Spider - description, characteristics and photographs. Sexual behavior
The category of the most popular species includes spiders, which are perfectly adapted for keeping in captivity, are completely unpretentious, and also have an unusual appearance:
- curly-haired tarantula spider or Brachyelma alborilosum– an unpretentious ambush spider, leading a nocturnal lifestyle. An ideal exotic option for beginners, thanks to its original appearance, fairly large body size, and amazing calmness. It is not brightly colored, and its unusual appearance is due to the presence of fairly long hairs with black or white tips. The main color of the spider is brown or brownish-black. The average body length is 80 mm with paw sizes of 16-18 cm. The cost of an adult individual reaches four thousand rubles;
- Acanthoscurria Antillensis or Acanthosсurria antillensis- a spider native to the Lesser Antilles. The species belongs to the family Tarantulas. This is a fairly active spider that hides in a shelter during the day and feeds on various insects. The body length reaches 60-70 mm with a leg span of 15 cm. The main color is dark brown with a slight metallic sheen on the carapace. The average cost of an adult reaches 4.5 thousand rubles;
- chromatopelma cyaneopubescens Chromatorelma cyaneopubescens is a popular and very beautiful tarantula spider, which is characterized by a body length of 60-70 mm, as well as a leg span of up to 14-15 cm. The main coloring is represented by a combination of a reddish-orange abdomen, bright blue limbs and green carapace. A hardy species that can survive without food for several months. The average cost of an adult reaches 10-11 thousand rubles;
- crassiсrus lamanai- a species safe for humans, characterized by the presence of expanded joints in the area of the fourth leg in females. The main coloring of an adult male is black. The body size of the male is up to 3.7 cm and the carapace is 1.6x1.4 cm. Mature females are much larger than males and their body length reaches 7 cm with a leg span of 15 cm. Adult females are colored predominantly in brown tones. The average cost of an adult reaches 4.5 thousand rubles;
- cyсlosternum fasciаtum- one of the smallest in size, a tropical species of tarantula spider native to Costa Rica. The maximum leg span of an adult is 10-12 cm with a body length of 35-50 mm. Body color is dark brown with a noticeable reddish tint. The cephalothorax area is colored in reddish or brown shades, the abdomen is black with red stripes, and the legs are gray, black or brown. The average cost of an adult reaches 4 thousand rubles.
Also popular among lovers of domestic exotics are such species of spiders as Cyriocosmus bertae, Grammostola golden-striped and pink, poisonous Teraphosa blondie.
Important! It is strictly not recommended to keep a red-backed spider, which is known to many as the “Black Widow,” at home. This species is considered the most dangerous of the spiders in Australia and secretes neurotoxic poison, so the owner of such an exotic must always have an antidote on hand.
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Where and how to keep a house spider
Sedentary spiders that lack the characteristic roundness in the abdomen are most likely sick, malnourished, or suffering from dehydration. In addition to the exotic, you need to choose and purchase the right terrarium for its maintenance, as well as the most important accessories to fill your home.
Selecting a terrarium
In terrariums that are too voluminous, filled with a large number of decorative elements, such exotics can easily get lost. It is also important to remember that many species are unable to get along with their neighbors, so, for example, it is advisable to keep tarantulas alone.
A terrarium house, the optimal size of which is two times the length of the maximum leg span, will be cozy for the spider. As practice shows, even the largest specimens feel great in a home measuring 40x40cm or 50x40cm.
According to their design features, terrariums can be horizontal for terrestrial species and burrowing exotics, as well as vertical for tree spiders. When making a terrarium, as a rule, tempered glass or standard plexiglass is used.
Lighting, humidity, decor
Creating optimal, comfortable conditions for the spider is the key to preserving the life and health of the exotic when kept in captivity:
- A special substrate in the form of vermiculite is poured onto the bottom of the terrarium. The standard layer of such backfill should be 30-50 mm. Dry coconut substrate or regular peat chips mixed with sphagnum moss are also very suitable for these purposes;
- The temperature regime inside the terrarium is also very important. Spiders belong to the category of very heat-loving pets, so the optimal temperature range will be between 22-28°C. As practice shows, a slight and short-term decrease in temperature cannot cause harm to spiders, but one should not abuse the endurance of such exotics;
- Despite the fact that spiders are predominantly nocturnal, they cannot be limited in light. As a rule, to create comfortable conditions, it is enough to have natural lighting in the room, but without direct sunlight hitting the container;
- As a shelter for burrowing species of spiders, special “houses” made of pieces of bark or coconut shells are used. Also, various decorative driftwood or artificial vegetation can be used to decorate the interior space.
