Found a Xysticus crab spider and want advice

[Cororon]

I almost stepped on a little female Xysticus crab spider in my flat two weeks ago. It's cold and snowy outdoors, so I couldn't take her outside. And I didn't want her to get in trouble with my false widows, so I put her in an enclosure (a cheap transparent sandwich box with paper tissue on the bottom. I made a couple of small holes on the lid, and I also open it to get fresh air in a couple of times a day). She's been drinking and eating well (hydei fruit flies).

She seems to have learned that I'm not a threat. In the beginning she took the defensive stance when she saw me, but now she just looks at me, and when I poke a fruit fly to run into her she is more interested in the fly than me. ^^ And she likes to walk around, and sometimes she stops to look at what's going on on my monitor.

I have seen lots of crab spiders but never kept one before. How often should I feed her and give her water? Maybe I should put some bark and small twigs in the enclosure? I hope she'll survive till spring so I can release her in the wild.

\(º...º)/

 

[pannaking22]

Some bark or twigs would probably be appreciated by her, though it sounds like she's doing really well. I'd say keep doing what you're doing, feed once or twice a week and water at about the same frequency and she should be fine. You may want to either increase ventilation or decrease watering depending on if the bark and things start to mold. I don't think they need particularly high humidity, but I'm not sure on that.

 

[Cororon]

Thanks.

I also wonder how long crab spiders can go without food? I have the hydei fruit flies for maybe another two weeks, and then I would either have to buy more or take a feeding break for about a month (water only).

I didn't feed my Steatoda bipunctata spiders for two months, and they were fine. But when I gave them the first flies after the fasting they didn't bother to wrap them up or carry them back to their retreats, but sat and nibbled on them where they found them. So hungry.

 

[pannaking22]

I think they can probably go for a couple weeks if they're well fed before fasting and still have access to water.

Theridiids tend to be pretty hardy and have little problem with occasional fasts.

As long as the abdomen isn't getting shriveled on any of the spiders they should be fine.