Lobed Argiope/Argiope lobato

[brandongalea]

Hi, I'm from Malta. I found an egg sac of a Lobed Argiope, and i know that it's hers because it was seen very near to the eggsac.
Now the eggsac seems like abandoned, the mother is never there.
Does the Lobed Argiope spider abandons the eggsac?
Can I take the eggsac from where it is and try to hatch the spiderlings myself? Is it possible?
If I can hatch them myself, what are the procedures I should take?

Lobed Argiope

 

[Steven]

I'm not familiar with Argiope lobata, only with Argiope bruenichi,
but i think it will be quite simular, around this time a year they abandon the eggsacs or simply die.
You can try to hatch the eggsac yourself but then i would keep it outside at your garden orso, cause the eggsac needs hibernation. Just take a good look at where you found it and simulate the habitat in your garden (or house if possible)

Is A.lobata also found in open spots in high grass ?


i've got several eggsacs of A.bruenichi hanging in my backyard at the moment,... hopefully my garden will be full with Argiopes next summer.

 

[brandongalea]

Is A.lobata also found in open spots in high grass ?


i've got several eggsacs of A.bruenichi hanging in my backyard at the moment,... hopefully my garden will be full with Argiopes next summer.

Yep the same, A.bruenichi looks awesome with those colours
Right now the eggsac is under a ledge, is it ok if the eggsac gets a little wet??
How can I hang it in order not squash any spiderlings inside? And when do they hatch?

 

[Steven]

Right now the eggsac is under a ledge, is it ok if the eggsac gets a little wet??
How can I hang it in order not squash any spiderlings inside? And when do they hatch?

Guess it's ok the eggsac gets a little wet, here in Belgium it rains a lot and the eggsacs i've found were all in open grassfields without much shelter.

Does the eggsacs of A.lobata look the same as A.bruenichi ?
also hanging in a bundle of grass webbed together ?

I just cut the grass at aprox 15cm underneath the eggsac with a scissor and transport the whole thing to other high grass, no idea how to hang it without other grass. And i think they'll just emerge in March, maybe a bit earlier in your climate


A.bruenichi is my fav. Belgian spider without doubt, really nice to see them in the field.

 

[brandongalea]

This particular eggsac is not hanging in the grass, it's under a ledge on a wall.
The eggsac A.lobata is a little smaller and lighter in colour, maybe it's because it is too early.