'm willing to learn more about them.

Black Widow88


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## Fince (May 19, 2008)

*Dolomedes fimbriatus* female







More pictures in the Field trips topic..


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## ErikWestblom (May 19, 2008)

That one has quite big pedipalps too, don't you think?
Anyways, here are 2 pics of the enclosure, clean and simple.


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## Johnnyster (May 19, 2008)

Anybody out there with a MM D. tenebrosus?.......... 

(yeah yeah, you can move it to the "pimpim" section ,,,,but later...LOL)

:}


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## Black Widow88 (May 19, 2008)

Fince: Awesome! Never knew that the females in this genius had long palps. But I guess now to distinguish the males from the females you have to look for a smaller abdomen and over all a skinner spider.

Awesome indeed! Also Fince what language is "Az ipafai papnak fapipája van, ezért az ipafai papi pipa papi fapipa." in? It looks like a tongue twister. I like it though it's cute!

Black Widow88


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## ErikWestblom (May 22, 2008)

My d. fimbriatus got scared today when I was about to tweezer-feed it, and ran down under the piece of bark I have in the water. Sorry for the low quality pics.

















And here's a crappy quality video of a successful tweezer-feed (the fly was too hurt to move enough for it to grab it from the water surface )



Enjoy


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## Black Widow88 (May 22, 2008)

Awesome pics even though they're kinda blurry.

Black Widow88


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## ErikWestblom (May 22, 2008)

Black Widow88 said:


> Awesome pics even though they're kinda blurry.
> 
> Black Widow88


Yeah, I know  That's the best my Sony Ericsson K800i will do at that distance


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## Black Widow88 (May 23, 2008)

I took a picture of a female Dolomedes sp. at camp in 2006 but it was blurry also and you can hardly see it. So I know what you're talking about.

At least I got to see it for a few good days before she "disappeared" from her temp home which was a log with a hole filled with rain water. It apparently went pretty deep because when she had her egg sac she would go under and attach it to the side.

That's when ever she noticed I was there. Although eventually she "realized" I meant no harm and was less shy around me and me only.  Even fed her once or twice which was cool.

Never forget her. She was my little friend while I was there. **

Black Widow88


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## proper_tea (May 24, 2008)

Hey can other people post pics of their enclosures?  I just found a D. tenebrosus while I was wandering through the woods yesterday.  I'll post some pics of her (I believe it's a she) when I'm at a computer that has a USB hook up.  I'd like to do a semi-aquatic one... preferably one that is heavily planted enough that eventually I wouldn't need to use a filter.  Has anyone else tried this?


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## syndicate (May 24, 2008)




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## proper_tea (May 25, 2008)

Syndicate... That is a beautiful picture...

I've been finding a lot of these (D. tenebrosus) lately.  In the last 2 days I believe I've found 4 

Question:  How big are the males?  Can anyone post pictures of mature males for me?  I've been finding these spiders that I believe are either male D. tenebrosus, or young D. tenebrosus.  They look just like the adults, except that they are only about 1" in legspan.  Here's the thing though.  On one that I found this morning it's palps were all boxing gloved out like it was mature.  Are the males really only 1/4 the size of the females?  That would be crazy!!!  I don't want to go tossing it in with one of my big ones though unless I know that they are the same species.

How many people here have success with breeding, and do you have pics?

-curtis


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## syndicate (May 25, 2008)

thanks man.i found a couple mature males today.they were in the same spot i released spiderlings to last year.if you look on page 6 theres a shot of a mature male.


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## proper_tea (May 26, 2008)

Yeah, I went back and saw that right after I posted...

So here's what I'm unclear on...  Are they like widows, where you will see enlarged palps before the males are fully matured?  'cause I've got a couple spiders that look exactly like tiny (1" legspan, if that) dolomedes, but one looks like it's a MM.  I don't want to throw it in with a female if he still has a couple molts left before he's ready for her.  In the pics I'm seeing of MMs they look more developed, and I'm pretty sure I found a bigger MM yesterday, but was unable to actually catch it and verify.

So, I'm trying to determine if I have another species here... a mini dolomedes, or just some juvies that look like MMs.

