Success!!!! We ended up with 80 some slings.
I had a WC female about 4.5". I had bought her a few months prior. I fed her normally and kept her at about 80 degrees during the day and mid-seventies during the night. She had not molted in my care but since a male was available I decided to give it a try.
The male that was sent to me was quite old as males go, probably at least 6-8 months mature. When he arrived I gave him some time to eat and calm down then placed him in the female's home in the evening. I did not observe a mating and took him out after a few hours. I then waited a few days until he built a sperm web and then placed him with the female one more time. I left him in overnight but did not witness a mating.
The male was an older one so I had wondered if he was sterile and was not concerned about leaving him in with the female for that reason. In the morning he was eaten by female.
I never saw them mate but I continued to keep the female at elevated temps. Over the next 3 months she very slowly got fatter. It had been a long time but she had gotten pretty fat so I thought she still may produce an egg sack. She did make a small egg sack that she attached to the side of her web about 6" off the substrate. I don’t know if this sp. always produces a small egg sack or if it had anything to do with the fact that the male was an old one.
During the entire next 4 weeks she continued to care for her elevated egg sack. After about 4 weeks I took the sack, removed 4-5 un-hatched eggs and placed it in a hammock. There were nearly 90 some that had gone through their first molt in the sack. I had to leave the country for several weeks so I sent it to the owner of the male, Joel of SSW.
After all was said and done, Joel said 80 some had survived.
I had a WC female about 4.5". I had bought her a few months prior. I fed her normally and kept her at about 80 degrees during the day and mid-seventies during the night. She had not molted in my care but since a male was available I decided to give it a try.
The male that was sent to me was quite old as males go, probably at least 6-8 months mature. When he arrived I gave him some time to eat and calm down then placed him in the female's home in the evening. I did not observe a mating and took him out after a few hours. I then waited a few days until he built a sperm web and then placed him with the female one more time. I left him in overnight but did not witness a mating.
The male was an older one so I had wondered if he was sterile and was not concerned about leaving him in with the female for that reason. In the morning he was eaten by female.
I never saw them mate but I continued to keep the female at elevated temps. Over the next 3 months she very slowly got fatter. It had been a long time but she had gotten pretty fat so I thought she still may produce an egg sack. She did make a small egg sack that she attached to the side of her web about 6" off the substrate. I don’t know if this sp. always produces a small egg sack or if it had anything to do with the fact that the male was an old one.
During the entire next 4 weeks she continued to care for her elevated egg sack. After about 4 weeks I took the sack, removed 4-5 un-hatched eggs and placed it in a hammock. There were nearly 90 some that had gone through their first molt in the sack. I had to leave the country for several weeks so I sent it to the owner of the male, Joel of SSW.
After all was said and done, Joel said 80 some had survived.