Dead spider whilst chewing on a cricket

[scotland]

Hey came home from work and was doing my "rounds". When I noticed one of my pterinochilus vorax was in death curl and on closer look I seen it died, doing what tarantulas like doing best and that's eating on a black cricket. Has anyone came across this themselves?

 

[cold blood]

Now you are across the pond, so things may be different, but here a black cricket usually means wild caught.....was this the case?

I've never heard of a t dying in the middle of a meal....pesticides on the cricket are the only explanation I can think of.

 

[dementedlullaby]

Actually in the UK a lot of crickets sold for feeders are the black field variety.

 

[scotland]

Now you are across the pond, so things may be different, but here a black cricket usually means wild caught.....was this the case?

I've never heard of a t dying in the middle of a meal....pesticides on the cricket are the only explanation I can think of.

Hello cold blood no mate, it was a cricket from a cricket box I bought from local pet store.
But was one of the last ones in the box. I had fed my collection with them... the spider was wild caught, 7 legs and was one of 4 who got lost for a week. In a very cold country. 3 survived 1 died but he was the one who was more "ballsy" then the others... He had struck out everything the two others were more sluggish suprised he died at all why I fed him first because he was more with it... But I found him like this very bizarre finding him like that fang still in the back of crickets neck

 

[Ellenantula]

I am so very sorry for your tarantula loss. Also, at a complete loss as to why one would die mid-meal. Probably the weirdest T death I have heard of. So sad.

 

[MrsHaas]

I am so very sorry for your tarantula loss. Also, at a complete loss as to why one would die mid-meal. Probably the weirdest T death I have heard of. So sad.

Yes very strange indeed! Tragic none the less. My condolences.

 

[Stranger]

Only thing that would make any sense is that some sort of pesticide or insecticide was on or in that cricket, something like that could easily kill a tarantula quickly enough for them to not even stop eating. Sorry for your loss, I'd be weary about crickets from that source in the future personally.

 

[scotland]

Only thing that would make any sense is that some sort of pesticide or insecticide was on or in that cricket, something like that could easily kill a tarantula quickly enough for them to not even stop eating. Sorry for your loss, I'd be weary about crickets from that source in the future personally.

Thing is the rest the spiders would be dead. I think instinct took over and in the process died it was wild caught
So good knows could be anything no a very hardy species vorax I'll be honest

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Decades ago, a friend of mine did an epic oop: and offered to his Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens sling a little (normal, not 'black') cricket he found near the vineyards located in the hills outside our town.

Ater few days, the T started to behave weird; the legs were out of control, not able anymore to eat, the minimum noise/normal "mess" near the enclosure was enough for drive that poor thing mad. After less than 10 days, he/she died.

100% intoxicated by a polluted cricket. Now everything can happens, and the same (in a different contest) could had happened to yours. But you said that yours was a WC, and sometimes there's % that WC T's carry something. That's why i'm always a bit skeptical with WC specimens.

 

[Ellenantula]

I am wondering if you found the T upside down hugging the prey. I considered perhaps the T may have flipped to moult, grabbed a living cricket that wandered by too close and that prey lunge caused it to die while trying to moult. (I realize you may have flipped it yourself when removing it from enclosure).

But if you found the T upright -- there would be little to be concerned about seeing a T hugging a cricket -- mine body hug theirs until they have it well contained by bite/venom before standing tall to dine. What made you assume it was a death curl? Did you wait a few hours and just see no movement?

I've even wondered if the cricket injured/killed the T by biting the T.

Curious. Sorry. Just such a weird thing to happen.

 

[cold blood]

Ellen, empty your message box, woman!!

 

[Ellenantula]

Ellen, empty your message box, woman!!

Oooops, sorry -- I deleted a few, it fills up too darn fast!

 

[SpiderDad61]

Lol message box.
Sorry for the dead T. It's the weirdest thing I've seen in a while. Hope no other T's get it

 

[Stranger]

Thing is the rest the spiders would be dead. I think instinct took over and in the process died it was wild caught
So good knows could be anything no a very hardy species vorax I'll be honest

Its possible something was wrong with the singular cricket and not the rest of the bunch, but unlikely. Was your tarantula a mature male? Even being WC I would think if something natural was gonna kill it it likely wouldn't have eaten right before, who knows though?? Maybe just a freak event, I'd still be weary of the cricket source

 

[assidreemz]

rip "hungry t" :-(

 

[scotland]

I am wondering if you found the T upside down hugging the prey. I considered perhaps the T may have flipped to moult, grabbed a living cricket that wandered by too close and that prey lunge caused it to die while trying to moult. (I realize you may have flipped it yourself when removing it from enclosure).

But if you found the T upright -- there would be little to be concerned about seeing a T hugging a cricket -- mine body hug theirs until they have it well contained by bite/venom before standing tall to dine. What made you assume it was a death curl? Did you wait a few hours and just see no movement?

I've even wondered if the cricket injured/killed the T by biting the T.

Curious. Sorry. Just such a weird thing to happen.

No not at all was found deathcurl and when I flipped it the cricket was dead in its mouth.. fangs at the back of the neck so cricket didn't stand chance. I would of found other dead spiders im sure if was anything to do with cricket.

I think instinct kicked in... it caught cricket but wasn't strong enough to finish the cricket, hadn't even started to be eating.
wild caught it happens but crazy situation never seen or heard anything had been lost for a week which didn't help in post

---------- Post added 12-16-2015 at 10:02 PM ----------

Its possible something was wrong with the singular cricket and not the rest of the bunch, but unlikely. Was your tarantula a mature male? Even being WC I would think if something natural was gonna kill it it likely wouldn't have eaten right before, who knows though?? Maybe just a freak event, I'd still be weary of the cricket source

No was too small to be matured new to species though.... apparently is maybe two forms.... need to seek advice with the two specimens I have