Thanks for the help

-curtis


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## syndicate (May 26, 2008)

i dont believe the palps are to enlarged prior to maturing.the mature males i have seen are usally round an inch or so legspan.also theres two species of dolomedes:tenebrosus/scriptus that look almost identicle.


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## proper_tea (May 26, 2008)

I guess there's no harm in putting them together and seeing what happens... if I lose a male I guess I lose a male.

From what I've read tenebrosus is the common Dolomedes species in PA.  Do you  know how to identify down to species with them?  I may try to mate them tonight or tomorrow.  I'll post pics and let y'all know how it goes.

-curtis


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## proper_tea (May 30, 2008)

*These magic moments*

Ok... I introduced what I believe(d) to a MM D. Tenebrosus to a lady friend last night... here's the play by play so far...

btw... both were WC, and if I remember correctly, they both even came from the same dead tree, but I could be wrong about that...

the introduction:





(male in vile on left, female on right, partially covered by bark)

climbing on out...






where is my love? (lucinda williams anyone?)






At this point I went to bed... here's what I found in the morning...





The female is halfway in the vial, and the male is at the bottom.  It's hard to see, and at first I thought he was dead (indicating possible success?).  But no... it seems that he has molted.  So, I'm not quite sure what this means (another sperm web?)... but I'm just gonna let it play out...

here's another pic....


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## proper_tea (May 30, 2008)

Here are a couple pics of the female before the introduction...

























Is she not gorgeous?


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## syndicate (May 31, 2008)

great pics!best luck with the mating


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## proper_tea (Jun 5, 2008)

So... um... they both died...

Not quite sure what happened... possibly it was something with the bark that was in there... but the bark in there was actually from a dead oak tree where I had collected some woodlouse hunters... very alive... in fact I just found another spider (that I have yet to identify) in some from the same tree that I brought home to keep bess beetles in.

The crazy thing was, I fed the female a cricket just before I left the house.  She killed it immediately and started munching on it.  I came back later and the female and the male were dead, and the cricket was only half eaten.

Anyway... I have 3 more females, but no more males.  I will need to go collecting soon.


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## orcrist (Jun 6, 2008)

I was down at the creek the other day experimenting with a new macro photography setup, and I encountered several specimens of both D. tenebrosus and D. scriptus.

D. tenebrosus subadult females (they have boxed palps but most subadult females seem to for some reason)












D. scriptus subadult females, same deal












On the topic of Dolomedes males, in tenebrosus the males are significantly smaller with different markings, they look almost like some other species. In scriptus the males are more similar to the females, just a little smaller and differently proportioned. I'll try to shoot a few next time.


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## proper_tea (Jun 6, 2008)

very nice pics... nice to see a tenebrosus by the water, rather than in a tree...

I lived in Fredonia a couple years ago... I was a cook at BJ's.

-c


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## syndicate (Jun 6, 2008)

i thought the scriptus males were the ones that looked alot dif with the more whitebanding along the carapace and abdomen.heres a mature male that i believe is tenebrosus.







also heres a shot for size comparison with an adult female


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 6, 2008)

Awesome pictures and spiders. And I wondered why the both you found died? That's really strange. I'm sorry that it happened though.

Hopefully if you try it again that you'll be successful.

Black Widow88


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## froggyman (Jun 8, 2008)

im so jealous ive never found a dolomedes...do they like fast or slow water?


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## ErikWestblom (Jun 8, 2008)

froggyman said:


> im so jealous ive never found a dolomedes...do they like fast or slow water?


Atleast d. fimbriatus likes slow/still water. They use the surface to sense vibrations from prey. Lakes and ponds is your safest bet if you want to find them. And i guess they won't be easy to find if it's raining. Then they'll probably hide. I've found mine during sunny days with almost no movement on the water.

Guess some of you guys with d. tenebrossus can tell us how to find them?


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 8, 2008)

froggyman said:


> im so jealous ive never found a dolomedes...do they like fast or slow water?


Well the one I found was a female living in a log cavity filled with water and it was near a flowing stream kinda thing at camp. When it rained the stream like thing was also filled with water and it was running like crazy.

