Strange Little Nodules on My L. difficilis

[Vanessa]

I thought it might just be drops of water, but I looked through photos before I put water in and they are on him in all photos.
The corner is damp and has webbing on it, so those little white dots are just water droplets. But he has these strange nodule type things on his carapace. I have never seen them before. Plus, he seems a bit lethargic, but I am chocking that up to being so close to moulting.
I think that I will have to rehouse him after he moults. Give him some new, clean, sub. He is kept more moist (half is completely dry) than some of my others and I don't want to be dealing with a mite issue.
Has anyone dealt with something like this before?

 

[Flexzone]

looks like they're mites, not the worst I've seen. Most get detached when the T molts, however Ive witnessed some of them being able to transfer from the old exo to the T as they're actively molting. Keep good ventilation, removing boluses and typical cage maintenance should keep they're numbers in check.

 

[Vanessa]

Thanks, that was what I was afraid of. I keep two corners of his enclosure a bit damper than I do the other spiderlings because I had read that they like it a bit more moist. I am going to replace the sub once he moults. There are tonnes of holes in his enclosure, all along all four sides and in the top, although I will add a few right at the line of the substrate.
I just don't want to fool around too much at this point because he is so close to moulting. I will clean up more thoroughly a few days after he moults. He has never burrowed, so I might make the sub shallower so it doesn't get too saturated at the bottom where it can't dry out.

 

[elysium]

oh wow yours is already that fat after molting! mine has not eaten since it molted last! it's been like 3 weeks and it refuses pinheads, dead or alive, chopped up supers, you name it. not eating at all...

 

[EulersK]

They certainly can be mites, but I gotta say, they don't look like it to me. I'm not sure what they look like, but not mites. They're oddly shaped, not symmetrical at all. This is a great photo, you can zoom in quite far - they almost look like blisters, although I know that's a mammalian trait.

 

[Vanessa]

oh wow yours is already that fat after molting! mine has not eaten since it molted last! it's been like 3 weeks and it refuses pinheads, dead or alive, chopped up supers, you name it. not eating at all...

I always wait a week for the spiderlings before offering food and he jumped all over it the moment it was in there. Right after a moult I offer a small mealworm, that I cut the head off of, but after that I am normally stunning pinhead crickets for him. Now that he is a bit bigger, he seems to like those a lot, although I wouldn't call him a picky eater. He has been refusing food, for the last couple of feedings, so all I have been doing is giving a bit of water.

 

[Vanessa]

They certainly can be mites, but I gotta say, they don't look like it to me. I'm not sure what they look like, but not mites. They're oddly shaped, not symmetrical at all. This is a great photo, you can zoom in quite far - they almost look like blisters, although I know that a mammalian trait.

I would expect to see more of them if they are mites. I took lots of photos of the inside of his enclosure, after spotting those two bumps, and I cannot see any evidence of mite activity anywhere. Mites are sneaky, though, and I figured that they were just hiding out.
I have never seen anything like this and these were not there a few days ago. It would be pretty bizarre if they are not mites.

 

[Vanessa]

Oh, and the other thing is that they don't move. I waited until the spider moved around a bit and took another photo and they were in the exact same place as these ones are.
I will take another photo tonight and try to see if they are in the same location. Wouldn't mites move around? Or do they just stick to one spot and stay there for long periods?

 

[viper69]

I would check its leg joints underneath and other soft spots of a T. These are typically but not exclusively where mites are found on a T. Also around the mouth. As that's the only image I can see, I would say they appear to be mites. Check Hobo's posts, he has some of mites on his Ts.

There are a TON of different mite species. Perhaps the mites have locked into a certain spot, like ticks on a dog.

 

[Vanessa]

He moulted today and they're gone from his carapace. The timing couldn't be better. I am going to give him 24 hours in this container and then move him to one that has more room, bigger air holes, and can fit a water dish in it.

 

[Trenor]

He moulted today and they're gone from his carapace. The timing couldn't be better. I am going to give him 24 hours in this container and then move him to one that has more room, bigger air holes, and can fit a water dish in it.
View attachment 216506

Did you look at the old carapace top and see if they were still on it? If it was a bump on the old exo it should still be there. The new exo might not have it like some blemishes will repair/go away once a molt happens. If it was mites they will most likely be gone off it.

 

[Vanessa]

Yes, I am going to try to get a photo of the exuvia tonight. It's just that he is so tiny.

 

[elysium]

He moulted today and they're gone from his carapace. The timing couldn't be better. I am going to give him 24 hours in this container and then move him to one that has more room, bigger air holes, and can fit a water dish in it.
View attachment 216506

Ahh your little guy molted!! That's awesome how much size did he gain?

 

[Vanessa]

It seems as if he is almost the same size as before. He might get a bit bigger once he is able to stretch himself out. He was 1/4" when I received him, he's moulted twice since, and he is probably about 1/2" now.