growth rate

[Occisor]

So for those who have kept a Carolina wolf spider, I'm wondering when my female Hogna carolinensis will mature. Currently she has a DLS of 2.8-2.9 inches.

 

[BoyFromLA]

Honestly, I am not sure if mine is female or not, but it looks like it, by the look of it.



Now, the enclosure dimension for this Hogna carolinensis is in, is 5 x 5 x 6.5”, and below is the recent molt dates.

Sep 23, 2020
Oct 6, 2020
Oct 15, 2020
Oct 29, 2020
Nov 17, 2020
Dec 14, 2020
Jul 9, 2021
May 30, 2022
Aug 28, 2022

 

[Occisor]

How big is she? BL and LS would be nice

 

[jbooth]

Waiting to find out myself... Other question: Do the females continue to molt after ultimate? If so, they may already be mature.

 

[Occisor]

If you mean do they still molt after maturing, the answer is no, for true spiders, they don't molt after maturing

 

[jbooth]

If you mean do they still molt after maturing, the answer is no, for true spiders, they don't molt after maturing

Ok, because I have heard both about these. I've heard they actually can, not sure who the source was though, and I haven't been able to find a lot of good papers/studies on this species. I've had no luck sexing the molts at all either, so maybe still another molt or 2, mine is about 3" if I have to guess. I've seen a quite impressive male before, but apparently never an adult female if these still have an inch to go lol

 

[Occisor]

At 3 inches, males would have swollen pedipalps since that is when they are subadults. If yours doesn't show that then yours could be a female.

 

[jbooth]

Now I'll have to look closer lol. I'd laugh if it matured male, right after I cry. I've been pretty sure it's female with the work it puts into the burrow and turret. Impressive. I'll make a plaster cast of it when she passes. And the molts are far apart like above. Not sure how similar the molt schedule is to antelucana, but my male antelucana grow quite fast. Never 6 months between molts, maybe 8-12 months all the way to maturity in captivity it looks like.