So I guess that the one I found might've liked fast moving water. Oh and it was gravid because a few day after I found her I saw her with an egg sac. That was a treat all together.

You'll see one someday.

Black Widow88


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## syndicate (Jun 12, 2008)

well about a week after pairing those my female has already made a huge sac 
if anyone wants any let me know


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## proper_tea (Jun 12, 2008)

I usually find D. Tenebrosus in loose bark of either dead, or living trees.  The trees can't be rotting too much.  They seem to like slightly dryer (though still wet) environments.  I've heard of, and seen pictures of tenebrosus on or at the edge of water, but I've never seen it.  However, all of mine have been within a couple hundred yards of a stream.

I have heard about them living under logs that are partially submerged, as Black Widow 88 suggests... but I haven't seen it myself.


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## proper_tea (Jun 12, 2008)

syndicate...

What do you feed your MMs?  They're so tiny.  Mine wouldn't even take a pinhead cricket.


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## syndicate (Jun 12, 2008)

proper_tea said:


> syndicate...
> 
> What do you feed your MMs?  They're so tiny.  Mine wouldn't even take a pinhead cricket.


i think i fed him to my female cause he disappeared after being in there overnight lmao :X


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 13, 2008)

syndicate said:


> i think i fed him to my female cause he disappeared after being in there overnight lmao :X


Oh no! XD Did I say that the picture with the male and female together for comparison is kinda creepy? You know why? It's because the female looks like she's going to eat him at any moment.......

.......let's just hope that I'm wrong. But I don't think so from the looks of it. I think the male should consider running away before it's too late......XD

Any way keep me posted on these wonderful spiders and the fact that the girls rule in this case! 

Black Widow88


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## jynxxxedangel (Jun 20, 2008)

*What to feed?*



proper_tea said:


> syndicate...
> 
> What do you feed your MMs?  They're so tiny.  Mine wouldn't even take a pinhead cricket.


If you have any rosebushes closeby, go check them for aphids. 

My jumper s'lings LOVE them! Maybe your fishing spiders would..


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## proper_tea (Jun 24, 2008)

Just moved my tenebrosus to a semi aquatic set-up.  She's a very lively swimmer, and the water is choc-full of guppies.  We'll see how it goes...  Here's some pics.


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## proper_tea (Jun 24, 2008)

Note the fish...


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## syndicate (Jun 24, 2008)

whoa awesome picture!mabey i should give one of my females a lil pool hehe.i think my girls eggsack is gonna hatch any day now.loookin massive!


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## proper_tea (Jun 25, 2008)

Thanks... It's really amazing to see them swim

congrats on the sac...  I've got some captive born wolf slings I'm raising at the moment... I've gotta get out and find another MM tenebrosus.

Cheers sir


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## ErikWestblom (Jun 25, 2008)

proper_tea, can u post a pic of the entire semi-aquatic setup?


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 25, 2008)

I saw one catch a fish once. And then after it finished eating I got to hold her. This was last week actually. Again how I wish I had a decent camera.

Black Widow88


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## proper_tea (Jun 27, 2008)

ErikWestblom said:


> proper_tea, can u post a pic of the entire semi-aquatic setup?


I actually just dismantled it.  But here's how it went.  I had a 5 gallon tank filled about 2/3 with water.  I put aquarium gravel in, put in a filter, and floated a piece of cork bark.  Then I dropped in about 4 dozen minnows.  

unfortunately, over all I'd say this was an unsuccessful experiment.  I think the cork bark was too unstable for her, and generally she felt too exposed.  She moved pretty quickly to living on the screen top.  Also, the minnows started to die, because the tank was overpopulated.

I've never actually found this species living at the edge of the water.  They've always been in tree bark when I've seen them.  I think for this kind of set-up to be successful, there would need to be less water, and an actual shore line with a gradient, rather than a floating raft.  I'm not sure how to sustain the fish.  They generally don't do well in shallow water.  Also, I think the spider needs a hide, which is a shame because I love looking at her.

So, over all I think that I need to approach this differently.  

