Caring for an Octoplegic

[Cavedweller]

What do these wasps do for the environment ? Could You help Out T population by hunting down & Exterminating some of there nests?
I guess god make the pepsis wasp so it must be good, but it is killing Ts. It needs Exterminated to in areas with small T populations.

Adult pepsis wasps are pollinators, and they presumably help keep T populations at healthy levels. As much as I love Ts and as horrifying as the pepsis wasp lifecycle is, I certainly don't hate them or support killing them to protect tarantulas. Disturbing any one part of the foodchain can't be good for the rest of it.

I could maybe see the argument being made for protecting critically endangered T populations from pepsis wasps until they can recover, but I don't think there's any solid data on what percentage of a T population is killed by pepsis wasps.

These wasps are the size of birds !! 2-3"?? body-length and 5" wingspan Huge!!!

They're noisy too! The buzz from their wings is quite something. I've only seen one in person and he was very impressive.

 

[awiec]

Adult pepsis wasps are pollinators, and they presumably help keep T populations at healthy levels. As much as I love Ts and as horrifying as the pepsis wasp lifecycle is, I certainly don't hate them or support killing them to protect tarantulas. Disturbing any one part of the foodchain can't be good for the rest of it.

I could maybe see the argument being made for protecting critically endangered T populations from pepsis wasps until they can recover, but I don't think there's any solid data on what percentage of a T population is killed by pepsis wasps.


They're noisy too! The buzz from their wings is quite something. I've only seen one in person and he was very impressive.

Interesting thing about Sphex wasps (I think that is what was pictured) is that they can get very specific, in that they will hunt down only one or two particular species of spiders/other prey item, which presumably keeps them in check. Wasps in general are very helpful animals in that they take care of many pests and should be valued as such, even if they do kill spiders. Nature has its way of keeping balance, the mere idea that we need to kill the wasps to "save the spiders" is only brought about by humanities won-ton destruction of habitats.

 

[Cavedweller]

I would be very surprised if they didn't specialize in particular species. Don't most parasitoids?

 

[awiec]

I would be very surprised if they didn't specialize in particular species. Don't most parasitoids?

In the case of Pompilidae they are very much generalists and will use whatever they can carry and subdue to feed their young (many "tarantula hawks" fall into this family). Sphecidae on the other hand, get very specific, even down to what species and sometimes gender of prey they go for. Both families focus on different hunting styles even though both have a similar reproduction cycle.

 

[IHeartTs]

This is one amazing story. I salute you for your patience and kindness. I would vote to keep her as you deserve each other. I personally wouldnt be able to part with her knowing she might not be so lucky in thr wild, but thats just me. Hope everything works out for her!

 

[z32upgrader]

How's Charlotte?

She's doing good. I just got back from Thanksgiving with family in California. She hasn't moved a muscle in five days. Just like many other spiders in my collection.

 

[Sana]

Glad to hear it. Hope you had a good holiday.

 

[z32upgrader]

Update!

Charlotte has been making strides in her recovery. When I hydrated her yesterday, I put her in the middle of her enclosure, and when I checked on her this morning, she was all the way in the corner! She's able to crawl now, and I couldn't be happier for her!
I squirted the guts of a mealworm onto her mouth today and she downed it pretty quickly. Her digestive system works just fine all the way through.
She likes to flick a fang out when I pick her up to flip her over.
So cute!

 

[Smokehound714]

Dont release it back into the wild. Despite the improvements and 'success stories', none ever really thrive much. The venom does permanent damage to them, many tend to lose the ability to raise their abdomens due to permanent damage to the pedicel from the sting.

Some will survive in capitivty, but they're certain to die if released, even if they begin to walk and feed.

 

[Sana]

Go baby go!

 

[jigalojey]

Awesome to see this Tarantula going strong, 8 years ago my friend was stung by one of these up in Northern Queensland and what a brutal sting that was, he cried like a baby for 20 mins and it left a gigantic welt, they can pack one hell of a sting.

 

[Methal]

That is one hell of a beauty! Most definitely hold onto that girl. I couldn't be happier to see that she is up and about!
Honestly prepared myself to hear that she had passed.

 

[cold blood]

That is one hell of a beauty!
Honestly prepared myself to hear that she had passed.

No way, I had faith in "doctor" upgrader all the way! lol, seriously, mad props for saving this beauty "Doc".

 

[awiec]

She is a very charming specimen, while I'm usually all for re-release into the wild, she may be compromised for the rest of her life so it would be best to keep her. If you do happen to ever breed her (if she recovers enough to be able to do the ritual) then you could always release some of the young in the wild if you know where she was collected from to keep the population strong.

 

[sunnyle]

Any updates on the octoplegic!?

 

[MrCrackerpants]

Any updates on the octoplegic!?

Yes, please

 

[z32upgrader]

Yes, please

Thanks for your continued interest in little Charlotte and sorry for the delay.
She is still doing fine although her improvements seem to have plateaued. Nothing new has happened in over two weeks. She's still enjoying her mealworm-guts-soup and waterings.

I guess we'll just have to wait it out and hope for a successful molt.

 

[problemchildx]

Thanks for the update, it looks like her abdomen is looking good.

I hope she pulls through

 

[MrCrackerpants]

Thanks for the update. I am wondering if anyone has ever done this before. If so, I have not heard of it. I wonder if you are breaking new scientific ground.

 

[miss moxie]

I bet that slacker isn't even paralyzed anymore. Why start walking around and doing things for yourself when you're getting fed and watered while lazing about?

Just kidding. This is a very touching story! It's obvious you've got a very big heart, and you care a lot about her. I hope you keep her, if not because you deserve the reward of watching her grow up after all your work, then just because it's a fascinating study. To record progress, note molts and compare them to others. For example, if her growth ended up stunted somehow. Or if she ever fully regains function of her limbs or if she'll always be more sluggish. Just spitballing here, lots of possibilities! Could be she ends up just fine. Either way, worth keeping track of.

Also when I read the title I honestly thought the spider had dropped all of it's limbs. I was trying to picture that in my head.