Entomophagous Fungi?

[The Mantis Menagerie]

I caught a wolf spider about a week ago, and this morning it is dead and covered in white fuzz. I was wondering if it was some type of entomophagous fungi (or rather arachnophagous). If it is a fungi, then are my other pets at risk? I have a large collection of mantids, millipedes, beetles, and various orthopterans. I also have other true spiders that I am breeding like green lynx spiders, and I have several more wolf spiders. If it is a dangerous fungi, then how should I try and contain it?

 

[schmiggle]

It's either an entomophagous fungus or the wolf spider died and was then colonized by mold. From the picture it's impossible to tell which, and it probably won't be possible in any case without a microscope. It definitely looks like an entomophagous fungus to me, though. I would only worry about the other spiders, and I would just take the entire container, throw out everything inside, and bleach it.

 

[The Snark]

I would only worry about the other spiders, and I would just take the entire container, throw out everything inside, and bleach it.

Or cover it with black material and let it bake in the sun for a couple of days with everything inside. Target is >160 F long enough for the interior of all material within to reach that temp. for 20 minutes. Bury the probe of an oven thermometer in the very bottom of the substrate. A hair dryer can augment the heating but must be used cautiously as it's over temp sensor may kick out.

Keep in mind, cleaning out the tank is inevitably going to spray invisible clouds of spores.

 

[schmiggle]

Shark's method will work, but may not be practical where you are if it's wintry.

Keep in mind, cleaning out the tank is inevitably going to spray invisible clouds of spores.

Absolutely. You would preferably do everything outside, where there are spores of everything anyway and things fly away.

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

I volunteer at local science museums, and I was considering asking if I could use an autoclave just to make sure the fungus was destroyed. The container is glued shut, and it is a cheap deli cup, so could I just through it out? Also, do you think that this fungi poses a risk to my scorpions or my amblypygid?

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

I just checked on my baby green lynx spiders, and I noticed some moldy ones. There has been a lot of cannibalism, and I think some were already dead. I have never had this issue before with entomophagous fungi, and it seems a little quick for it to have spread in just a few days. I have had some dead insects get covered in white, fuzzy mold before, so it might be the same thing.

 

[schmiggle]

I just checked on my baby green lynx spiders, and I noticed some moldy ones. There has been a lot of cannibalism, and I think some were already dead. I have never had this issue before with entomophagous fungi, and it seems a little quick for it to have spread in just a few days. I have had some dead insects get covered in white, fuzzy mold before, so it might be the same thing.

Yeah, it usually takes a few weeks, I think. It has to have time to eat all the tissue first. Like I said, there's no way to tell from your picture what it actually is. I really meant that it's not worth risking anything.

Autoclaving seems like overkill.

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

If autoclaving is overkill, then is there anything wrong with just throwing the entire container away to just get it as far away from my other pets as possible?

 

[pannaking22]

If it's just a cheap deli cup and you don't mind pitching it I'd say go ahead and do that.

 

[The Snark]

If it isn't labeled microwave proof/acceptable, an autoclave will trash plastics - make them very brittle, and crack all non tempered glass.

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

Most of my deli cups are polypropylene, which can be safely autoclaved.

 

[ArachnidBoi]

I would just get rid of it. Taking chances with mold seems risky.