Black Widow: The one that you saw eat a fish, where was it living and what did its hide look like.  I've seen pics of them eating fish, but never actually seen it in person.

-c


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## B-fish (Jun 28, 2008)

WOW the eggsack is perfecticly round, perhaps she is a perfectionist


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## Carolina_wolfie (Jun 28, 2008)

*How To Easily Find Dolomedes*

Hey, guys.

Headlighting for spiders after dark is the BEST method to use in effectively catching the most spiders in one outing.  Here ya go:

http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/mes/notes/entnote12.html

Their eyeshine gives them away.  I've captured LOTS of wolf spiders & fishing spiders this way... and many of them were huge! 

Here are some photos which show me holding a large _Dolomedes vittatus_ which I captured using the headlighting method:


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## Black Widow88 (Jun 28, 2008)

Proper_tea: It was in a lake but there were plenty of logs so it's hide out could've been one of them. It might've been a six spotted fishing spider from the looks of it.

Wolfie: DAMN! That thing is huge! And thank you for the link and the tip I will definitely try this.....when my mom is far away. LOL! 

Black Widow88


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## RodG (Jul 1, 2008)

Great photos everyone:clap:  One of my most favorite groups of true spiders


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## Carolina_wolfie (Jul 4, 2008)

I captured that beautiful spider years ago.  She was very easy to find at night with a headlight.  Yeah, I thought the _Dolomedes vittatus_ specimen which I am holding in the photos was HUGE for the species!  Heck, it was nearly as big (if not the same size) as a large adult _Dolomedes tenebrosus_!



Black Widow88 said:


> Wolfie: DAMN! That thing is huge! And thank you for the link and the tip I will definitely try this.....when my mom is far away. LOL!


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## proper_tea (Jul 4, 2008)

What kind of water do those hang out by?  I'm in Ithaca at the moment (if that means anything to you) and there are lots of waterfalls and fast moving creeks here... too fast for them?


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## Carolina_wolfie (Jul 4, 2008)

Yeah, I am fairly sure that fast moving water is too fast for fishing spiders (_Dolomedes_).  Their habitat is typically ponds, lakes, slow moving/still creeks, canals, rivers, etc...  Of course, the BEST time to find these spiders is at night with a headlight.



proper_tea said:


> What kind of water do those hang out by?  I'm in Ithaca at the moment (if that means anything to you) and there are lots of waterfalls and fast moving creeks here... too fast for them?


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 4, 2008)

Carolina_wolfie said:


> I captured that beautiful spider years ago.  She was very easy to find at night with a headlight.  Yeah, I thought the _Dolomedes vittatus_ specimen which I am holding in the photos was HUGE for the species!  Heck, it was nearly as big (if not the same size) as a large adult _Dolomedes tenebrosus_!


That's what I was thinking too about the size. Amazing though. And what a beauty!

Black Widow88


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## syndicate (Jul 5, 2008)

Carolina_wolfie very nice dolomedes you've found there!not to often to see images of them.
heres the result of my recent tenebrosus breeding


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 6, 2008)

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! 

Black Widow88


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## syndicate (Jul 6, 2008)

Dolomedes tenebrosus
Adult Female


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## syndicate (Jul 6, 2008)

also heres some shots from today when i released the spiderlings

























it was very cool to watch them all disperse!there was a nice breeze in the air today so they were going everywhere.
heres a couple more pics of momz


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## Greyhalo (Jul 6, 2008)

A Dolomedes sp. I found a few weeks back


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## syndicate (Jul 6, 2008)

thats an awesome looking spider grey!i really wanna know if thats D.scriptus


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## Carolina_wolfie (Jul 7, 2008)

Thank you very much.



syndicate said:


> Carolina_wolfie very nice dolomedes you've found there!


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## Carolina_wolfie (Jul 7, 2008)

I am very happy to learn that you've been successful in breeding this AWESOME species!

By the way, did you keep any spiderlings or did you release them all?



syndicate said:


> also heres some shots from today when i released the spiderlings


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## syndicate (Jul 7, 2008)

i released all of them except a small group.there quite tricky to raise up.tiny lil slings


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 7, 2008)

Awwwwwwwwww! So pretty! I absolutely love the metallic blue on the spiderling's legs. 