The humidity inside the spider's home requires special attention. The presence of a drinking bowl and the correct substrate allows you to ensure optimal performance. You need to control the humidity level using a standard hygrometer. To increase humidity, the terrarium is irrigated with water from a household spray bottle.
Important! It should be noted that overheating the air inside the terrarium is very dangerous for a well-fed spider, since in this case the processes of decay in the stomach are activated and undigested food becomes the cause of exotic poisoning.
Terrarium safety
A terrarium for a spider should be completely safe, both for the most exotic pet and for others. It is especially important to follow safety rules when keeping poisonous spiders.
It should be remembered that spiders are able to move quite deftly even on a vertical surface, so the main condition for safe keeping is the presence of a reliable lid. You should not purchase a container that is too high for terrestrial species of spiders, as otherwise the exotic may fall from a considerable height and suffer a life-threatening abdominal rupture.
To ensure sufficient ventilation for the spider’s life, it is necessary to make perforations in the form of small and numerous holes in the lid of the terrarium.
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What to feed house spiders
In order to make the process of feeding and caring for your home spider as convenient as possible, it is recommended to purchase tweezers. With the help of such a simple device, insects are given to spiders, and food residues and waste products that pollute the home are removed from the terrarium. The diet should be as close as possible to the spider’s diet in natural conditions. The standard serving size is about a third of the size of the exotic itself.
This is interesting! The drinking bowl is installed in terrariums for adult individuals and can be represented by an ordinary saucer, slightly pressed into the substrate at the bottom of the container.
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Life expectancy of a spider at home
The average life expectancy of an exotic pet in captivity can vary greatly depending on the species and compliance with the rules of keeping:
- acanthosсurria antillensis – about 20 years;
- chromatоrelma сyanеоrubеsсens – males live on average 3-4 years, and females – up to 15 years;
- tiger spider – up to 10 years;
- redback spider – 2-3 years;
- Argiope vulgaris – no more than a year.
The female tarantula Ahonopelma, whose average lifespan is three decades, are deservedly among the longest-livers among spiders.
Also, record holders for life expectancy include some species of spiders from the family of tarantulas, which are capable of living in captivity for a quarter of a century, and sometimes more.
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Reproduction of spiders, features
The spider's reproductive organ is located in front of the spinning organ.. After mating, the male is often extremely careful, since some species of females are capable of killing their sexual partner and using him for food.
This is interesting! Males of some common species after mating do not care at all about their safety and absolutely calmly allow the female to eat them, and some species are capable of living together for a long time.
A few weeks or months after mating, the female begins to make a special cocoon, which she can move around the terrarium in search of the most comfortable conditions. At a certain time, the female independently opens the cocoon and many tiny spiders are born.
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Safety and Cautions
The most difficult to keep at home are poisonous and aggressive spiders, which include species such as:
- Phormistoryrus antillensis;
- Phormictorus auratus;
- Phormictorus cancerides;
- Theraphosa apohysis;
- Thrichorelma oskerti;
- Latrodectus hasselti;
- Latrodectus tredecimguttatus;
- Macrothele gigas;
- Stromatorelma salseatum.
One of the most nervous, quickly excitable and aggressive species are many spiders of the genus Tarinauchenius, whose bite is extremely toxic to humans. Caring for such exotics requires full compliance with safety rules.
Such pets cannot be handled, and when cleaning the terrarium, such spiders must be placed in a special, tightly closed container.
What to do if the spider escaped
Most often, wood spiders escape from loosely closed home terrariums.. There may be several reasons for the sudden escape of an exotic:
- finding the spider outside its nest when opening the terrarium;
- sharp withdrawal of the paws when touched;
- jerking almost the whole body in any direction when feeding with tweezers;
- the presence of a disproportionately large food item in the terrarium;
- recent molt.
If the spider nevertheless leaves its home, then it is necessary to carefully observe its movement, without making sudden movements. When the spider stops, it should be covered with any sufficiently wide container.
Then a piece of thick cardboard is placed under the container with which the spider is covered, and the exotic is carefully transferred to the terrarium.
What to do if a spider bites you
Most often, species of spiders that are not dangerous to humans are kept at home; when bitten, the following symptoms occur:
- pain at the site of the bite;
- redness and swelling;
- itching;
- increased body temperature;
- general malaise.
In this case, it is enough to use conventional analgesics and antipyretics, and also treat the bite site with “Zvezdochka” balm or “Fenistil” gel. If the bite is caused by a poisonous spider, then it will be necessary to provide the victim with emergency medical care in a hospital setting as soon as possible.
In general, all types of safe spiders are almost ideal and hassle-free exotic pets that do not require frequent feeding, do not produce allergenic fur, do not mark territory and take up very little space. Such an exotic dog will be the best option for keeping a pet for busy people who do not have the opportunity to devote a lot of time and effort to their pet.
