New Widows

[8+)]

Stuff that you can curl up and stick into the jar so that it springs back and wedges itself in is a good way to go.

I've been trying long pieces of twist ties for my slings. I coil and bend it, and put it under the mesh. It gives them much more surface to attach webbing.

Revs from what I have been told, tend to take the high ground...often above their sister specie.. treds. Jars and enclosures in general are far from valid observable habitats.

Yeah, she now doesn't seem so happy. Instead of using the retreat she originally made, she hangs up higher on the side of the web. Hmmm, maybe I'll just flip her jar!

 

[Rizzolo]

It would be great to get some photos of each species in the native environment, so see how they build their webs and retreats. my revs and treds behave very differently than my native US species. the tred especially just hangs out under a canopy of webbing, not a funnel with retreat. I have never seen the tred use a retreat. the rev also stays under a canopy of web, not a funnel, but does occasionally use the retreat that put in (piece of bamboo). the rev puts all kind of detritus (old bugs, twigs, etc.) in the web canopy.

to fee the US species, i can just drop the food down the funnel and they come and get it. for the revs and treds, i have to put it on the top of the canopy, or on the bottom of the enclosure. on the bottom, they prey invariably hits the gumfoot lines and the widow is on it in a flash. my rev in particular is a very aggressive hunter.

i have some 3 instar menavodi, but none mature yet. i am interested hearing about observations of the menavodi behavior. Do they build a retreat? funnel shaped web? retreat at top, bottom, or middle? aggressive or timid?

 

[8+)]

on the bottom, they prey invariably hits the gumfoot lines and the widow is on it in a flash. my rev in particular is a very aggressive hunter.

This leads me to my other problem with the upside down jar idea: When you take off the lid all these lines get broken and then the prey just stays in the lid and doesn't get eaten. :?

 

[Rizzolo]

Aha! i can see the problem. i put my containers on their sides. only when i clean, do i disturb the lines, which is not very often. only when they start to stink. they replace them right away so it is no problem. but it is a problem if you have to break them just before feeding, every time. i glue a retreat on the rear side of the container, other side from the opening, and add sticks and such for them to build their web on. they build no, or almost no web that attaches to the cover that way. also, if you put the structure in the right way, it promotes building the web so that the opening of the "funnel" faces the opening of the container. when that happens, it makes feeding a snap!

good luck. i will see if i can dig up a photo of one of my containers. they are much smaller than many containers that people use, but they are very convenient to stack and you can still see into them and watch your spiders. the worst problem is that the lucite is not great for shooting pictures through.

unfortunately, none of these pictures show the container. but i think you are looking through the front of the container, which is a lucite cube, about 4" per side, if i want better quality, i open the front of the cube to get a photo. the bamboo retreat is glued to the rear, top or bottom corner. it is still not perfect, especially for treds and revs, for which it is probably nothing like their native habitat. my dream is to build an artificial hole in the ground for my hesperus. i have caught them from holes, where they probably just catch everthing that falls in. that would make it really simple. then you could build a cleanout on the bottom of the hole for occasional cleaning, but not for feeding.

i have seem some great widow habitat ideas on the boards here. my main factor was space, and being able to view them. they don't seem to mind being cramped, and the prey never gets away.

 

[8+)]

Thanks, very nice spiders Rizzolo! :clap:

I think I'm gonna try to avoid jars altogether they just aren't very practical. Here's my sp. Loas setup. Obviously way more room than needed. I'll try some smaller containers and I like your bamboo retreat. I think the revs and treads would make do with a leaf or two and make their own retreat.

Where do you get your boxes?

 

[JungleGuts]

Thanks, very nice spiders Rizzolo! :clap:

I think I'm gonna try to avoid jars altogether they just aren't very practical. Here's my sp. Loas setup. Obviously way more room than needed. I'll try some smaller containers and I like your bamboo retreat. I think the revs and treads would make do with a leaf or two and make their own retreat.

Where do you get your boxes?

whats the metal thing up in the corner for?(sorry i dont know anything about widows)

 

[8+)]

That was an idea I had for introducing males. A sort of "shark cage" if you will. In this case it's probably too for away from the action to do any good. My thinking was that the male could retreat if things got nasty and the female wouldn't be able to get at him. With my first try, the male was so anxious that he only stopped long enough to attach a line and repel into her web. He immediately went to work on her web without even looking for her first!

I may just be a silly idea, but I'm going to try it again anyway...