audax sperm storage???

dannyboypede

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
142
Hello Arachnoreaders,
I have a few jumpers, and one of them is currently laying a pile of fertile looking eggs. They are nice and yellow and everything. This would be lovely, but there are a few issues. First, I haven't mated this girl (or at least I know it is a girl now). You may be thinking, she is wild caught and was fertilized in the wild. Well, here is where the question comes in... I caught this girl when she was about a quarter inch. That is 2 molts ago. I expected another molt from this girl before she matured, so when she closed off her retreat, that is what I thought she was up to. This morning I look in and she has a very small abdomen, so I figured she had molted. To see if she was male or female, I held a flashlight very close to the hide and took a look. There was a pile of yellow eggs. So my question is, can P. audax store sperm for that long, or is it a dud?
Thanks,
Dan;)
 

Widowman10

Arachno WIDOW
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Messages
4,212
Hello Arachnoreaders,
I have a few jumpers, and one of them is currently laying a pile of fertile looking eggs. They are nice and yellow and everything. This would be lovely, but there are a few issues. First, I haven't mated this girl (or at least I know it is a girl now). You may be thinking, she is wild caught and was fertilized in the wild. Well, here is where the question comes in... I caught this girl when she was about a quarter inch. That is 2 molts ago. I expected another molt from this girl before she matured, so when she closed off her retreat, that is what I thought she was up to. This morning I look in and she has a very small abdomen, so I figured she had molted. To see if she was male or female, I held a flashlight very close to the hide and took a look. There was a pile of yellow eggs. So my question is, can P. audax store sperm for that long, or is it a dud?
Thanks,
Dan;)
not possible for a few reasons. an antepenultimate spider does not have developed sexual organs. also, it would most certainly lose the sperm with 2 molts.

now i'm not up to date on phid jumpers laying phantoms/duds, so i'm not the best guy for that.
 

dannyboypede

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
142
Is it possible for a penultimate female to lay a phantom? I could have sworn this girl had a molt to go, cause I had a male of the same size molt to maturity.

--Dan
 

Widowman10

Arachno WIDOW
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Messages
4,212
Is it possible for a penultimate female to lay a phantom? I could have sworn this girl had a molt to go, cause I had a male of the same size molt to maturity.

--Dan
i do not think so, but again, this isn't my area so i don't know for certain.

and remember, size is pretty relative, they can mature at different instars.
 

Silberrücken

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Messages
875
not possible for a few reasons. an antepenultimate spider does not have developed sexual organs. also, it would most certainly lose the sperm with 2 molts.

now i'm not up to date on phid jumpers laying phantoms/duds, so i'm not the best guy for that.
A+ Widowman10 :clap:

S.
 

dannyboypede

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
142
Well, we will see. They said a 4 inch male Dolomedes tenebrosus wasn't possible...and I proved them wrong;). {D *If* it turns out to be a dud, as I am not ruling anything out, I will be sure to post an update.
Thanks for the info Widowman,
Dan
 
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