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simple-fauna.ru
Physiology of house spiders
In fact, the physiology and biology of reproduction of house spiders are topics that have been little studied. There are general data based on which we can draw some conclusions. So, for example, young spiders, regardless of their gender, lead a similar lifestyle, and it is almost impossible to distinguish them by behavior. True, the appearance of such an exotic pet serves as a hint to the owner of spiders and the answer to the question - where is the female spider and where is the male. So,
sexually mature males, as a rule, always have bright colors, proportional and elongated legs, a special structure of the pedipalps, and are distinguished by great mobility.
By the way, they reach puberty earlier than females, who look somewhat gray compared to such bright “men,” behave awkwardly, and are characterized by inactivity. For male spiders this is 1.5 years, for females this period of puberty occurs when she is 2-3 years old.
Such a time gap in matters of puberty excludes the possibility of inbreeding.
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Features of the behavior of male spiders
Before mating begins, a mature male spider begins to weave a special web, which has a 3- or 4-corner shape. It secretes a drop of inseminating liquid onto the underside of such a web. After such a “network” is ready in every sense of the word, the male proceeds to search for a female. His behavior becomes overly active, he moves around the terrarium day and night...
In nature, during this period, male spiders can even cover a distance of 9 kilometers during the night in order to find a female.
The spider searches for the “lady of the heart” in a very interesting way - using exclusively the senses of touch. He follows the female's trail and almost always finds her. But, it is quite clear that when living in a terrarium, whether he finds a female to mate with or not will depend on you, as the owner of the spider.
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Spiders mating
If you seriously decide to start breeding spiders, then take care in advance of a neutral territory for mating of these creatures and a female spider. And, after you notice that your spider has begun to weave a ritual web, start trying to cross spiders. To do this, first place the female and then the male spider in a neutral terrarium.
If the female spider has other plans and “children” are not included in them, most likely she will attack the male spider. In this case, it is recommended to immediately remove the male from the terrarium. Since the struggle between spiders for territory - the female now perceives the male as a potential invader of her square centimeters, can end in the death of one of the spiders or self-harm and severed limbs. By the way, many people mistakenly think that the female eats the male spider. So, it doesn't always happen this way. If the male spider is strong enough, he can cope with the female and then, instead of thinking about where to place the little spiderlings, you will think about where to get another female, instead of the one that died in the paws of the male spider.
If the female spider is ready to mate, she will initially simply ignore the male. His task will be to attract her attention with a ritual dance, and lure the female out of the shelter, where she could hide at the sight of a stranger spider. After this, the male begins to carefully approach the female, who will behave quite calmly. Although, there are cases when the female herself attracted the male spider by drumming her paws on the substrate. After such an “invitation,” the spider begins the mating process, which lasts several seconds. At the end of them, he quickly runs away to the other end of the terrarium, since the spider can change her mood and attack him. It is recommended to remove the male immediately after mating in order to avoid unpleasant incidents.
At one time, a male is able to fertilize several females. Likewise, a female can mate with several males in one season.
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Features of the behavior of a female spider
Depending on many factors - season, temperature in the terrarium, humidity, availability of food and type of spider, fertilization of eggs in the uterus can occur 1-8 months after mating.
The female lays eggs and weaves them into a cocoon. The cocoon itself consists of 2 parts, fastened at the edges. It is noteworthy that to protect themselves from enemies, some types of spiders weave their protective hairs into the walls of the cocoon.
The female spider is very careful about her egg laying and watches the cocoon, turns it over and can move with it inside the terrarium. In fact, there is a completely logical explanation for this behavior - depending on humidity and temperature, the female looks for optimally comfortable conditions for her spiderlings.
If you want your idea to be successful and small spiders to be born, try not to irritate the female during this period and protect her from stress. Since there are often cases when, as a result of a nervous shock, a spider ate its cocoon.
By the way, some spider breeders practice... taking on maternal functions and, after the female lays her clutch and weaves a web around it, they take the cocoon from the terrarium and place it in a special container, turn such a cocoon over several times a day and monitor the humidity and temperature . I would like to immediately warn you that such an “incubator” is a very difficult task, therefore, we do not undertake to guarantee you that you will cope with maternal responsibilities better than the spider herself.
There are also cases when a female spider laid several cocoons after mating at intervals of several weeks.
As for the number of eggs in such clutches, it is 30-60 eggs, but the female spider Lasiodora parahubana can lay 2500 eggs at a time!
The incubation period of eggs also depends on the type of pack itself, but on average ranges from several weeks to 4 months. Moreover, the eggs of arboreal spider species “mature” faster than those of terrestrial spider species.
