Mimetidae

[buthus]

First some pic reposts to get the subject a rollin'.
This is the pirate spider I found in the "wastelands" (cacoseraph's backyard hunt :Rockon: )

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/IDthisspider_wasteland_01.jpg

Found it sucking away at this ...I will guess a male L.hesperus. She was still feeding on it when I got her home. :D
http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/IDthisspider_wasteland_kill_00.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/IDthisspider_wasteland_02.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/IDthisspider_wasteland_03.jpg

And here are the mystery sacs we found ...they were very common out there.
http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/sacs-IDiQ_wasteland_00.jpg

One of these sacs was already hatched and the other hatched a couple of days ago. Slings are beyond tiny and I had a hell of a time trying to transfer them to a more observable container. Not sure how many I got transfered or how many are running round my room. I will guess that the sac had 8...maybe 12 slings, but they are so small its easy to miss them.
http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/wstlnd-sac_hatch_sling_00.jpg


Ok.. been keeping the pirate in a small "enclosure" with some root base. No significant webbing ...just hung around waiting for something. Attempted to feed her the usual feeders and a couple spiders, but no go.
But... she produced a sac! Maybe the wastelands mystery sacs are not so much a mystery anymore?

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Mimetidae_wstlndpirate_sac_01.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Mimetidae_wstlndpirate_sac_02.jpg

Now she really needed to eat. I placed a S.grossa into a plastic box and let it web up a bit for a day. Not much webbbing but enough (hopefully) for the pirate to do her stuff.

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Mimetidae_wstlndpirate_Sg-feed_01.jpg

Left the box on my photoshoot stand and today when looking at it from a distance, I saw what looked like the grossa eating the Mimetidae, but actually turns out everything went as planned. :Dance:
http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Mimetidae_wstlndpirate_Sg-feed_02.jpg

Ok... time for a real photoshoot. Hopefully I will get to it very soon... hate to loose the pirate to old age before I can have fun.
I think latrodectus should be her next potential victim.


I also need to figure out what to feed these slings. They are tiny.. half the size of the smallest of fruitflies. Mites and spider slings may very well be what they normally feed on, but who knows. ?

[Becky]

Wow they're awesome! It ate that spider thats like 3 times the size of it!?!?! :shocked: what a spider!! Where'd u find it?

[Tegenaria]

Cool sequence! What spider is S.grossa?

[buthus]

Wow they're awesome! It ate that spider thats like 3 times the size of it!?!?! :shocked: what a spider!! Where'd u find it?
Found it in a desert wasteland under some garbage ...about 40min NE of Los Angeles. (Rancho Cucamonga area)

Cool sequence! What spider is S.grossa?
Steatoda grossa (a known spider killer itself)

[Mary]

Do Steatoda grossa kill other spiders then??? I have hundreds here at the minute, 3 or 4 egg sacs have opened today, so I might bring some to BTS, weeny lil slings they are, think anyone will want them if I do????

[buthus]

Do Steatoda grossa kill other spiders then??? I have hundreds here at the minute, 3 or 4 egg sacs have opened today, so I might bring some to BTS, weeny lil slings they are, think anyone will want them if I do????

Sort of jacking my own thread, but we may as well look at the capabilities of this pirate's victim... :jimlad:
This is S.grossa ..forced to enter the domain of one of the most skilled and agile web based hunters that I have observed ...Latrodectus geometricus.

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/geo-A1--SG_showdown_00.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/geo-A1--SG_shwdwn-kill_03.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/geo-A1--SG_shwdwn-kill_01.jpg

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/geo-A1--SG_shwdwn-kill_02.jpg



...and whats the first rule of spider fight club? ;) :D

[Mary]

Oh heck, and I got hundreds of them, fierce lil devils.

[Tegenaria]

Isnt Steatoda known as the false widow? I believe theyre related,do they have similar venom?

[buthus]

Isnt Steatoda known as the false widow? I believe theyre related,do they have similar venom?


We report the case of a 22-year-old female who was bitten on the shoulder by a spider subsequently identified as a female Cupboard spider (Steatoda grossa). She developed nausea, vomiting, and severe local and regional pain, similar to that seen in latrodectism. Symptoms were treated successfully with red-back spider antivenom (RBSAV). We also present in vitro data, which supports this clinical observation, and suggests that S. grossa venom is immunogenically reactive with both RBSAV and latrotoxin (LTx)-specific antibodies by Western blotting. Moreover, the effects of S. grossa venom on the isolated chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation are dose-dependent and similar to those seen with Latrodectus spp. venoms. S. grossa venom produced a sustained muscle contracture which could be prevented by pre-incubation of venom with RBSAV. Venom effects could also be reversed by the addition of antivenom after application of venom to the preparation.Although severe envenomation is uncommon following the bite of Steatoda spp. it may resemble latrodectism. These results indicate that RBSAV is likely to be effective in reversing symptoms of envenomation and should be considered in the treatment of patients with distressing or persisting symptoms. Copright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

source (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12175614&dopt=Abstract)

I've tried to get one to bite me more than a few times...short of being a total azzhole to it, but they dont bite the hand that feeds I guess. ;)

[buthus]

Ok back on subject.
a couple combined posts...

She is still alive and well... just gave her another spider to munch... waiting to see how long it takes for he to go for the kill. Need to understand how the hunt happenes (signs, time involved..etc..) so I can plan a photo/video shoot. Fun to think of some of my spidies as feeders! :D
No idea how long it will take for the sac to hatch. Hopefully it will give me some signs...but from what I saw with the other sac, I'd have to pay very close attention.
If I get back to the "wasteland" next weekend or soon thereafter, Ill keep my eyes peeled for more adults or sacs. Ill try and stock up on these if I can ...it seems that they keep very easily. I have to say this though, they are fairly uneventfull spiders ...except for what they do best and only when they do it. ;)

later that day...


Well, will need to raise them slings (if I get any) or find a new pirate, because the steatoda won the battle! :P And...it happened when I wasnt around...bummed to have missed it. :rolleyes:

http://www.moflash.net/stuff/img/spiders/Mimetidae_wstlndpirate_killed_00.jpg
RIP :D