House spiders.

[friendttyy]

I want to start keeping these house spiders as pets, i want to hear from you guys if its worth the time and space i have caught one already and will provide a pic tomorrow.

 

[friendttyy]

I caught another 2 and guess what, 2 MFs and 1 MM i am gonna inhabit the male with the female tomorrow.I know its a male because of the huge pedipalp this is the pic with the male.Do you guys agree that it is a male?

 

[Ciphor]

Can you define house spider? There are quite a few spiders that could go by that ambiguous common name.

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

You should get a spider in the tegenaria genus, they make good spider pets overall. tegenaria domestica males are sometimes short-lived. Not sure what kind of spider you have photographed above... Looks like a more web-relying spider.

 

[friendttyy]

well indeed it is a web laying spider I am thinking american common house spid?er

 

[Ciphor]

well indeed it is a web laying spider I am thinking american common house spid?er

Parasteatoda tepidariorum make great pet spiders in my experience. They are very skilled predators for their size and will take down larger cobweb spiders like widows, Steatoda spp. and it's not uncommon to see one munching on a cellar spider (Pholcidae). Males of the species cohabitat with the female in her web mating several times. http://bugguide.net/node/view/176587/bgimage Females produce a large amount of eggsacs, most I've seen in a single web was 13. http://bugguide.net/node/view/80247/bgimage They are also incredibly hardy.

The one downside is life span and over eating. They will live only around 12 months when mated and fed well. I personally like keeping a male and female (can take a few males before the female likes one).

 

[friendttyy]

well i put them together the female tried to kill it but stopped now.FINGERS CROSSED

 

[friendttyy]

Male got eaten hope he got the job done i was so certain hes was gonna be ok, I fed it a cricket but anyways hope she is gravid or i have to get another male.

 

[Ciphor]

Male got eaten hope he got the job done i was so certain hes was gonna be ok, I fed it a cricket but anyways hope she is gravid or i have to get another male.

Work on finding another male. Females in this genus do not often eat males after copulation; they eat males they do not find satisfactory to mate with. When they accept a mate, they cohabit web and mate many times.

 

[friendttyy]

Will do my best to find a male i only see females but the jackpot is somewhere in my house I hope

 

[friendttyy]

Well the male-eating-female does not look gravid but her neighbor is FAT hope she IS GRAVID.

 

[Ceratogyrus]

Your spider is not a Parasteatoda tepidariorum by the way seen as you are in South Africa, Sunny.
Probably a Theridion sp.

 

[Ciphor]

Your spider is not a Parasteatoda tepidariorum by the way seen as you are in South Africa, Sunny.
Probably a Theridion sp.

Parasteatoda tepidariorum is a cosmopolitan species, so not sure how him being in South Africa matters.

 

[friendttyy]

I dunno i sw a pic on the net that looked like mine so i thought it was a Parasteatoda tepidariorum. However the female is really FAT hope she is gravid lol.

 

[Ceratogyrus]

Parasteatoda tepidariorum is a cosmopolitan species, so not sure how him being in South Africa matters.

It matters because we don't have the species in South Africa and the common spider from the Theridiidae family in South African homes is from the Genus Theridion.
Trust me, I live here and have been keeping spiders like this for 20 years.
Thanks for your understanding on this matter.

 

[Ciphor]

It matters because we don't have the species in South Africa and the common spider from the Theridiidae family in South African homes is from the Genus Theridion.
Trust me, I live here and have been keeping spiders like this for 20 years.
Thanks for your understanding on this matter.

It's this simple; You cannot rule a species out because you have not seen it.

While I am not doubting in the least what you are saying, I will simply re-state Parasteatoda tepidariorum is cosmopolitan. It could establish 2 weeks ago, in 2 years, or 15 years ago. The spider is capable of living in this area, and is known to be found all over the world including that area. For you to say "its not here because I haven't seen one" may be a little hasty. You are one person after all.

I'm not saying it is or isn't that spider. If he gets better pictures I can tell you for sure.

 

[Ceratogyrus]

We will wait for better pics then.
How many times have you seen this species in South Africa?

 

[Ciphor]

We will wait for better pics then.
How many times have you seen this species in South Africa?

Twice in Johannesburg while on a 3 month secondment with my job.

 

[The Snark]

It's this simple; You cannot rule a species out because you have not seen it.

While I am not doubting in the least what you are saying, I will simply re-state Parasteatoda tepidariorum is cosmopolitan. It could establish 2 weeks ago, in 2 years, or 15 years ago. The spider is capable of living in this area, and is known to be found all over the world including that area. For you to say "its not here because I haven't seen one" may be a little hasty. You are one person after all.

I'm not saying it is or isn't that spider. If he gets better pictures I can tell you for sure.

I recall Rod Crawford saying the exact same thing about Latrodectus when I found a suspect Widow here in Thailand.

 

[Ceratogyrus]

Twice in Johannesburg while on a 3 month secondment with my job.

Interesting. Where in JHB did you stay?