Spiny orb-weaver, Gasteracantha cancriformis

[voodoochild]

anybody keep these? Can you feed them fruit flies? I couldnt really find any captive keeping info. How big of prey do you think they could take down?
Thanks,
Jon

 

[Ganoderma]

i have a tiny bit of experience with G. kuhli and G. sauteri. most of my problems were getting them to form proper webs, i found that large enclosures were needed (for me). they only few i got to web right were in a 20gallon tall aquarium. once they made the web they ate anything i threw in such as small grasshopers, roaches and termites. I let them go because i was having a real hard time getting them to make proper webs, and the size enclosure they were occupying was too much for me.

 

[voodoochild]

They would be going in an 80 gal with bastimentos pumilio (really small dart frogs) Do you think they would eat small frogs? The frogs are only a half an inch long.
Thanks!

 

[KUJordan]

Spider + ANY other organism smaller than 1.5 times the spider's size= a more full and more fat spider.


Unless there is some evolutionary sybiosis going on b/w the frogs and the spider that would keep one from eating the other, such as the narrowmouth toads and Aphonopelma sp tarantulas, then I'd say the frogs are game.

 

[Ganoderma]

well i doubt if they would eat your frogs. I have had 1 frog in the past get completely tangled in web and later die. i am not sure if it was due to the spider biting (i doubt it) or just the fact it was stuck.

D. pumilio are tiny, but so are Gasteracantha. But the spiders webs are actually quite large and strong. I have found G. kuhli webs stretching over 4 meters from anchor to anchor.

But yes the fruitflies for your frog would be great for the spider. i try and catch them (but the wild winged ones) to feed my smaller guys and gasteracantha.

 

[voodoochild]

Sounds like something I may have to try, with caution. Thanks for the info!!