Loxosceles Care advice?

[Chuck93Hall]

Hello everyone!

A facility I work with has Loxosceles reclusa and Loxosceles rufescens for exhibition. Our individuals have all died and our curator is concerned that it is due to how we care for them.

We house all of our individuals in their own cup containers will sticks for climbing. We will lightly mist on occasion as well as offering soaked sponges just to try and offer water. They each get fed tiny crickets twice a week and the spiders have always been decent eaters.

My theory for their deaths is old cage since they have all been wild caught and been with us for at least a year.

Any advice on how to keep Loxosceles species would be greatly recommend.

Thank you follow arachnolovers!

 

[NYAN]

I’ve read that they can live several years and as many as 7. Is it possible that they have been mature males? I don’t keep Loxosceles species at the moment, but your setup sounds similar to what I would do, maybe switching sticks for cork bark.

 

[Hardus nameous]

I keep my Loxosceles reclusa in small tupperware containers with decent ventilation, dry substrate, a half round type hide (cork bark or otherwise) and a bottle cap water dish. I don't think I've ever seen them drink; they probably get their moisture from their prey.
Every few weeks I toss in a piece of mealworm or a small fresh killed roach.
I live in south central Kansas and these things thrive around here, so ambient temps and humidity are fine for me.
So far I've only had one die, but the others seem to be doing well.
Other than that, I just keep them in a dark room as they appear to abhor light.

 

[chanda]

I keep mine in 32 oz. tall deli cups with ventilated lids (insect fabric over holes in the lids - the same lids I use for fruit fly cultures) and a feeding port plugged with a chunk of dry sponge. They have twigs and bark to climb on/web up and a bit of coconut fiber substrate at the bottom. They do not currently have water dishes or hides. (I've offered them hides, but they seem to prefer webbing and hanging out at the top of the cup, on the underside of the lid.) They get the bulk of their water from their prey (fruit flies or small crickets, once a week) plus I lightly mist the top of the cup once or twice a week. We also have a small humidifier in the room that keeps the ambient humidity up.

From what I've read, the average life span for Loxosceles species is around a year-and-a-half to two years, with females living longer than males. Exceptionally long-lived specimens have made it to four years or even close to five years. Longer lifespans were recorded when the spiders were kept in temperature-regulated environments, where the temperatures were kept relatively cool, with little fluctuation. (Basically, the sort of conditions one would expect in a cool, dark basement in a climate-controlled house.)

My previous spiders (a trio of L. reclusa, all housed separately) were already sub-adults when I got them. One (a male) died after I'd had it for about six months, another male lived for about a year, and the third (a female) lived for about a year-and-a-half after I got her.

My current pair (one male, one female, possibly L. arizonica or L. sabina) were wild-caught as adults in Tucson in early June. I have them housed separately because I don't want them to reproduce. Because they were wild-caught as adults, I have no idea how old they are now - or how much longer they will live. I'm hoping the survive at least another year so I can bring them in again next summer to show my students.

 

[Joogvanhedel]

I have them (reclusa) in a 32oz delicup, never gived any water. Have them now for 6 months, were adult females. Feed once a week, crickets and mealworms. Give me 2 good cocoons, and 2 bad.. Seems to me, yours were just died from age..

 

[Joogvanhedel]

And my laeta i have from sling, now they are both fresch adults (male and female, i was lucky) kept them the same as the reclusa..

 

[Chuck93Hall]

Thank you all for the comments. I really appreciate hearing how everyone set up is similar to ours and that im not crazy for assuming cause of death is age!