My Gravid Cellar Spider is Missing-Please Help

[MondaysChild]

I have been watching and watering my gravid cellar spider and her family (with a wet piece of paper towel) (so they didn’t try to go into the sink or tub and die bc I noticed that gravid one was sucking onto a wet towel one day and this worked for some time- 3 weeks or so) and I even gave her a recently dead spider to eat plus put compost under her nest so that she would have fruit flies come. That worked too. She and her other large but not Gravid cohort plus a few babies were living there by the nightlight by the kitchen sink for what felt like such a long time now this morning they were both gone. All that is left in that web is one immature cellar spider. No remnants of any dead spiders- just the usual immature cellar molts from before. I can’t imagine the tiny one ate both of the big ones? I really want them to have found somewhere that there is no unthreateningly high water or drains available but at least enough to survive on. I realize they move around- but there are so many dead (evaporated from dehydration) spiders in my house (mainly recluses, poor things) so you can see why I am scared for their survival. I do a spider water service of wet paper towels all over the house each morning to make sure that no more of them drown. Had a brown recluse I rescued from the tub two days in a row. Let her crawl on me until she settled down then put her under a slightly leaky sink to hopefully help her. I don’t want to see any more poor dead spiders anywhere in the house or in tub/sink. I want to help them. How can I find where my Gravid buddy and her friend went and how do I save the others that I can still find. I have looked all over. I wanted to watch her babies grow and protect them. Husband on board with it too- he wouldn’t hurt or move them. I am afraid for the house/cellar spiders to go outside though I know that many of her comrades in the outside shed are seemingly doing well. What to do? So nice to find others that like these adorable little friends as much as I do- bless you all and good luck to you all

 

[DaveM]

Welcome! I'm sure people here will be happy to share lots of stories and time-tested advice with you. You've come to the right place!

About the cellar spider situation: it's not really under your control what happens unless you want to house the spiders in enclosures. They could have wandered off to a new hiding place you'll never find, or they could have been eaten. It's your house, but to synanthropic species on the loose, to them it is still nature. You seem to have lots of spiders around your house -- good fortune! I suggest thinking of them as rotating guests, or thinking of them collectively as an ever-changing ensemble cast that together constitute a spiderhood pet tenancy.

If you want a more permanent (or at least very long-term) spider pet, why not try tarantulas? That is the solution many of us have settled upon. They live much longer and stay where you keep them. It wouldn't stop you from tending the household transients either.
Good fun, good cheer, and good luck to you

 

[MondaysChild]

Thank you very much for your advice! I am crying, having thought of them having gone off by them selves with no water or sustenance to speak of. I was very concerned that I could helped her and her children make certain that they would live a long life in my house somewhere. But if Mrs. Gravid spider Found it best to move away, I must assume that she had the right idea. I pray that I see many small Cellar spiders very soon all over my house. Once again thank you very much for the quick response. I’ve been waiting up every second to hear from someone that might know the right answer. I feel quite responsible for her livelihood as well as all of the other spiders in our house. Thank you and Gaia bless

And yes, tarantula seem lovely. But I am hoping for them to have a wild and natural experience, as is the way. I shouldn’t be so emotional about it. The picture in my avatar is iAnd yes, tarantula seem lovely. But I am hoping for them to have a wild and natural experience, as is the way. I shouldn’t be so emotional about it. The picture in my avatar is I believe in American House spider? There are several outside of my house, not inside sadly, many beautiful eggs hatching. I hope you enjoy seeing it Mr. Dave & All. The pictures of my gravid spider, are on my other phone. Once I can figure out how to transfer them, I would love to show you what she looks like. She was absolutely beautiful. No way she was just fat. She was definitely with children. Good luck to you!

 

[DaveM]

The picture in my avatar is I believe in American House spider?

That's right. Now, we talk about so many different species of spiders around here that all the various common names just get too confusing, so we use scientific names. You can call your house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum, and your cellar spider would probably be Pholcus phalangioides.

But if Mrs. Gravid spider Found it best to move away, I must assume that she had the right idea. I pray that I see many small Cellar spiders very soon all over my house.

That may very well happen. She might have been approaching the time to make an egg case, and preferred a different location to do so.