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The appearance of small spiders
When small spiders are born, their size is 3-5 millimeters, and their leg span is 1.5 centimeters. Newborn spiders of arboreal species are larger than terrestrial ones, and their number is smaller. They are distinguished by great mobility and timidity. The slightest danger, rustle, or movement serves as a signal for them to burrow deeper into the substrate of the terrarium.
The process of the birth of spiders is very interesting. In embryos, on the eve of this event, egg teeth are formed at the base of the pedipalps, with the help of which they tear the egg shell from the inside. But now they are very weak, their appendages are not dismembered, their integuments are thin, and they feed on the yolk sac that remains in the intestines. After the first molt, claws appear on the spider's legs inside the egg and chelicerae develop. It's time for him to be born. He experiences the next moult post-embryonic, and now he is an active baby, capable of feeding on his own. By the way, after its birth, it is better to remove it from the mother’s terrarium, since now the spider will perceive her little spiderlings not as her children, but as food. What can you do, such laws of Nature...
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Development of small spiders
The lifestyle and biology of young spiders are very similar to the lifestyle of adults. They are born with the instincts of arranging a shelter for themselves, the instinct of hunting for food items. And, at the age of several weeks, when the spider gets stronger, you can already think about placing it in good hands.
By the way, the cost of spiders depends on the age at which you sell them, their size and their gender. So, for example, we were able to find out the following prices:
- Baby spiders, until their gender is determined, are sold for an average of 8-10 dollars. for 1 piece. Moreover, if you buy them in bulk (10-20 pieces), the seller can give a discount.
- A female tarantula spider, depending on its size, can cost between $70 and $100.
- Whereas, a male tarantula spider costs 20-40 dollars.
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Failures You May Encounter When Breeding Spiders
It is quite clear that theory differs from practice, and you may encounter a number of difficulties that relate to both the “acquaintance” of the spider with the spider and the onset of fertilization of the eggs, as well as problems with the cocoon - the spider may sit on it and not take care of it it, or small spiders will not be able to gnaw through it and be born. Not a single spider lover can insure himself against such failures. However, your strict adherence to the recommendations regarding the care of spiders, the creation of comfortable conditions for breeding in the terrarium, your competent approach, your observation, concern for the health of spiders - all this will reduce the risk of possible failures. And, the reward for your diligence will be the little spiderlings that are born.
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Video on breeding spiders:
Today we talked about breeding spiders at home, how the reproduction process occurs, the behavioral characteristics of a male spider and a female spider, as well as how small spiders are born. We also considered possible difficulties that you may encounter in the process of breeding spiders. However, we hope that if you follow our recommendations, your spiders will breed to your delight.
Are you breeding your own exotic pets? What challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them? Share your experience with our readers...
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nutriacultivation.ru
Spiders must reproduce and therefore there are male and female individuals. Males are often smaller and more colorful than females. Males can be easily identified by their sensitive tentacles (palps). More precisely, by the elongated bulbs at their ends, which they use to inject sperm into the exposed genitals of females.
The spider's reproductive organs are located in front of the spinners. When the time comes, males wander off in search of females. At this time, we may come across a spider in our homes. Usually the spider hides from our view. But now he must move around, running through our homes, looking for a partner and often unwittingly causing panic among the inhabitants of our homes. When he has found a suitable female, he must take care not to mistakenly become prey for her. Males have different approaches to telling a female that he is interested in mating. The males of some species offer a gift, others “clank” their legs against the female’s web, and some perform a dance. If the signals are correct and the female is ready to mate, she allows the male to approach. Before mating, the male fills the elongated bulbs at the ends of the sensitive tentacles (palps) with sperm, for this he creates a small network. Then he throws a few drops of sperm from the genitals onto the net and then sucks the sperm into the elongated bulbs.
After mating, males of some species must be extremely careful. Since sometimes females try to kill males and use them as food. Although often the male individual manages to escape. The males of some species no longer care about life after mating and allow themselves to be eaten without objection. Other species live together happily for a long time after mating. There is great diversity in sexual behavior among different species. The males of most species do not live long after mating because their purpose is achieved and accomplished.
Females often live longer than males. Some females die after hatching their eggs, and some may even be eaten by their children. Others may live for about another year. Most females protect their eggs and young. Wolf spiders carry their egg sac on their spinners and then the young on their hindquarters until their first molt. Orb weaving spiders also guard their egg sac.
znanija.com
Little is known about the life cycle of the vast majority of tarantulas. We can only assume that it is similar to the cycle of those few carefully studied species, and make certain additions to it based on factors such as seasons, temperature, humidity and habitat. Be careful! These assumptions can easily mislead you. For too long they tried to adapt Terafozide to existing formulas. Surprises await us, and assumptions can only serve as a starting point. This requires other areas of research. Everything stated here may apply only to North American species, but may not be true at all for species from Africa, Asia, etc.
