Baby wolf spiders!

Exuviae

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 4, 2015
Messages
60
Hey guys, I haven't posted here in a while, but I thought some of you might appreciate this little scene I woke up to today. I caught this girl back in March during a spring break trip to Georgia with my university's entomology club and today I found little ones on her back! I wasn't sure if she was fertile or not after her first sac disappeared after only a week or so, but this one was sticking around for long enough (and getting bigger!) that I thought maybe some spiderlings were inside. :) I'm pretty excited because this is the first wolf spider brood that's hatched in my care and Lycosidae is one of my favorite families!
 

Attachments

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
Congratulations! I hope you have them in something escape-proof. Once they decide to leave Mama's back, those adorable wee beasties are brilliant escape artists.They can (and will!) climb glass and squeeze through the tiniest ventilation holes - and then you're up half the night, on hands and knees, chasing them down with a cup and a paint brush!
 

klawfran3

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 6, 2013
Messages
645
I had a wolf spider disperse its babies in my house, not a fun deal finding them everywhere I went. I agree with Chanda. Make sure you have something they can't climb out of, or keep it outside because otherwise you'll be finding them for weeks.
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,044
That's a funny little surprise. Adult Lycos can't climb for beans as a rule. So you get lulled into a sense of false security. Those kids now, that is a different story. :astonished::confused::eek::astonished:
 

shining

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 15, 2011
Messages
755
Wolf spiders were my first love growing up and what ultimately got me into keeping Ts. I wish more were present in this part of the city. Hmmmph...:/

Enjoy that bundle of spooder joy.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
That's a funny little surprise. Adult Lycos can't climb for beans as a rule. So you get lulled into a sense of false security. Those kids now, that is a different story. :astonished::confused::eek::astonished:
I know, right??? The adults will climb some plastic enclosures - but they aren't terribly good at it, unless they have ventilation holes to give them a foothold or eight. Mostly they just scrabble at the sides. Those babies, though! I even tried Vaseline around the top of the tank to prevent climbing (which works great for hissing cockroaches) but those baby wolf spiders just walked right over it!
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,044
Remembering a friend of the family out in the farmland around Chula Vista Calif. Her lawn, sort of a harf arsed mowed field, was up to it's eyeballs in lycos. She let the dairy cattle graze there occasionally. Just sit in one spot for a minute and you would have 3 or 4 climbing you. Sort of like slightly bumbling inept jumpers, curiously exploring everything.
 

Exuviae

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 4, 2015
Messages
60
Thanks, everyone! I'll make sure keep an eye on them and double up on enclosures to help minimize escapes!
 
Top