I am crying, having thought of them having gone off by them selves with no water or sustenance to speak of. I was very concerned that I could helped her and her children make certain that they would live a long life in my house somewhere.

Now, don't worry about that. You may have been giving them the easy life, but they are well-adapted to live in our homes with no help from us. I have a whole bunch in my basement that do just fine on their own. Can't be sure they don't grumble behind my back about what a stingy and uncaring ogre I am! ...but they live on and thrive from year to year. If you ever do get to see them with an egg sac, it's neat. The eggs are surprisingly large and visible in the webbed together cluster. The mother will carry the sac most of the time in her jaws to keep it safe. The spiderlings will hatch and take about a year to mature, and then they live up to 2 more years as adults, perpetuating the life cycle.

The only misfortune here is that you may miss witnessing some of that this time around, but I'm sure you'll see many more in the future.

And... ...you are in luck! I recall some recent posts by a member here, a great contributor named @basin79 -- he's from northwest England, has a fantastic YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/Basin79/videos) -- he posted some macro photos of Pholcus; up close you can see the beauty of this humble spider.

Click here:

Might get a pet ‘daddy long legs’?

Pick spiders! Eat fish for dinner. Keep spiders as pets. Good plan? Yes? Then it's a deal 👍 Oh but I was thinking a 55 gallon tank in the Livingroom filled with glofish XD ultimate night light!!

arachnoboards.com

Enjoy!

 

[The Snark]

Just commenting from living with a few thousand pholcids, it most likely moved away because of the water. They never need water and tend to avoid locations that are damp. Search in the driest nooks and crannies and behind things. You'll likely find it if it's still alive.

 

[MondaysChild]

Wow! That’s crazy to know! Thank you! Thank you all actually -you’re all very smart & interesting! Man- I keep worrying that they need water because I told you I saw that one spider sucking on the wet paper towel- and I also read that they die of dehydration – I don’t know if I mentioned this or not but I see so many spiders that look like they literally like what have, like you said in a way, evaporated but not entirely just that all the water in from their bodies looks like it got sucked out. Since I started this – I’ve only had one spider go in the tub or sink and that’s like nothing compared to what it usually is. Very interesting right? Some of them seem to move closer to the little wet pieces of paper towel – not all of them obviously.

I had another question for every one- one of theParasteatoda tepidariorum -American house spiders- just died out of no where last night -She has an egg sac or two – though, unlike her sisters in the same area that she lives, her sacs are not bursting with little babies yet – and none of The other adults of their type are dead. I know that I read that some spiders die and their babies eat them after they hatch. But it’s strange because she died like I said and none of the others dead -and all of the others have spiderlings coming out but she doesn’t. I know that I read that some spiders die and their babies eat them after they hatch. But it’s strange because she died like I said and none of the others dead -and all of the others have spider lings bursting from their sacs. The Spiderling are taking a really really long time to fully come out of their sacs too.
It also seems interesting to me that some of these types of spiders have more than one sac in their web. I know this is a lot of questions but I am super happy to find this website- I am so happy that there are actually other people that have this obsession! Everyone else seems to think I’m very strange for this really.
I’m so sorry if there are any repeats of what I said in this thread. I seem to keep having a problem where what I’ve already written types itself again. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Oh my goodness guys- One other thing, you know the dead spider I was telling you about? Now there is a smaller spider, not a little bitty baby but smaller than the one that is dead, the Mother- The little spider looks like he’s sucking on the egg sac! What on earth? Is he eating the babies? I thought maybe somehow, it might be a relative. But I don’t know if she’s sucking on it or if she’s guarding it. I thought the dead one was the mother.

 

[The Snark]

Cannibalism is common among spiders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_cannibalism
Keep in mind, survival of the species is hardwired into an animal's DNA. With higher order animals there are over riding maternal instincts but on the whole spiders view other spiders as nothing more than prey, regardless of relationships.
I have no idea what happened with your mom but it sounds like a one off occurrence. Predation of egg sacs is also somewhat common.
Multiple egg sacs at once is also very common among many species. Latrodectus Geometricus is an excellent example and it isn't unusual to find webs with numerous egg sacs. Again species survival enters into this as the spiderlings consider each other as food - survival of the fittest.
Have you read Darwin's On The Origin Of The Species?