Is this a tarantula molt?

[Reluctant Widow Mother]

OK, this is what I think is going on, here. I was walking on one of my favorite trails when I saw what appeared to be a tarantula partially stuck in a hole. I removed it, took pics of both it and the hole and arrived at the conclusion that the hole is a tarantula burrow and the "tarantula" is a discarded molt. Tell me if I'm right. I decided it was a molt because there is no abdomen, just skin. If I'm wrong, tell me that, too.

It doesn't look like some of the molts I've viewed online. The only "hole" is in the abdomen. So, if I have a dead tarantula. That would be nice to know, too.

This was in Tuolumne County in California. I'm pretty sure we only have one local species: Aphonopelma chalcodes, the California or Desert tarantula.

It isn't a very big tarantula and it didn't pick a very good spot for a burrow. I'm afraid it might get smushed.

This is how I found it. If you look closely, you can see silk holding the dirt together.


Here's the hole by itself (lots of silk is visible in this high res pic):

Various pics of what I think is a molt:

 

[Liquifin]

That's actually a dead tarantula. Dead tarantulas will have their abdomens sunken in before decomposing completely.

 

[Olan]

That is a dead tarantula, not a molt.

R.I.P.

 

[Reluctant Widow Mother]

Alas! I told you it was a terrible place to put a burrow. Doggonit! I wonder what killed it? A large bird would have flown off with it. Any predator would have probably taken off with it. The abdomen is basically gone, so something got it, I think.

I'm wondering why it was still partially inside the burrow.

Well, I hate "liking" bad news, but it was informative. Thanks. Could it have died of dehydration? Except for one storm, we've had a rough go.

 

[cold blood]

. Doggonit! I wonder what killed it?

Could have been anything from a failed molt, to a pepsid wasp or parasite to any other natural or environmental cause....being that its there and not torn up, it looks like it just died in its burrow and that something intending to eat it pulled it out....or a human killed it right where you found it....humans being about the only animal that would kill a t and not eat it..

 

[Reluctant Widow Mother]

Could have been anything from a failed molt, to a pepsid wasp or parasite to any other natural or environmental cause....being that its there and not torn up, it looks like it just died in its burrow and that something intending to eat it pulled it out....or a human killed it right where you found it....humans being about the only animal that would kill a t and not eat it..

Like I said, it was a bad place for a burrow. I actually feel bad for the little bloke. I hate that people kill things they don't understand. Had I learned this was a molt, I was thinking about returning to relocate the tarantula. (Obviously, I've never had a tarantula or I would have known this wasn't a molt.)

We do have Pepsid wasps. I took this photo on that same trail:

 

[Shinn]

Also a molt will have the carapace popped open. The T in the lic has it intact.

 

[Reluctant Widow Mother]

Poor little guy.

 

[mantidsRcool]

Maybe he just lived a long, fruitful life and died of age

 

[viper69]

No - dead T

 

[Smotzer]

Yup that is a full dead tarantula not a molt for sure

 

[Reluctant Widow Mother]

Maybe he just lived a long, fruitful life and died of age

No, too small to be old.