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- Jul 1, 2018
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Thanks for the input, @AphonopelmaTX, and i really like your own interpretation of the stages, they make a lot of sense.
However i do think that EWL, prelarvae, postembrios, or however you want to call them should be considered first instar. Not only do they have the ability to feed, as is described in "The Tarantula Keepers Guide" by Stanley A. Schulz (Page 286) and in a recent contribution by @Theraphosid Research Team, in this post: https://arachnoboards.com/threads/s...sid-praelarvae-and-larvae.353153/post-3263528, they also hatched from an egg.
And the definition clearly states that arthropods hatch from eggs in the first instar and that they advance by one, for each molt. However i do think instar is not the best way to describe a spiders life cycle.
When it comes to the definition of larvae it is a little more tricky as they do lack some of the features that both the nymphs and adults have. It appears to me as if they simply reused a term instead of inventing a new word for it since the definition fits partially. In an evolutionary context insect larvae and spider larvae are nothing alike ofc. Also unlike with the metamorphosis some insects go through the spiders development appears much more linear.
And yes at first glance Mygalomorphae really do appear to fall further from the stem than their Araneomorphae cousins. Both the ability to continue molting after reaching sexual maturity and the prolonged development as post-embryos is extremely fascinating to me.
However i do think that EWL, prelarvae, postembrios, or however you want to call them should be considered first instar. Not only do they have the ability to feed, as is described in "The Tarantula Keepers Guide" by Stanley A. Schulz (Page 286) and in a recent contribution by @Theraphosid Research Team, in this post: https://arachnoboards.com/threads/s...sid-praelarvae-and-larvae.353153/post-3263528, they also hatched from an egg.
And the definition clearly states that arthropods hatch from eggs in the first instar and that they advance by one, for each molt. However i do think instar is not the best way to describe a spiders life cycle.
When it comes to the definition of larvae it is a little more tricky as they do lack some of the features that both the nymphs and adults have. It appears to me as if they simply reused a term instead of inventing a new word for it since the definition fits partially. In an evolutionary context insect larvae and spider larvae are nothing alike ofc. Also unlike with the metamorphosis some insects go through the spiders development appears much more linear.
And yes at first glance Mygalomorphae really do appear to fall further from the stem than their Araneomorphae cousins. Both the ability to continue molting after reaching sexual maturity and the prolonged development as post-embryos is extremely fascinating to me.
