Opened an egg sac early -- now what?

[mmcguffi]

I previously tried to get an ID on a couple of egg cases (arachnoboards.com/threads/orb-weaver-egg-sac-id.326256/), and I was keeping them in a slightly vented mason jar with wet vermiculite. In checking on it this evening, I found that the one nearest to the vermiculite -- both were hanging -- had molded over. I thought this meant it was a dead egg sac, so I cut it open, and to my surprise, a bunch of slings popped out. I am fairly certain these are Argiope aurantia slings.

I think the humidity was too high and caused this. But what do I do now? They are very, very tiny -- maybe too small to take Drosophila melanogaster? As you can see in one of the pictures, there are several/many dead slings (I dont believe they are sheds) in sac as well. Curiously, they haven't seem to have left the sac, and sort of seem to be trying to stitch it together (or maybe I am imagining things). Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

[RezonantVoid]

I think they should honestly be fine. Heres an interesting story, I picked up a golden orb weaver egg sac I found on my lawn that had blown out of a tree. Presuming it was dead, I stashed it away for probably 4 months in my collectables box, and eventually decided to put it outside after a spring clean. Next day, slings where ballooning out of it everywhere through our garden.

Moral of the story, orbweaver slings are damn resilient.

I don't believe much can be done until they are large enough to take on at least flightless fruit flies. Have you tried closing the sac again and seeing if they try crawling back in?

 

[mmcguffi]

I think they should honestly be fine. Heres an interesting story, I picked up a golden orb weaver egg sac I found on my lawn that had blown out of a tree. Presuming it was dead, I stashed it away for probably 4 months in my collectables box, and eventually decided to put it outside after a spring clean. Next day, slings where ballooning out of it everywhere through our garden.

Moral of the story, orbweaver slings are damn resilient.

I don't believe much can be done until they are large enough to take on at least flightless fruit flies. Have you tried closing the sac again and seeing if they try crawling back in?

I guess I will try feeding them with flightless fruit flies and see if they can take them

I do have a question for you though -- what did the golden orb weaver sac look like? I have had my eye out for this species...

 

[RezonantVoid]

I guess I will try feeding them with flightless fruit flies and see if they can take them

I do have a question for you though -- what did the golden orb weaver sac look like? I have had my eye out for this species...

 

[mmcguffi]

pic

Wow, that is /very/ golden -- that solves a question about what egg sac this was for me, thank you! (I definitely have Argiope aurantia)

 

[RezonantVoid]

Happy to help! This sac was made by Nephila Edulis, a very large and beautiful species found particularly along the East Coast here

 

[mmcguffi]

Happy to help! This sac was made by Nephila Edulis, a very large and beautiful species found particularly along the East Coast here

I would love to get a Nephila edulis one day -- my eye is really on Nephila madagascariensis though... In the mean time I'll have to settle with Trichonephila clavipes which is native to where I am from