And it must've been amazing to see them disperse. I know because I had the pleasure of see it happen with some common house spiders outside my house. I showed my mom and she thought it was cool.

It was like magic. Oh and the mom was near by too "watching" them. Probably wishing them all the luck in the world. 

Black Widow88


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## cogmonkey17 (Jul 8, 2008)

*Dolomodes tenebrosus mature female*

i looked around the net, (questionably) there are 9 species of Dolomedes in the states, the closes one to _D. tenebrosus_ is _D. scriptus_, but the spider i found doesn't have the white "W" marks on the abdomen that's associated with _D. scriptus_  , so 98% sure that it's _Dolomedes tenebrosus _

here is the eye candy


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## syndicate (Jul 8, 2008)

awesome pics!


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 8, 2008)

Awwwwwwww! She made a sac. Are you going to keep it?

Black Widow88


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## cogmonkey17 (Jul 8, 2008)

Black Widow88 said:


> Awwwwwwww! She made a sac. Are you going to keep it?
> 
> Black Widow88


i don't think i could tear her away from her future offspring, literally, she never lets go, I've been watching her though, she has since moved away (photos were taken this afternoon) from the sack (about an inch), i guess she is preparing her nursery web. As much as i would like to take pictures as this progresses, it's imperative to set up a mini studio in order to get pics that are worth taking, this unfortunately means unwanted stress put on the spider (as if that isn't enough  along with the natural maternal stress of preparing for 300+ babies). I do plan to wean a portion of the "advantaged" offspring, the others though will have to either be put down, or used as food for their siblings, sadly these are not native to my area, introducing a new species would mean stress or possible "over-running" of spiders that already control my area. I also cannot release them from where the mother came from, because i don't really know where that was (at least 300 miles from my location)


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 9, 2008)

Well that also has happened to me too but with different spiders. But at least you get to watch them if you don't get to get any of the slings.

And I wouldn't want them taking over either.

Black Widow88


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## proper_tea (Jul 9, 2008)

cogmonkey17 said:


> sadly these are not native to my area, introducing a new species would mean stress or possible "over-running" of spiders that already control my area. I also cannot release them from where the mother came from, because i don't really know where that was (at least 300 miles from my location)


You might want to check this on a distribution map, because these things are pretty widely distributed in North America... you may just not have found one yet...


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## cogmonkey17 (Jul 9, 2008)

proper_tea said:


> You might want to check this on a distribution map, because these things are pretty widely distributed in North America... you may just not have found one yet...


very true, at least i Know better places to look now


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## syndicate (Jul 12, 2008)

today i walked down to the a pond near by in search of Dolomedes triton.ive found some at this location last year and got lucky again today  
took some patience to find!i kinda just sat in the same spot staring at the water for like 15-20 mins and eventually i found this female.


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## Carolina_wolfie (Jul 12, 2008)

As Steve Irwin (aka: "The Croc Hunter") often said, "She's gorgeous!"



syndicate said:


> today i walked down to the a pond near by in search of Dolomedes triton.ive found some at this location last year and got lucky again today
> took some patience to find!i kinda just sat in the same spot staring at the water for like 15-20 mins and eventually i found this female.


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## Black Widow88 (Jul 13, 2008)

She is indeed gorgeous!

Had the pleasure of seeing some at my local lakes and ponds too. Had a field day. Showed my mom she was wondering if it was going to drown and I said no, they "walk" on the surface of the water.

And the hairs on their legs help in that so they won't drown. I asked her if I could keep one ( there were several ) she's like sure, when I finally win the lottery....XD She's too much. I did catch one though.

Black Widow88


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## cogmonkey17 (Jul 18, 2008)

*egg sack hatched*






the mom made the nursery web the night before, talk about procrastination. i was surprised to say the least about the number of offspring in the egg sack,


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## proper_tea (Jul 18, 2008)

cogmonkey17 said:


> the mom made the nursery web the night before, talk about procrastination. i was surprised to say the least about the number of offspring in the egg sack,


I just found a female with an eggsac.  It's kinda bluish.  Does that mean it's getting ready to hatch?  How long do I have?  I'd like to transfer her to a larger container before it does.  I know these sacs change in appearance and the slings get ready to come out, so any info as to what I should be looking for  would be appreciated.  Here's where it's at now.