Maturation
In the life of every tarantula there is one significant molt (if it, of course, lives to see it) - this is the adult or largest molt.
The duration of puberty depends very much on the type of tarantula, the sex of the individual, physical condition, nutritional conditions and other factors unknown to us. For example, male tarantulas mature a year and a half earlier than their sisters, but insufficient nutrition can delay this process for two years or more (Baerg 1928).
In one of the North American species, this molt occurs at 10-12 years of life (Baerg 1928). Males of the species Aphonopelma anax can mature at two to three years of age (Breene 1996), and some tropical tarantulas (eg Avicularia spp.) mature even more quickly, perhaps even by 8 months of age (Chagrentier 1992).
Among individuals of the same brood, males mature much earlier than females. One hypothesis to explain this fact is that such maturation at different times prevents siblings from mating, and therefore preserves genetic diversity.
Another hypothesis suggests that males take less time to reach full body weight because they have less weight than females. This leads to the conclusion that females take longer to develop larger reproductive organs and gain greater body weight in preparation for ovulation. If this hypothesis is correct, then avoidance of inbreeding is only a secondary phenomenon. Before the next molt, all tarantulas belonging to the same species appear more or less alike, and even after maturation the adult female still looks very much like a large juvenile.
The male, however, undergoes a radical transformation during his maturation after the final molt. It develops longer legs and a smaller abdomen than the female. In most varieties, the front pair of legs now have prominent, forward-pointing hooks on each tibia.
Male Brachypelma smithi. The tibial hooks and bulbs on the pedipalps are visible.
Male Brachypelma smithi. The tibial hooks on the first pair of walking legs are visible.
The male's character also changes (Petrunkevetch 1911): instead of a balanced, reclusive behavior, he acquired an excitable, hyperactive temperament, characterized by impetuous starts, fast movements and a strong desire to change places. For the male, this maturing molt is the final one. In short, this is the beginning of the end. His days are numbered.
One of the most important transformations occurs in its pedipalps. While his sister's pedipalps still resemble walking legs, his pedipalps look like they're wearing boxing gloves. But make no mistake: he is a lover, not a fighter! The bulbous ends of its pedipalps are now very complexly arranged and adapted for use as specific genital organs. The terminal segments on the pedipalps have changed from relatively simple tarsi and claws to complex secondary reproductive organs used to introduce sperm into the female reproductive tract.
Sex Life
Little is known about the sexual behavior of wild tarantulas. Virtually all we really know comes from observing spiders living in captivity, and such housing can radically change habits and instincts. We report here only what little we know about the wild habits of tarantulas and can only hope for more extensive research in this area.
Charger
Soon after the final molt, the male tarantula spins a web of sperm and thereby prepares itself for a sexual career (Baerg 1928 and 1958; Petrankevich 1911; Minch 1979). This sperm web usually looks like a silky tent, open on both sides. But in general it can occur in one of two options. Some varieties build it with only two open ends. Others weave it also opening from above. In this case, the male will spin an additional small patch of special web inside (apparently with his epiandrous glands), adjacent to the upper edge. If there is no open top, he will spin such a patch inside and adjacent to the edge of one of the open ends. Turning upside down under this web, he will then deposit a drop of his sperm on the underside of that small patch. After which he will climb to the top of the web, clinging to the pedipalps, first one, then the other, stretch through the top (if it is open), or through the open end (if the top is closed) and charge his bulbs with sperm. This process is called sperm induction.
The sperm with which he charges his bulbs is not yet active. Once sperm are produced in the testes, they are encased in a protein capsule and remain dormant until the male is called to fertilize the female (Foelix 1982).
After “charging” his pedipalps, the male leaves the sperm web and goes to look for a female to court. During his wanderings, the male is exposed to conditions common to any predator in this environment, and therefore he must be hyperactive even in order to survive and mate. Thus, male hyperactivity is a necessary survival feature. Where does the male weave his first sperm web? Within his burrow before he leaves the web or after he leaves the burrow to search for a female? The hole seems like a very tight place to perform the necessary movements, but it is much safer than an open space.
The male will spin several sperm webs and charge the tips of his pedipalps more than once. It is capable of mating several times during its sexual career. But there is still very little data indicating how many times a male is capable of recharging his pedipalps, or how many females he can impregnate. Where does the male build additional sperm webs after he leaves his burrow? Does it prefer secluded areas under a rock or other cover, or does it simply stop anywhere there is an object that can be used as a vertical support, oblivious to the rest of the world? Most likely, the answers to these questions depend on the species of the tarantula. Clearly, more extensive research is needed. The righteous girls he usually looks for stay at home, waiting for their suitors. Of course, the greater the distances he covers, the greater the chance he has of finding a female ready to mate. Males sometimes found them by moving almost two kilometers from their home (Dzanowski-Bell 1995).
