My Jumping Spider Made a Nest...Pregnant or Molting?

[Kaib13]

I found a sweet little jumping spider outside about a week and a half ago, and she's been doing great, eating every cricket I've given her, eaten fruit flies that happen to find their way into her terrarium, etc.
She came in pretty thin, but now she's been much bigger ever since I started feeding her. She's been making little webs and retreats around in the terrarium, but when I got home from work today I saw that one of her retreats is much thicker than the other ones now.
I have noticed a bald spot on her back, so I thought MAYBE she's molting, but there's also this little worry that Bellatrix may be pregnant. She hasn't come out of her thick nest in the corner.
I'm including some pictures at different angles that I'm able to get without disturbing her, as she made it up in the lid of the terrarium. Any experts here able to give me some thoughts? I'd really appreciate it

 

[Nicole C G]

Egg nests tend to be more dome-shaped, however this isn’t a hand-fast rule. What species and what size? I may be able to help.

 

[Kaib13]

Here are some photos of her I took 6 days ago, she's been moving around a lot , so it's been hard to get a good picture of her.

 

[Kaib13]

I'm PRETTY sure she's a bold jumping spider, she has the dots on her back that look kind of like a smiling jack-o-lantern? They're orange-ish yellow. She's about a quarter of an inch big.

 

[Nicole C G]

It does look like Phidippus Audax. And if it’s that small, it’s more likely to be a molting sack. :3

 

[Nicole C G]

Also, how do you know it’s a girl?

 

[Kaib13]

Thank you so much!! :3

 

[Kaib13]

I'm honestly not 100% sure, I was just guessing by the size

 

[Nicole C G]

I'm honestly not 100% sure, I was just guessing by the size

Unfortunately size isn’t a very good indicator of boy or girl. Only a visible epigynum(female) or swollen pedipalps(male), and they are only clearly seen in adults. The only way to tell, when it’s young, is if there are differences observed early on, or if male and female have very different body structures like Bagheera or Hentzia species. The pedipalps of your’s seem to be slim like a female, but it could just be a young male. If this does turn out to be a molting nest, we may find out soon! :3

 

[Kaib13]

Unfortunately size isn’t a very good indicator of boy or girl. Only a visible epigynum(female) or swollen pedipalps(male), and they are only clearly seen in adults. The only way to tell, when it’s young, is if there are differences observed early on, or if male and female have very different body structures like Bagheera or Hentzia species. The pedipalps of your’s seem to be slim like a female, but it could just be a young male. If this does turn out to be a molting nest, we may find out soon! :3

Ohhhh okay. I had no idea, Google honestly wasn't much help there XD Thank you so much for your help, I'll definitely keep coming back with updates as things progress!

 

[Nicole C G]

Ohhhh okay. I had no idea, Google honestly wasn't much help there XD Thank you so much for your help, I'll definitely keep coming back with updates as things progress!

Thanks! Definitely keep me updated. I’m invested now

 

[chibicricket]

Molting nests usually look pretty thick too. Like the sleeping/hiding hammocks you can still almost see through them, but when they molt, I kinda feel like you'll know. They almost encase themselves in it, and it's not as see through. And then once they've molted, they'll kick out the shed that looks like another crumpled up spider. I think the coolest molts are when they have their last one into adulthood. It looks like they took off a tiny little spider costume.

 

[Kaib13]

Update, it's now much thicker and I really can't see into it much. I saw her shadow in it earlier this morning, but she's hidden in it now

 

[Kaib13]

I detached the lid today because I haven't seen any movement at all, this web is as thick as a cotton ball now...I'd this normal?

 

[Nicole C G]

I detached the lid today because I haven't seen any movement at all, this web is as thick as a cotton ball now...I'd this normal?

Yes totally normal. Can still be either one.