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## cogmonkey17 (Jul 18, 2008)

proper_tea said:


> I just found a female with an eggsac.  It's kinda bluish.  Does that mean it's getting ready to hatch?  How long do I have?  I'd like to transfer her to a larger container before it does.  I know these sacs change in appearance and the slings get ready to come out, so any info as to what I should be looking for  would be appreciated.  Here's where it's at now.


i noticed it get much darker before they hatched, it also started to bulge a bit where the holes from the mothers fangs where, your spider's sack look pretty fresh, but that could be from the flash. I say you would be safe to change her enclosure as long as she has a hold of her egg sack.


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## proper_tea (Jul 18, 2008)

The sac is slightly darker... but it's sort of a light blue grey, and doesn't seem to be bulging.  What did you do for temp/humidity requirements.  It seems like they need a decent amount of humidity, but with the slings being so tiny, I don't want to have a ton of big holes in the enclosure... but I don't want to see mold kill the eggs either.


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## proper_tea (Jul 18, 2008)

also, I do plan on raising a good number of the slings... for anyone that may want one.


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## RodG (Jul 18, 2008)

Awesome photo Proper Tea:clap:


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## proper_tea (Jul 18, 2008)

thanks...  This species is incredibly photogenic... no real effort necessary


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## cogmonkey17 (Jul 18, 2008)

proper_tea said:


> thanks...  This species is incredibly photogenic... no real effort necessary


I'll second that, extremely easy to capture.

Do you know if these slings will eat ants, ill will keep a portion of the sack, but only if i know i can support them.


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## PAUL BOLLINGER (Jul 23, 2008)

*Amazing pictures everyone!*

I love the Fishers. Here is a care sheet that I put together on this species.


Dolomedes tenebrosus (Louisiana Dusky Fisher Spider)


D. tenebrosus. Gravid female.








Cypress and Gum and Tupelo swamps make up a large part of the Gulf Coast of the USA. Louisiana is no exception. At night the swamps in the Pearl River Drainage in Southeast Louisiana come alive with all forms of life. Moths, Beetles, Crickets appear everywhere. Bats swoop in and out the spotlight taking advantage of the congregation of insects in the light. The swamp is full of examples of one species bowing down to another, completing an elaborate cycle of life and death. One can’t help but admire the amount of death and rebirth that takes place, in one night, in this habitat. I find myself considering the swamp to be one large life form, with little intricate synapses happening on an incomprehensible level. It’s truly amazing to witness this life force at work. 

Sitting comfortably atop the invertebrate apex in the Pearl River Swamp are undoubtedly, “The Fisher Spiders.” Fisher spiders fall under the family Pisauridae which contains the genre’s Dolomedes and Pisaurina. This care sheet will cover the Arboreal species of the genus Dolomedes occurring in the SE United States. Specifically, The Dusky Fisher Spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus).

Unfortunately there is not much info available on this genus, or at least not available to non-academia, so these are the observations of a layman. They are not scientific but they are real observations.

I would argue that the D. tenebrosus and D.okeefinokensis make up the largest of the true spiders in North America. These are the unknown Monsters of the Swamp. Specimens in excess of 5” leg spans are not uncommon and unverified reports of specimens up to 8” exist. I typically don’t believe fish stories, snake stories or even spider stories, but in this case I have personally witnessed spiders with leg spans of at least 6” that were out of my reach. So the prospect of such a large true spider really excites me.

The Cypress trees that the largest spiders inhabit have bases comparable to two cars parked next to each other. If there are hollows and retreats extending 30 feet up in the tree then there are giant spiders that high up the tree. I never find them on the ground. They are always sitting in ambush position on a tree or root or Cypress knee.

 Fisher spiders in the genus Dolomedes eyes’ are oriented forward on the cephlathorax. This makes detection tricky. This spider is typically facing down the trunk of the tree.



