Is my Smithi pregnant already?

[Lance Varden]

I have 8 adult female smithi's and one MM that I am using to breed them.

He will not move on one of the females. Her abdomen, over the last few weeks has become huge. It looks like a big black walnut.

I have had this one for about 2 1/2 months. Could she be already pregnant?

Do spiders abdomens swell when they get pregnant?

Also, I know that you should put them in cooler temperatures to simulate the seasons to get them to drop an egg sack. If I don't do that, and she is pregnant, will she still drop the egg sack.

I am a little worried that something else could be wrong. Her abdomen is twis the size of the others. About the size of a ping-pong ball.

 

[Talkenlate04]

When was her last molt? And when did you start pairing the MM and this female you are talking about?
There is nothing quick and easy about these guys when it comes to producing offspring so, the breeding may have taken but I doubt you will be seeing a sac any time soon.

 

[Lance Varden]

I started pairing him with the females a couple of weeks ago. With the others he would approach and do his thing. With her, he does a stare down for awhile then, eventually move the other way.

If she is pregnant, she had to have come to me that way 2 1/2 months ago, because that is a close as she ever came to a male since I have had her.

 

[Talkenlate04]

I doubt that someone bred her and then sold her to you without telling you, but you never know. And when was her last known molt?
At two weeks past first pairing with no good inserts I doubt she is gravid, maybe preparing for a molt. My Smithi's go on average 9 months + before making a sac.

 

[Lance Varden]

I think you might be right. I notice the bald spot looked like it might be starting to change color.

That is probably why she is so resitant.

I don't when the last molt was.

I was just concerned because her abdomen looked so huge and swollen.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Yep then I have my money on an upcoming molt. Thats not bad timing though, keep that male healthy and you will have some prime time timing.