Mold(?) on amblypygi

[aphono]

Is it possible for mold to grow directly on amblypygi?

Recently got two H. batesii babies. Set ups are 120 oz. food canisters with a few ventilation holes on lid. Cocofiber substrate with leaning piece of styrofoam. No visible fungus/mold elsewhere in the container.

Earlier this week, one of them started to show a vague white film on body which quickly progressed to plainly visible white mold-like coating on the body. Yesterday the second one is starting to show early signs of this.

Is this possible and what can be done about it? Already generously peppered lid with new ventilation holes and letting the humidity go lower(worried about doing that though...). Should I add side ventilation? Anything else?

 

[chanda]

I hope they are ok!

Do you have pictures of it?

I have never noticed anything like that with mine, but a quick search through old posts shows @Nick H reporting something similar with his amblypygi prior to a molt:

"I have noticed something else that I've never heard anyone else mention. A week or two before the molt I notice that the exoskeleton on the prosthoma turns a little white, almost as if there's a thin layer of mold on it, or as if it gets really dried out or something. Maybe it's starting to come loose or something? Anyone else ever notice that? I keep humidity very high and every molt has gone on without a hitch, so I'm not worried I'm doing anything wrong. At first it freaked me out, but not anymore."

From this thread: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/damon-diadema-pre-molt-and-post-molt-info.285325/

Hopefully that's all it is!

 

[schmiggle]

Are they acting normal--moving around, alert, etc.? Many entomopathogenic fungi can present as a white moldy covering on an insect surface, but that usually shows up externally in 24 hours from nothing and the host is often lethargic beforehand. I would be very surprised if that's what this is.

Dead limbs (which can happen for various reasons) can also get moldy, of course, but then it wouldn't cover the whole body.

I agree that pictures would be handy, but if they appear to be acting normal and have an appetite then I wouldn't worry that much just yet.

 

[aphono]

Much appreciate the replies. The best I could get out of smart phone with a lousy camera:

View media item 56250View media item 56249
Movement seems normal, with quick darting around when disturbed etc. They seem annoyed by whatever it is though- very frequent cleaning whatever body parts they can bring to their mouths & wiping a pedipalp across the other pedipalp then licking it clean.

 

[dragonfire1577]

Interesting, this same exact thing happened to two Heterophyrnus batesii owned by @Sarkhan42 while the individual I own has shown no signs of it. The only difference in care is I can think of between myself and his two are that I offer a little more ventilion but it still isn't much, so idk.

 

[Sarkhan42]

I experienced the very same thing in the same species, of about the same instar. I also shared the same experience as the above mentioned user, where my whips molted not long after this happened, so I can only assume it’s a sign of incoming molt.

 

[aphono]

Thanks for the replies!

I experienced the very same thing in the same species, of about the same instar. I also shared the same experience as the above mentioned user, where my whips molted not long after this happened, so I can only assume it’s a sign of incoming molt.

Really hope that is the case with these two. It hurts just to look at them right now. Perhaps stress related? There was an incident right before they shipped out plus the stress of shipping itself. I think ours came from the same source, by the way.

 

[aphono]

Update:

Both of them are staying on the substrate. Believe it to be a sign of low humidity due to the increased ventilation. I'm torn between misting or not misting to discourage further mold/whateveritis growth.

Thoughts or advise, please?

 

[dragonfire1577]

Update:

Both of them are staying on the substrate. Believe it to be a sign of low humidity due to the increased ventilation. I'm torn between misting or not misting to discourage further mold/whateveritis growth.

Thoughts or advise, please?

I'd mist, the discoloration doesnt seem harmful but drying out could be.

 

[aphono]

I'd mist, the discoloration doesnt seem harmful but drying out could be.

Desperately hoping it's some sort of premolt thing & will be gone forever post molt. The link by @chanda mentions something I noticed with the D. diademas, how the skin sometimes gets this milky cast when in premolt. With this it's 'inside' the skin.

In person it looks like the batesii were dusted with fine white powder and one seems to have fuzz extending from a patch on abdomen. It looks so much more like a fungal issue than normal premolt related skin changes. Is it actually fungus and does this kind of thing happen occasionally & they handle it with no problems? If that's a thing it'd give me a lot more confidence to go ahead and mist them.

 

[Sarkhan42]

Desperately hoping it's some sort of premolt thing & will be gone forever post molt. The link by @chanda mentions something I noticed with the D. diademas, how the skin sometimes gets this milky cast when in premolt. With this it's 'inside' the skin.

In person it looks like the batesii were dusted with fine white powder and one seems to have fuzz extending from a patch on abdomen. It looks so much more like a fungal issue than normal premolt related skin changes. Is it actually fungus and does this kind of thing happen occasionally & they handle it with no problems? If that's a thing it'd give me a lot more confidence to go ahead and mist them.

I see no evidence of it being a pathogen, activity remains the same, no sign of decay or deterioration, mine still ate well, and I’ve had molts. Even if it actually is a fungus, it could just be an epizootic colonizer.

 

[aphono]

I see no evidence of it being a pathogen, activity remains the same, no sign of decay or deterioration, mine still ate well, and I’ve had molts. Even if it actually is a fungus, it could just be an epizootic colonizer.

Okay I took a deep breath.... and misted earlier today. They've been off the substrate rest of the day as expected. Also they haven't eaten in about a week, sure hope that's premolt and they do it soon.