 This orientation seems necessary for predation of fish and other invertebrates. However I find very few of these spiders with fish as prey. Dolomedes triton is commonly seen with fish as prey, where the D. tenebrosus is most frequently seen with moths, beetles and often members of their own species. 

Cannibalism is common in this species.  I haven’t noted whether this was post-copulation Cannibalism of males by females, or if this was merely an opportunistic feed. I will say that most of the cannibalism that I have witnessed was by larger spiders 3”-4” Leg span.

 “The reproducing of lost organs- the reproducing of legs that have been lost by immature spiders is frequently observed. If a leg lost by a young spider the wound soon heals, and at the succeeding mount the bud of a new leg appears this bud increases in size at each succeeding moult; and in time if the process begins early enough in life for the spider then a functional leg is obtained.” - Comstock


Life Cycle:

“At the beginning of the 20th century the conventional wisdom about araneomorph 
spider life-cycles was that most were annuals, either spring breeders or summer-autumn breeders (Emerton 1902). Palmgren (1939) provided one of the ﬁrst exceptions when he
described the two-year cycle of Dolomedes  ﬁmbriatus (Clerck 1757) where juveniles
over wintered twice. “-2001. The Journal of Arachnology 29:367–377 

 I believe that the Dusky Fisher Spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus) occurring in Louisiana can live for over two years and possibly even 3 years in captivity. I only find large females specimens around Bald Cypress (T. distichum) trees that are large with hollows. Lack of hibernacula certainly seems to coincide with lack of large spiders. This seems to be a rule. I believe that these trees serve as hibernacula during the winter months and prime-time hunting during the spring and summer. 

Handling:

I do not recommend that ANY spider species is handled. I know it sounds paranoid, but I have been bitten in the field by Scolopendra and Dolomedes and I don’t like it. Therefore, I advise people to only hold what they are willing to take a bite from. Plain and Simple- On that note, this is not a medically significant spider. I suffered a bite on the neck from a 2” D. tenebrosus while swimming in a cypress bayou. I was unaware of it’s presence until I smashed it on my neck then I was bitten. I experienced localized pain and minor swelling followed by light lymph secretion, very localized tissue damage along the lines of a large pimple, and no lasting effects or even a cool scar. 

As far as disposition, I find them to be fairly non-defensive. The flight response must be the most successful response in their habitat because it is almost always the reaction to my intrusion. In fact, when I handle them (gloved) for capture, they do not seem outwardly aggressive. They are fast spiders when they want to be but most of them seem to sit and wait. I would say that they are a good notch down from the Heteropoda (Huntsman) species that I’ve worked with.




Breeding: I have not successfully bred this species but will amend this section once successful breeding is accomplished.


Housing:

A large spider can be set up in a 10gallon Tank with a screen lid. This spider is incapable of climbing glass and other smooth surfaces. Cork board adhered to the back of the tank will serve as a platform for your spider to hunt and rest. Keep in mind this species is absolutely arboreal meaning that it lives in or on trees. A retreat is nice and will make your spider feel more secure in its new habitat. They do not require water as substrate in the enclosure but it will help maintain the humidity levels and it makes for easier cage cleaning. Tannic acids (Tea Color in Water) given off by the bark are not a problem. These spiders come from a very acidic habitat. This will also cut down on any fungal growth in the cage.  Cypress mulch as a substrate works well too.  A light can be used to create a temp gradient in the cage but is really unnecessary considering they are a nocturnal spider.  I have witnessed specimens feeding in hollows during the daytime though.

Housing for sale:
This method has worked well for me:
A piece of bark (corrugated cardboard can be used but they love Oak bark) in a 32oz container is sufficient. Water can be added to the bottom of the container until there is ½” in the bottom. A hole at the water level will keep you from having to interact with your spider during each cleaning. Simply tip the container to pour out the water and refill through the same hole. 



Temps: 
70Low-90High 

Food:
 I feed Fisher spiders all types of invertebrates. They seem to like roaches and moths but will readily accept anything that is moving and of comparable size. It would not surprise me if these spiders might feed on bats (mammal moths) when they get larger 6”+!

