Looking for information on Steatoda paykulliana

[spydrhunter1]

I'm looking for information on the natural habitat of Steatoda paykulliana. And yes I did an internet search and there's not a lot of info available. I thought some of you folks on the other side of the big pond could give me the answers I need. What is the natural habitat, temperatures, humidity, etc. I would love to get some additional specimens and set up a breeding group. Most of my females produce sacs that are either infertile or fail to hatch due to husbandry techniques.

Thanks, Greg

 

[jsloan]

About 40 years ago I used to catch and keep these spiders while living in Tehran, Iran, where they were common I found most of them in vacant lots within the city, where they built their webs at the bottoms of brick walls. The spider's retreat would be a gap between the bricks. At the time the climate was variable, being warm in the summer and cold enough in the winter for several feet of snow. During the summer the humidity was sometimes on the dry side. I had no trouble keeping them in medium sized jars. It was not hard to get them to mate. I believe these were S. paykulliana, judging from the pictures I've seen. Only the adult females had orange markings on the abdomen. Those with yellow markings invariably turned out to be immature, as they always had at least one molt to go before adulthood.

If your egg sacs aren't hatching, check the conditions in your containers. Are they too humide? In my experience these spiders do not require a lot of humidity.

Hope this helps.

JS

 

[spydrhunter1]

Thanks much...this is just the information I needed. Looks like my girls are going to require a winter cool down.

Greg

 

[buthus]

I need to gather up images of mine and get into the discussion ...actually wanted to apologize to u and 8+ for not participating in your posts.

But... figure Id admit a silly mishap cause its relevant to your post here. Ok... female kept outside for some cold time... gets out ...how? I f'd up I guess... must have left the sliding opening open just a bit and that was enough. This female was introduced to a male but under observation and I dont think she mated... but still!!!... that part scared me. ...anyway... she got out and ends up that she didnt go more then a foot away from here enclosure. One cold night a month or so ago, I was outside late like 3am doing some planting when I spotted a bit of red in the corner of my eye. There she was laying webbing a half inch above/parallel to the ground extending out from under a rock that she has been hiding under for weeks!! Ha!!! I cant believe I found the little runaway! I let her do her thing for awhile ...it was chilly and humid and she was happy and extremely active.
OK... so...looking at how she set up her den, the choice of structure and the style of webbing ...I gotta say, paykulliana are nothing but prettier versions of grossa. I already guessed this seemingly no-brainer of course.. just from comparing captive specimens...but to see one in the wild doing her thing and to be able to turn over the rock and see how she dealt with the space ...confirmed some stuff anyway.
Blah, blah... wish we could figure out how to keep these beauties going. Cool species no doubt.

 

[jsloan]

Where did you get your S. paykulliana?

 

[8+)]

...I gotta say, paykulliana are nothing but prettier versions of grossa. I already guessed this seemingly no-brainer of course.. just from comparing captive specimens...but to see one in the wild doing her thing and to be able to turn over the rock and see how she dealt with the space ...confirmed some stuff anyway.

The grossa you find outside, right? It's my understanding that these are not as much of a house spider? That's why they need the cool down...

 

[buthus]

The grossa you find outside, right? It's my understanding that these are not as much of a house spider? That's why they need the cool down...

I dont know how common it is to find em within human dwellings ...good question.

 

[jsloan]

I dont know how common it is to find em within human dwellings ...good question.

S. grossa? They were common in the basement of one of the dorms at Oregon State University when I was there, in the mid 70s. I did a paper on S. grossa in '75, and got my specimens from that basement, so the ID is positive.

Did I understand you to say you are, or were, keeping S. paykulliana in the states? If so, where did you get those spiders?

 

[8+)]

S. grossa is definitely found in and out of dwellings-"Cupboard Spider" is one of it's common names esp. in Europe. I know payks are found outside. The question was whether S. paykulliana is a common house spider as well?

 

[jsloan]

The question was whether S. paykulliana is a common house spider as well?

I collected and kept S. paykulliana for two years while living in Tehran. During that time I didn't find a single one of them inside a house or building.