Loxosceles deserta - a brief habitat summary with pics

[NYAN]

I spent about 2 days in the high desert. I didn’t see any snakes like I wanted to but I got some good documentation of Loxosceles habitat, including in the house I was staying at and next to my bed.

Microhabitat:
The spiders really love decaying wood. I found none under rocks. They also shared habitat with some sort of rodent I couldn’t identify.




Gravid females and eggs

I found several gravid females, and a couple on eggs. I also found 2 pairs living together. The mothers would attach their egg sacs to the top of the wood they hide under, often weaving it into a natural crevice. Their egg sacs are very flat and are covered by a fairly thin layer of silk.


A mom with a very pretty coloration. She has only 5 legs also.


A pair that I found living under a piece of wood.



Juvenile in a crevice under a log

Indoors

The house that I was staying at was very likely sprayed with pesticides but I have no solid evidence to support this.

The way I discovered the ones indoors was when I decided to get water at around 10PM. I looked and saw several Loxosceles running around on the floor, mostly mature males. After this I grabbed a flashlight and looked around in crevices and behind furniture. Again, the spiders readily occupied anything made of wood. I uncovered a mature pair behind a small bookcase and several more in similar areas. All the areas I found them had evidence of them living there for a long time as evident by multiple molts.

In total I collected about 7 indoors. I released all but one mature male. I saw several others that I was unable to capture as well.

Juvenile I found under my nightstand

 

[RTTB]

Very interesting and informative. Well done.

 

[The Snark]

They also shared habitat with some sort of rodent I couldn’t identify.

A certain field mouse and kangaroo rats are common out there. Put out a flake of alfalfa and set up a night camera. They only come out well after dark and are gone well before dawn.

 

[NYAN]

A certain field mouse and kangaroo rats are common out there. Put out a flake of alfalfa and set up a night camera. They only come out well after dark and are gone well before dawn.

It was probably a kangaroo rat honestly. I saw field mice but these were bigger. They were out during the day though but mostly scurrying around near their burrows.

 

[The Snark]

It was probably a kangaroo rat honestly. I saw field mice but these were bigger.

NODS! We would buy alfalfa a ton at a time. By the time we got down to the last bale or two those little sporkers would make sizeable dents in the bales. I mean, sometimes a foot deep hole 6 or 8 inches across.
You go out in the dark before dawn and sight the stack through a scope and wait. This mass of moving bouncers would slowly appear then all at once it got a little too light and they suddenly vanished.

 

[myrmecophile]

I have had no trouble finding them under rocks and in rock crevices.

 

[NYAN]

I have had no trouble finding them under rocks and in rock crevices.

I’ve never seen this species under rocks in years of visiting their range. The only reason I found them I think is because I checked a different habitat. You’re referring to deserta?

 

[myrmecophile]

Yup, no question as to the Id.

 

[SonsofArachne]

I found several gravid females, and a couple on eggs. I also found 2 pairs living together.

Did you bring any home? Can we look forward to you selling slings in the future?

 

[NYAN]

Did you bring any home? Can we look forward to you selling slings in the future?

Yes. Give it a month or so. I collected all of the ones I found indoors except some MMs, plus two or three outside.

I have at least one gravid female, plus 1.2 living together.