Need help identifying insect

[IntermittentSygnal]

I ordered some Climacium denroid moss from Bedford, PA. A spider came in the bag with it. Not being able to identify it, I put it in a condiment cup with some of the moss and fed it. It did fine for a few weeks, but when I hadn’t seen it in a while, I opened the cup and found it had passed and an “egg sack” was suspended in the center of its web. I checked on it yesterday and found the “egg sack” hatched and a fly-type critter in the cup. I’ve no idea what this is. I couldn’t get a pic of the top of it to focus, but it’s a dark pair of wings that cover its whole back. It’s slightly more than 1/4”.

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

Look into acroceridae the small headed spider flies. They are common parasites of spiders

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Look into acroceridae the small headed spider flies. They are common parasites of spiders

That looks like it, thank you! Euthanasia it is for this chap. And now I’m terrified about the other moss I put in my genic’s enclosure, as he has been acting sluggish. Reading briefly on these, it seems larvae attach in the joints and book lungs. I’ll continue reading everything reputable I can find, but any advice is appreciated.

 

[fcat]

Well I'm really curious to see what advice is offered. I don't know what I would do...maybe Id cup him, freeze his enclosure for a few days, and keep him on dry sub. Like you would for mites?

Maybe he's just getting ready to molt? Both of mine have molted in the last few weeks.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Well I'm really curious to see what advice is offered. I don't know what I would do...maybe Id cup him, freeze his enclosure for a few days, and keep him on dry sub. Like you would for mites?

Maybe he's just getting ready to molt? Both of mine have molted in the last few weeks.

He hasn’t molted since last May, so he’s definitely due for one at only 3.5”, and that’s what I had initially attributed the sluggishness to. Now I’m scared it may be a parasite and if so, how many of my other T’s did it possibly get to? When I first got the moss, I left it in its sealed bags for a week before “planting” it in containers for another couple weeks. Then, I used it. I’m normally paranoid enough that I won’t use “wild” elements and after this, never again. The moss I used for the genic was a different one from the same vendor, Dicranum fulvum

 

[fcat]

Well show him this and remind him he's got someone to molt for

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

He already has a date when he does. I’m not in a hurry though as I’ll miss this guy when he hooks out.