The Taming of the Shrew
Females are probably discovered through some kind of sense (we cannot confidently call it taste or smell) and the tactics of weaving nets around their burrows (Minch 1979). Once the sperm web has been woven, the male will begin to very carefully tap his feet at the entrance to the female's burrow in an attempt to arouse her interest. If this does not produce the desired effect, he will try to very carefully crawl into her hole. At some point in his movement, he will come into contact with the female, and here two scenarios are possible. It can be met with an almost explosive attack. In this case, the female can pounce on him like a ferocious tiger, with bared fangs and the clear intention of having dinner instead of sex. The male must try to hastily retreat from the hole or else he will become the main dish on his bride's menu.
In another scenario, the female initially ignores him, acting modest and persistently seeking her affection. In this case, the male will lower his prosoma until it lies on the surface, while holding the opisthosoma high in the air. He extends his front legs and pedipalps towards the female and, in this position of extreme supplication, drags his body back. This ingratiating appearance almost always works, and while the male pulls himself back, the female modestly follows him. From time to time he pauses his retreat, still maintaining a submissive body position, alternately thrusting and thrusting his pedipalps and forelegs, first from the left side, then from the right, then from the left again, to maintain the female's interest. So, step by step, they move in an unusual procession from the hole to the surface.
The courtship of araneomorphic spiders (the families Araneidae, Pisoridae, Saltikiidae and Lycosideidae, for example) is often very complex and bizarre. In these spiders, the male performs a small dance or plucks web threads from the female’s web in a special way, which seems to turn off her predatory instinct and replaces it with a willingness to accept an assistant in procreation. Some males in the Pizorida family even go so far as to offer the female a recently caught insect before mating.
Courtship among tarantulas is relatively simple and straightforward. Males (and sometimes females) often twitch and strike the ground with their pedipalps and legs before mating. However, this is not as complex a dance as that of the Araneomorph. To date, there have been no seriously documented attempts to determine differences in mating rituals among different tarantula species. In these spiders, it is generally very difficult to determine whether they are currently ready to mate or not. Perhaps this reminds us of what they are, and that a mistaken sign by a male is a sure way for him to be attacked and eaten.
Somewhere in the open, when the female is no longer in familiar territory, the male may try to approach her cautiously. By this time, when he has seduced her and lured her out of her hiding place, she already recognizes him as a suitor and remains motionless. The male may touch her with the tips of the front pair of legs or tap them on the ground or on the female several times in a row. After a short pause, he can resume his movements. Usually the male performs these manipulations several times until he is convinced that the female is not planning anything criminal against him. In fact, the sequence of events, the exact number of all movements and the type of foreplay vary depending on the species of tarantula and may be an important clue to understanding their phylogeny (Platnek 1971). However, no one has yet conducted truly serious studies of sexual behavior in these spiders.
Copulation
If the female is still passive or if she approaches too slowly, the male carefully moves closer by moving his front legs between her pedipalps and chelicerae. At the same time, the female will raise and spread her fangs. This is not an expression of hostility, but rather of readiness to mate. The male grabs her fangs with his tibial hooks in order to give a stable position to both himself and his girlfriend. It is a mistake to believe that in this way the male makes the female motionless and, as it were, disarms her. Nothing like this! At this moment, she is just as eager for intimacy as he is. The authors witnessed many cases where it was the female who took the initiative, initiating mating with the male herself! After the male has securely grabbed the female's fangs, he pushes her back and forth. At this moment, he extends his pedipalps and gently strokes the lower part of her abdomen. If she remains calm and obedient, he will open the embolus of one pedipalp and carefully insert it into the gonopore of the female's epigastric groove. This will constitute the actual act of copulation. After penetration, the female bends sharply almost at a right angle to the male, and he, having emptied one pedipalp, quickly inserts and empties the other.
After copulation, the male holds the female as far away from him as possible until he can safely detach his front legs and start striding! The female often pursues him for a short distance, but is extremely rarely full of determination. Although she is one of the predators he must run from, she is usually more interested in simply driving him away from her. Contrary to the legend that the lover spider lives to seduce as many innocent maidens as possible, there is good reason to believe that it may simply return another evening to mate with a compliant female for a second or third time.
After several weeks or months of maturation, depending on the species, the male tarantula begins to slowly decline and eventually dies. Rarely do they survive winter, and even more rarely do they survive spring (Baerg 1958). To date, there are no reliable data on the lifespan of males of most species, although the authors kept several males that lived for approximately 14-18 months after the final moult.
