Is my Golden Orb Weaver dead?

CaptainBearddd

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2024
Messages
4
Hey gang,

I've got a small Golden Orb Weaver in a large mesh enclosure, and am slightly concerned that it died after the moult.

My assumption is based on the fact that after the moult, the empty shed was left in the web (fine) but I can't see the freshly mounted spider anywhere in the enclosure? I'd expect her to be hanging in her web, hardening up.

She 99% of the time sits in her huge intricate web system and very occasionally runs down to drink water from the plants after misting.

Did she fall and die from the moult or do they hide at ground level or in the plants whilst they harden up?

Thanks in advance
 

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8 legged

Arachnoprince
Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Messages
1,078
Sorry, my English is not the best. You don't find your spider in the enclosure? Are there so many hides? Just look around, even when it died you should find a dead spider...
You can use your hands for searching, this species won't do anything to you...
 

CaptainBearddd

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2024
Messages
4
Sorry, my English is not the best. You don't find your spider in the enclosure? Are there so many hides? Just look around, even when it died you should find a dead spider...
You can use your hands for searching, this species won't do anything to you...
Yes, that is exactly the problem. I can't find the spider anywhere. It's quite a large enclosure with many plants in so lots and lots of hiding places.

My concern is if I go brushing through the plants trying to find it, that it might get hurt due to its current fragile state.
 

Stemmy101

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 12, 2020
Messages
95
I have no experience with keeping true spiders, but I would say if it's a large enclosure then it's more than likely the spider is just hiding. Maybe just give it some time and see if it turns up eventually. I wouldn't assume it's dead just because you can't see it. But, again, maybe someone else with more experience can give you some better advice.
 

Dry Desert

Arachnoprince
Active Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2016
Messages
1,598
Yes, that is exactly the problem. I can't find the spider anywhere. It's quite a large enclosure with many plants in so lots and lots of hiding places.

My concern is if I go brushing through the plants trying to find it, that it might get hurt due to its current fragile state.
It's more than likely hiding in one of the many plants.

Leave it be, it will reappear when it's hardened up, may take a while before it feels happy enough to reappear.
 

SpookySpooder

"embiggened"
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Jun 21, 2023
Messages
1,086
Yes, that is exactly the problem. I can't find the spider anywhere. It's quite a large enclosure with many plants in so lots and lots of hiding places.

My concern is if I go brushing through the plants trying to find it, that it might get hurt due to its current fragile state.
Then I shall echo 8legged and Dry Desert.

It's hiding because it just molted and that is the natural instinct, leave it alone, you will see it later when it's ready.

If not, then it was already dead, and you'll find the corpse later regardless.
 

Biollantefan54

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Messages
2,301
Can you share a pic of the enclosure? I wouldn’t expect it to hide even thought it just molted. These spiders usually are still in the open when they molt in their webs. Has it ever created a full web?
 

CaptainBearddd

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2024
Messages
4
Can you share a pic of the enclosure? I wouldn’t expect it to hide even thought it just molted. These spiders usually are still in the open when they molt in their webs. Has it ever created a full web?
Don't have a real picture to hand but this is the enclosure. It's 122cm tall. She's about 3-4cm legspan.

Yeah, she's 99% of the time in her web that covers the entire horizontal length of the enclosure. She makes really good big webs.

1706308234102.png
 
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