Fishing Spider Not Eating?

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

I recently ordered a female fishing spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus). I fed her a few days after she arrived, and she took the meal happily. It has been more than a week, and she is refusing food. Is this normal? She was wild caught, and might be an adult. Thank you if you can help!

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

Do you have photos? If her abdomen is plump she’s probably full. If she’s not mature, it’s also possible that she’s going into premolt. I wouldn’t be concerned at all unless she’s skinny.

 

[wolfs79]

Yes depending on how plump her abdomen is as stated she should be fine if her abdomen is more round full looking. When the females are old and kinda exhausted from making egg sacs they stop feeding abdomen starts to look like a raisin they start to curl their looks in when they try to walk this is a bad sign.

A picture would definitely help. Good chance she is getting ready to molt as stated. I had one once that would not eat for two weeks then next day went to check on her and she was molting.

Some true spiders go off feed before molting especially the large wolf spiders and maybe dolomedes tenebrosus.


Please keep us posted!

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

Yes, her abdomen is quite plump. I was a little worried because ive seen other people say that they fed their fishing spiders a few times a week. I'll post pictures soon, It is night right now and really dark. Thanks! C:

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

You certainly can feed them several times a week, but if you do this they’ll get full pretty quickly and refuse food until the next molt, sometimes for several weeks.

 

[wolfs79]

Agree with reign of invertebrates, also I do speculate shes going to molt soon.

See if you can post a picture of her I would still like to see.

I just caught this dolomedes scriptus female, yesterday you can see she is plump looking.

Woke up this morning and she molted I'll post a pic of her later today it's amazing how much she grew!

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

This is super weird... I haven't fed her but she is getting fatter and fatter every day! I'm posting a pic of her now. She was a wild-caught adult, is it possible that she is gravid?

 

[wolfs79]

This is super weird... I haven't fed her but she is getting fatter and fatter every day! I'm posting a pic of her now. She was a wild-caught adult, is it possible that she is gravid?

Shes getting ready to molt she's building up pressure in her abdomen, then she will mount her self and when ready push that pressure up into the carapace causing it to split.

Sorry you probably already new this info but just thought I would add it.

And what a beautiful girl looks like she's already good size. Only other thing it could be is shes going to lay a sac but I am putting my money on a molt.

Just keep her in nice quite dark area from here on out maybe you can catch and film her carefully when she starts the molt fun to watch but takes up to an hour .

My tenebrosus just molted last night heres the before and after pics

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

Oh wow! She was quite plump before then! lol I didn't know that their abdomens swelled up that much before molting!

 

[wolfs79]

Oh wow! She was quite plump before then! lol I didn't know that their abdomens swelled up that much before molting!

I noticed your female, has kinda made some web spotting on her vertical hide they sometimes do that so they can mount there legs to it so it gets stuck more and makes the process of climbing out of exoskeleton easier.

I'm still confident she's going to molt but can't say for sure 100%.

The fact that she ate once right when you got her and then went off feed is a good indication of a molt.

Plus with the abdomen getting plump so fast without eating another good indicator.

She, should molt this week sometime if not a molt than an egg sac which would be cool as well the slings are fun to raise done it many times and fairly easy.

 

[wolfs79]

I recently ordered a female fishing spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus). I fed her a few days after she arrived, and she took the meal happily. It has been more than a week, and she is refusing food. Is this normal? She was wild caught, and might be an adult. Thank you if you can help!

Hello so what was the outcome did she molt lay egg sac or still the same?

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

Ahh oops sorry for super late reply, she did end up molting! Ty for all your help

 

[wolfs79]

Ahh oops sorry for super late reply, she did end up molting! Ty for all your help

Wow how big is she?