Woodlouse spider question

[mmfh]

I have a male and female woodlouse spider. A while ago I put some mealworms into the enclosure. Today I noticed a beetle walking around. How dangerous is this beetle? Does it pose any type of threat to my spiders and should I remove it? Do they posses any type of toxic excretion if the spiders would try to eat it? Thank you.

 

[jecraque]

No, as far as I know it should be fine. Most spiders won't eat most beetles, as their elytra & exoskeletons are pretty tough. If any spider could take one on it would be Dysdera!

 

[Ciphor]

No, as far as I know it should be fine. Most spiders won't eat most beetles, as their elytra & exoskeletons are pretty tough. If any spider could take one on it would be Dysdera!

Or anything in Theridiidae

Beetles live in the same environment as woodlouse hunters, they are accustomed to one anothers presence, and usually just leave each other alone.

 

[jecraque]

Or anything in Theridiidae

Beetles live in the same environment as woodlouse hunters, they are accustomed to one anothers presence, and usually just leave each other alone.

Good point--I've seen that on occasion, come to think of it.

 

[mmfh]

Thank you jecraque and ciphor. Ive decided to leave the 2 beetles in the enclosure because they are kind of fun to watch. They seen to be eating the leaf litter that is in there for the giant springtails. Ive been using mealworms for spider food for years but I never realized that if you put them in damp earth they pupate within two days (if sufficiently large). The younger ones seem to die but are eaten rapidly by the sringtails, almost like a slow motion piranha feast. A question I have is if the beetles will breed in this environment? This could lead to an unwanted population explosion. Im just using the mealworms until my pill bug numbers rebound since most of them seem to have drown in my first ever experience with them and are doing much better since I dried them out a bit.

 

[Ciphor]

Thank you jecraque and ciphor. Ive decided to leave the 2 beetles in the enclosure because they are kind of fun to watch. They seen to be eating the leaf litter that is in there for the giant springtails. Ive been using mealworms for spider food for years but I never realized that if you put them in damp earth they pupate within two days (if sufficiently large). The younger ones seem to die but are eaten rapidly by the sringtails, almost like a slow motion piranha feast. A question I have is if the beetles will breed in this environment? This could lead to an unwanted population explosion. Im just using the mealworms until my pill bug numbers rebound since most of them seem to have drown in my first ever experience with them and are doing much better since I dried them out a bit.

You can just keep making your ecosystem more diverse. Find a couple cobweb spiders, like steatoda. Let them post up shop and they will take care of your beetles

But ya, the beetles might breed if you got males and females.

 

[mmfh]

Haha! Finding cobwebs wont be a problem! I have a resident population of long bodied and small brown house spiders that I let stick around to take care of the stink bugs that seem intent on taking over my house.

 

[Ciphor]

Haha! Finding cobwebs wont be a problem! I have a resident population of long bodied and small brown house spiders that I let stick around to take care of the stink bugs that seem intent on taking over my house.

a single brown house spider (Steatoda grossa) will definitely keep your enslosures beetle population down

 

[zonbonzovi]

^I just witnessed S. triangulosa trying to have a go at a longhorn(I forget the binomial) last night...quite hilarious watching the beast look for an area to puncture...it eventually gave up and the longhorn sauntered off...

 

[Bungetan]

I think that's okay!
But when I am you, I will remove the beetle,,,
B/C I don't like sth... like other creature(?) in my pet's cage...