Tarantula Nutrition

[ErinM31]

If you are looking to maximize lifespan, then reducing how much you feed overall should make the most difference. To my knowledge, dietary restriction has increased lifespan (relative to ad libitum) in every invertebrate species tested, including doily spiders. However, the other effects — reduced growthrate, size and fecundity — may not be desirable.

The only study I am aware of comparing food sources for spiders looked at the survival and growth of spiderlings on a single food source and found springtails the best of those tested, with flies not as good and siblings worst, if I recall correctly.

 

[boina]

dietary restriction has increased lifespan (relative to ad libitum) in every invertebrate species tested, including doily spiders.

Do you have a source for that?

 

[Vanisher]

The most important thing is to keep the feeder bug nutrichous by feeding them.high quality food. Then what kind of feeder one use i think is less important. A diverse diet could? Be mote impirtant for slings than adult spiders ( a friend whos a arachnolog has made research in this matter) but those where Wolfspiders. But this can be true for tarantulas as well?

 

[ErinM31]

Do you have a source for that?

Certainly.

The only study of dietary restriction in spiders that I am aware of:
Austad. “Life Extension by Dietary Restriction in the Bowl and Doily Spider, Frontinella pyramitela.” Experimental Gerontology 1989.

There are a LOT of primary research papers on dietary restriction in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Here is a review:
Cypser et al. “Dietary Restriction in C. elegans: Recent Advances.” Experimental Gerontology 2013.

Likewise with Drosophila melanogaster:
Partridge et al. “Dietary Restriction in Drosophila.” Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 2005.

Although dietary restriction as a model for life extension was first reported in rats in the 1930’s (McCay et al. “The Effect of Retardrd Growth upon the Length of Life Span and upon the Ultimate Body Size.” The Journal of Nutrition 1935), the effect of dietary restriction in mammals is much more complicated than is generally presented.

 

[boina]

Certainly.

The only study of dietary restriction in spiders that I am aware of:
Austad. “Life Extension by Dietary Restriction in the Bowl and Doily Spider, Frontinella pyramitela.” Experimental Gerontology 1989.

There are a LOT of primary research papers on dietary restriction in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Here is a review:
Cypser et al. “Dietary Restriction in C. elegans: Recent Advances.” Experimental Gerontology 2013.

Likewise with Drosophila melanogaster:
Partridge et al. “Dietary Restriction in Drosophila.” Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 2005.

Although dietary restriction as a model for life extension was first reported in rats in the 1930’s (McCay et al. “The Effect of Retardrd Growth upon the Length of Life Span and upon the Ultimate Body Size.” The Journal of Nutrition 1935), the effect of dietary restriction in mammals is much more complicated than is generally presented.

Thank you. I knew about the studies done in mammals, but I had missed the stuff in inverts.

 

[ErinM31]

Thank you. I knew about the studies done in mammals, but I had missed the stuff in inverts.

IMHO, in most of the cases when DR produces a beneficial effect in mammals, it is really just demonstrating that overeating is unhealthy. Now other paradigms of restricted feeding, such as feeding times and circadian rhythm and intermittent fasting, I think will be generally applicable, including for humans, as our bodies have evolved to have periods of fasting and being in a catabolic rather than a near constant anabolic state.

Now as to invertebrates, most (all?) of those studied have a single period of reproduction and thus it would make sense for them to have an “alternate program” for lean times, to hang on longer and either reproduce in lower numbers over an extended period or delay it entirely (the dauer phase of C. elegans represents an extreme form of such an alternate program).

Since female tarantulas are iteroparous, it does raise the question as to whether dietary restriction would be expected to extend their lifespan at all. Certainly it could prolong their development (as “power feeding” shortens in) but it may have no effect on adult lifespan since tarantulas seem already adapted to not spend all their reproductive resources in one season. It could be interesting to study this — perhaps Acanthoscurria geniculata would be a good choice since their lifespan does not extend to decades (would need to check this) and they have a strong feeding response (which should make establishing different feeding groups easier).

The most important thing is to keep the feeder bug nutrichous by feeding them.high quality food. Then what kind of feeder one use i think is less important. A diverse diet could? Be mote impirtant for slings than adult spiders ( a friend whos a arachnolog has made research in this matter) but those where Wolfspiders. But this can be true for tarantulas as well?

I would be very interested in reading your friend’s work (not that I doubt it, but out of scientific interest and desire to do my best for my animals). It seems to make intuitive sense that a diverse diet would be healthier for any species that hasn’t evolved to eat one specific thing. It also seems possible that this need could be met by giving feeder insects a diverse diet, but I will seek to ensure my tarantulas’ nutritional by both methods.

 

[Vanisher]

It would be very interested in reading your friend’s work (not that I doubt it, but out of scientific interest and desire to do my best for my animals). It seems to make intuitive sense that a diverse diet would be healthier for any species that hasn’t evolved to eat one specific thing. It also seems possible that this need could be met by giving feeder insects a diverse diet, but I will seek to ensure my tarantulas’ nutrition by both methods.

I can ask her!

https://scholar.google.se/scholar?hl=sv&as_sdt=0,5&q=Lycosidae+diet+development&btnG=

This is not her work. She had done some similar research but they where all in paperform! So she gave me this sdress!

There you some intresting research to read. I guess that if this is true with Lycosa, one can asume this is true for other spider families, even tarantulas?

 

[ErinM31]

I can ask her!

https://scholar.google.se/scholar?hl=sv&as_sdt=0,5&q=Lycosidae+diet+development&btnG=

This is not her work. She had done some similar research but they where all in paperform! So she gave me this sdress!

There you some intresting research to read. I guess that if this is true with Lycosa, one can asume this is true for other spider families, even tarantulas?

Thank you for the link! Among the papers is the study I’d recalled where wolf spiderlings were fed different prey, only I’d forgotten the wide range tried! And yes, a species of springtail was the best feeder (although a combination of this springtail and fruit flies was even better), another species of springtail was the worst, even toxic!

It may be that the diets of some of the tested feeders are very specific and that that makes several of them poor single feeders or even toxic. It does not look like generalist prey such as crickets or roaches (which of course also vary in diet) were tested. It is possible that wolf spiders benefit more from prey variety than tarantulas but I can’t think of any reason to expect this to be the case.

 

[Vanisher]

I think that this is a patter that can be true with other feederbugs as well! If diffrent types of beetles, cochroaches or flies where tested, the result may be similair?