In memory of...

[LaRiz]

Hi Bill,

Parasitism, I believe, is poorly understood in tarantulas. I've heard all kinds of stories regarding nematodes in both tarantulas and myriopods. I don't see why they couldn't live within a spider, even after molts, reproduction, or whatever. A good deal of my asians are wild caught, so I wonder what other goodies will make a surprise appearance. This is my first example in over 6 years.
john

 

[Wade]

I've got a female A. chalcodes I collected myself that has a curious lump on one side of the abdomen. I assumed when I collected her that it was some sort of scar tissue, but having heard these tales of nemetodes, I'm starting to wonder.

Wade

 

[Haploman]

What I just learned

I learned that some nematodes come in from a bad shipment of crickets that eggs of nematodes are on the crickets (they arent the problem) its the larvae (you got to worry about) when in high numbers The t cant handle (hence its a future demise for that T) . nematodes get all over substrate then they can enter thru the book lungs.