L. mactans gettin' it on

[buthus]

Not much time to take the pics I would like to have taken ... had to work and occasionally slide on over to snap some shots.
Male survived the party, but died a couple of days ago of old age.
I put it in my will ...let me die locked in a room with a dangerous but hot chick ...dont just throw my old bones into a dixie-cup to wither away with nothing or no-one to do!

The next day ... she's glowing...All here friends knew what happened the night before!

Stuck her in a jar to wait and see if the mating was a success ...and 7 days later... sac action baby! ;P

Not sure what ill do with this line ...she isnt the prettiest mac Ive seen ...and i believe I have a better breeder or two. Of course, her prodigy could turn out to be gems...never can tell ...genetics are a crazy deal.

 

[KUJordan]

it never ends does it?

I hate that L. variolus are not this easy! We need to get on the ball with them, or at least I do. They are tough, man!

If you need any more mactans males let me know, I think I might have some left after I'm done using them.

 

[Rizzolo]

Variolus tough to breed?

Tell me about variolus being tough. i have four females now that i have been attempting to breed for a couple of weeks and as far as i can tell not one of them has copulated. i was beginning to think that the females are not ready.

 

[KUJordan]

Tell me about variolus being tough. i have four females now that i have been attempting to breed for a couple of weeks and as far as i can tell not one of them has copulated. i was beginning to think that the females are not ready.

Variolus are just freakin' quirky. It seems that regardless of the maturity of the female and/or male, sometimes (most of the time) they are just completely uninterested in mating. Maybe we need to start having little variolus weddings first, then they'll do it.

I don't know, Nick, what's your secret man? You got it on the first try! I guess I could look back through our PM's to see what you did specifically, but dang man I'm having zero luck and it looks like I'm not the only one.

 

[buthus]

Ok... variolus it is then! ...as his cockyness crouches lower in his chair staring down at his shoe thinking ...that looks fairly tasty...


Try a laos male! That girl totally was into that! It was like small town girl meets exotic exchange student boy. Still no sac though ...who knows, maybe it was all dry-hum**** in the elevator.

I have some pairs in waiting. Dry runs only so far...no go just the same as you.
The males are the real x factor for me. They are so big and seem to stay nice and plump. They continue to feed also. I have to conclude that for species that are exposed to colder temps, the males must maintain a larger body mass. I would also make a leap and say that variolus males must in a sense emulate females in order to survive in their natural enviroment. They do seem to act more like females when it comes to web building and hunting ...BUT, Im really leaping here, for i am only looking at a few in captivity.

 

[KUJordan]

Ok... variolus it is then! ...as his cockyness crouches lower in his chair staring down at his shoe thinking ...that looks fairly tasty...


Try a laos male! That girl totally was into that! It was like small town girl meets exotic exchange student boy. Still no sac though ...who knows, maybe it was all dry-hum**** in the elevator.

I have some pairs in waiting. Dry runs only so far...no go just the same as you.
The males are the real x factor for me. They are so big and seem to stay nice and plump. They continue to feed also. I have to conclude that for species that are exposed to colder temps, the males must maintain a larger body mass. I would also make a leap and say that variolus males must in a sense emulate females in order to survive in their natural enviroment. They do seem to act more like females when it comes to web building and hunting ...BUT, Im really leaping here, for i am only looking at a few in captivity.

Like Matt and I have said all along...they're hermaphrodites!

 

[buthus]

Heres some red slings for ya!
Damn sac blew off "a day earlier" than when I "planned" to finally take care of it! Stupid spiders.

Had to get the other sac out, along with mum. Not to much problem because I stored the jar cap down.
Jar was in a 12" deep plastic drawer...only a few slings got out. More than what I like, but the simple saftys worked.

Ill leave the hatched brood to thin out within the jar. Good way to do it anyway. More space allows for different strengths.
Air holes were drilled with a 1\16" bit ...very small, but big enough to be like doorways for these little ones.

Quick fix ...and my answer to some other posts about ventilation and raising slings...
Pick up a yard of the finest bridal veil material you can get at you local fabric store. Dont worry, the old ladies wont readily bite and arent very venomus. Get some spray adhesive ...finer stuff is the better, but I always have spray77 around. Make sure to let bad stuff vent off before ..blah, blah...
Veil is somewhat stiff, but not as stiff as the finer meshes you can pick up at art/craft stores, which makes it easier to use. Its nylon, and "nylons" also work great for this, but veil doesnt stretch, which tends to cause inconsistent mesh sizes.