All in all, I think this is a much overlooked true spider. In the race for the biggest and the best, Well at least when it comes to North American true spiders, the trophy goes to the giant Dolomedes of the Pearl River Swamp. This is a real enjoyable species to keep.


Care sheet by:
Paul Bollinger
BayouSurreal
Copyright 2008


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## Carolina_wolfie (Jul 27, 2008)

Thank you very much for the caresheet.  So, do you come across any of these monster-sized spiders which you've mentioned very often???  If so, then I would be highly interested in obtaining some from you.

By the way, I am originally from Louisiana.  I am Cajun.  I love boiled crawfish!!!



PAUL BOLLINGER said:


> I love the Fishers. Here is a care sheet that I put together on this species.
> 
> Care sheet by:
> Paul Bollinger
> ...


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## ErikWestblom (Aug 20, 2008)

Here are some pics of my two D. fimbriatus.

My juvie female, about 1/2 inch BL:


























And my adult female, about 3/4 inch BL:














Habitat:







Female guarding her young:


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## Black Widow88 (Aug 20, 2008)

Oh wow! Those are awesome! And the adults and juvies look so different. I thought that they were different species at first.

Awesome pics and spiders!

Black Widow88


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## ErikWestblom (Aug 24, 2008)

Made some changes to their "tanks" (they're like 5 1/2" x 7").

Here's some more pics of the same spiders as before and their new setups.

Juvie:











Adult:


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## syndicate (Aug 24, 2008)

wow that setup looks great!very natural
nice job!


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## cogmonkey17 (Sep 7, 2008)

*Wild Dolomedes spp.*

probably tenebrosus








NOTE:
These are not wild, just an up close photo of my CB D. tenebrosus that i released


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## thomas22 (Sep 10, 2008)

syndicate said:


> sac looks alot bigger man yeah.just rehoused my hopefully gravid female.hey any idea on how to tell the difference between d.scriptus and tenebrosus?according to spiders of the eastern usa they are distinguished by dif genitalia structure but i guesse they both overlap the same habitats.i just ordered the book spiders of connecticut the other day so hopefully that will help figure this out.


i have both D.tenbrosus and scriptus in my area. the way i tell the difference that was taught to me by a Misouri entomologist was tenebrosus are darker and scriptus have the same patterns but lighter and grayish almost white. also the individuals that i have found seem to be slightly smaller and a tad less aquatic.


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## bhoeschcod (Nov 25, 2008)

thanks for the care sheet


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## wolfs79 (Jul 31, 2013)

*Dolomedes okefinokensis*

My female Dolomedes Okefinokensis. And carolina wolfs.


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## Lonewolf13 (Aug 2, 2013)

I recently (about two months ago), found and captured a Dolomedes Tenebrosus (Dark Fishing Spider).  She laid an egg sac about three weeks ago.  Does anyone know how long it takes for the sac to hatch?  Also when will she put it down?  lol, she has not even tried to make a nursery web yet.  I changed her habitat yesterday, hoping more sticks and hidey holes would prompt her to find somewhere safe to put it down.  Also, what should I do with it.  My roomates would not be happy if they hatched while I was at work one day (her Terrarium has holes in the top that the little guys could fit through.) I kinda want to keep three to see if I could raise them but I don't want any getting loose in the house.  Any suggestions?  I'll post pics of her later.


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## BlueEther (Oct 10, 2014)

I stumbled across this thread and thought I would necromance it with a couple of wild spiders. I'm thinking of keeping maybe a D. aquaticus in the coming year.
a small D. aquaticus in almost still peat stream on a walkway






Large D. aquaticus












another D. aquaticus












D. dondalei (only formally described in 2010)






another D. dondalei (the net is about 160mm across - 6 in)






Typical D. dondalei habitat






Typical D. dondalei and D. aquaticus habitat






More typical D. aquaticus habitat






D. aquaticus prefer open stream/rivers but there is some crossover

Full sized images can be found here:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113298704761943818357/albums/5861772068505312881

Reactions: Like 3


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