Undoubtedly, old weak males in nature become easy prey and this is probably why they have a shorter life span than in captivity. In West Texas, the authors collected a large collection of male tarantulas in both early spring and mid-April. Most of these males, judging by their emaciated appearance, were obviously survivors from the previous autumn. A small but significant proportion of them (perhaps one in five or six) appeared neither emaciated nor showing signs of loss of stubble or any physical damage.
One would expect that in warmer areas, some species of tarantulas might molt and reproduce much earlier than once thought. Subsequently, Breen (1996) described the mating cycle of Athonopelma anax from southern Texas, in which males matured and mated with females in early spring.
In many parts of the tropics, some tarantulas (e.g., Avicularia genus) molt and reproduce regardless of the season due to stable temperatures, humidity, and food abundance (Charpentier 1992).
Baerg (1928, 1958) and later Minch (1978) argued that the female does not have sufficient time to lay eggs between breeding in early spring and molting in midsummer. If this were true, then such pairing would be inconsistent. However, Breen (1996) has carefully described the situation that occurs with Aphonopelma anax.
The authors' experience with captive Brachypelm tarantulas has shown that matings before December and after midwinter (January in Canada) are usually fruitless. Thus, it turned out that the mating and oviposition seasons differ for each species, and often radically. These creatures constantly give us unexpected surprises, especially when we think we have all the answers.
Motherhood
Baerg (1928) reports that wild female tarantulas living in Arkansas (for example, Aphonopelma hentzi), having laid eggs, close the entrances to their burrows soon after mating and thus overwinter. The sperm donated by the male is carefully given shelter in her spermatheca until next spring. And only next spring she will spin a cocoon the size of a walnut, containing a thousand eggs or more. She will take care of him, carefully ventilating her hole and protecting him from predators. While protecting the offspring, the female can be very aggressive.
The timing of egg laying varies significantly. Here are some of the factors that determine layover timing:
1.
A species of tarantula;
2.
Geographic latitude of the female tarantula's homeland;
3.
Prevailing climate;
4.
Hemisphere.
There may also likely be other factors, but there are so many in reality that any generalizations here may be inappropriate.
Arkansas tarantulas (Athonopelma enzi) typically lay eggs in June or July (Baerg 1958), while those from west Texas lay eggs a month earlier. In captivity, exotic tarantula species can lay eggs in early March. This appears to be the result of keeping them indoors in an artificial climate.
Fertilization of eggs occurs during their laying, and not during mating, as one might assume. Insemination of the female appears to serve at least two functions. This can stimulate her to produce eggs while sequestering the dormant sperm in a convenient, protected location until the right time.
Females of most vertebrates ovulate regardless of whether or not there has been contact with a male. Chickens constantly lay eggs (fertilized or not), and in humans, women undergo ovulation and monthly cycles with no sexual intercourse at all. It is not yet clear whether this also happens in tarantulas or not. The authors kept many females that did not begin producing eggs until they were fertilized by a male. While sleek and slender before, they became bloated and heavy within a few weeks of mating. It can be assumed that mating or the presence of viable sperm in the female's spermatheca prompted her to begin producing eggs.
On the other hand, Baxter (1993) suggests that female tarantulas can produce eggs without mating. This may occur due to the start of the breeding season, the abundance of food available, or even the simple proximity of a male of the relevant species. The authors have many females who look extremely heavy and plump, but who have not mated for many years. If they were full of eggs, Baxter's hypothesis would be confirmed. If they simply turned out to be full of fatty tissue, the previous hypothesis would be confirmed. But the authors cannot sacrifice any of their pets, so this question remains unanswered for now. These two hypotheses are not mutually exclusive and both may be correct depending on the circumstances. These creatures have been around too long not to have developed a vast repertoire of little tricks to confuse us.
With a stable population of 150 to 450 adult tarantulas, most of them female, for more than 25 years, the authors had only one female laying eggs without being fertilized by a male. In this case, a female Afonopelma from Texas lived in captivity for over 3 years and underwent three molts. On the fourth spring she produced a cocoon, but the eggs did not develop. Baxter (1993) also reports the laying of infertile eggs by unfertilized females of Psalmopeus cambridges. In a personal letter, Brin reported that he had observed this phenomenon almost thirty times! We are not sure about the timing of cocoon development for most tarantulas in the wild, but it certainly varies depending on environmental temperature and spider species. Somewhat more information is known about the periods of development of some species of tarantulas when the eggs were kept in an incubator. The periods associated with the development of eggs of various tarantulas are presented in Table XII. It must be emphasized that these data are valid only for artificial incubator conditions.
