A. aurantia eggs!

[Micrathena]

A beautiful Argiope aurantia I have been keeping has recently passed away... But not before laying two egg sacs! I admit I may have squealed a bit, but not without cause. I will take a photo when the babies hatch.

 

[paassatt]

I found a really big and gorgeous female at my apartment complex about a month and a half ago and really wanted to catch her and bring her home but I didn't because I knew she'd die about the same time yours did. Figured it'd be best to leave her out in nature to live out her last month or so.

 

[jecraque]

How are you keeping the eggs? I've got a Gastracantha sac I lucked into and am not sure if I need to do anything with it...

 

[Micrathena]

I'm keeping them in my garage so they don't hatch too early. Oh, and where did you find a Gasteracantha? That entire genus is pretty amazing.

---------- Post added 12-03-2013 at 08:47 PM ----------

I keep them in my garage so the heat of my room doesn't cause a premature hatching. Oh, and I'm officially jealous of your find, Gasteracantha are awesome spiders.

 

[jecraque]

Thanks for the advice! I've had them on the windowsill only because it felt right to simulate an overwintering type deal, but I've only had experience with things like lycosids where they're dependent on the mother to open the sac. I'd love to have a ton of little Gasteracantha running around, but I'm trying not to be too optimistic about it in case nothing happens. Mom-spider was collected in coastal SC by a student of mine--sensing her impending doom perhaps, she laid a sac in the collection vial. It's the craziest shade of neon green!!

 

[McGuiverstein]

I have two sacs of A. aurantia as well! I'm pretty excited to see the babies, although with the potential number in each sac, I'm thinking I'm going to have to let them thin themselves out a bit. Of those, some will be released, and some will stay with me. I'm considering releasing some of the ones I keep into high corners of my apartment (lahl). Unfortunately, my N. clavipes was not gravid. I would have given both A. aurantia sacs for one clavipes sac.. oh:

 

[Micrathena]

Where do you get a clavipes? Did you go to Florida or some such locale?

---------- Post added 12-05-2013 at 03:47 PM ----------

Never mind, just read your post. And if you never saw my post before this, ignore me.