Larvae of the tarantula Afonopelma enzi emerge from cocoons in July - early August and leave the mother's burrow about a week or a little later (Baerg 1958). Soon after this, the female will begin molting. If she has not mated in time to lay fertilized eggs, she will begin to molt somewhat earlier, perhaps in late spring or early summer. Afonopelma anax from southern Texas lays eggs in June–July and moults in August–early September (Breen 1996). Thus, once mating has occurred, the schedule for the remaining females becomes approximately the same as that of the Afonopelma enzi variety.
Along with the rest of the exoskeleton, the lining spermatheca with the remains of sperm will be discarded, and our lady will again become a virgin.
biofile.ru
The reproduction biology of tarantulas is complex and, it must be said, has not yet been sufficiently studied. Young spiders of both sexes lead a similar lifestyle and actually do not differ in their behavior.
Sexually mature males are very different from females in their lifestyle and appearance in most species. In many species, the males are brightly colored. They are, as a rule, smaller, have proportionally more elongated legs, a different structure of the pedipalps, and also differ from females in much greater mobility.
Puberty in males occurs earlier than in females. The average period of sexual maturity for males is 1.5 years, for females it occurs no earlier than 2 years (in some species the difference is even more divergent in time - 1.5 and 3 years, respectively), so it actually seems impossible for “closely related” crossing of spiders emerging from one cocoon, in natural conditions. However, this is possible in captivity when raising males and females by artificially creating for them different temperature and humidity conditions and feeding regimes from an early age.
Before mating, a mature male weaves a so-called sperm - cobweb, usually having a triangular or quadrangular shape, on the underside of which he secretes a drop of sperm. The sperm is captured by the copulatory apparatus, after which the male begins to search for a female. At this time, his behavior is directly opposite to that of the previous period of life. He leads a wandering lifestyle, is highly active and can be seen moving even during the daytime, covering quite significant distances in search of a female (7-9 km per night ( Shillington et al. 1997).
The detection of a female occurs mainly through touch (vision in no way affects this process: spiders with blurred eyes easily find females) by the odorous trail she leaves on the substrate or web near the burrow (for example, the female Aphonopelma hentzi weaves a ball at the entrance to the burrow from the web).
Having found the female, the male carefully moves inside the hole. When meeting a female, two scenario scenarios are possible.
In the first option, if the female is not ready to mate, she quickly attacks the male, spreading her chelicerae and preparing to grab him. In this case, the male is forced to hastily retreat, otherwise he may not be perceived as a potential partner, but risks turning into a “hearty dinner”, or losing one or more limbs.
In the second scenario, the female, as a rule, does not initially show any interest in the male. In this case, the male lowers his cephalothorax and raises his abdomen, stretching his outstretched front legs and pedipalps forward, backing towards the exit from the hole, thereby attracting the attention of the female and, as it were, inviting her to follow him. From time to time he stops and moves his front legs and pedipalps now to the right, now to the left, shuddering with his whole body so that the female’s interest in him does not wane until they leave the hole and come to the surface. Here, having space to move safely, he feels more confident.
Unlike other species of spiders, which are characterized by complex mating behavior, which consists of performing peculiar “wedding dances”, for example, species of the family Araneidae, Salticidae, Lycosidae, or in offering a female recently killed prey (in Pisauridae), courtship by tarantulas is relatively simpler.
The male periodically carefully approaches the female, quickly touches her with the tips of the front pair of legs and pedipalps or “drums” on the substrate. Usually he repeats this procedure several times with minor breaks until he is convinced that the female’s behavior does not pose a danger to him and she will not cause him harm (until now, studies have not been conducted on the presence of features characteristic of the mating behavior of various species tarantulas).
If the female is still passive, the male will slowly approach her, bringing his front paws between her pedipalps and chelicerae, which the female usually spreads when ready to mate. Then he, as it were, rests against them with his tibial hooks in order to take a stable position and tilts her cephalothorax back, “stroking” the lower surface of the base of the abdomen.
If the female expresses readiness to mate (which is also often expressed in frequent "drum" sound, made by kicking the legs on the substrate), he unfolds the embolus of one of the pedipalps and introduces it into the gonopore, located in epigastric groove. The male performs the same action with the second pedipalp. This is actually the moment of copulation itself, which lasts literally a few seconds, after which the male, as a rule, quickly runs away, since usually the female immediately begins to chase him.
Contrary to popular belief that a female often eats her partner after mating, in most cases this does not happen (moreover, males have been known to eat females) if there is enough space for him to move a considerable distance, and the male is able to after some time fertilize several more females. Often a female also mates with different males in one season.
Fertilization egg theft occurs in uterus, with which they communicate seminal receptacles, and after a certain period after copulation(from 1 to 8 months), the duration of which is directly dependent on various conditions (season, temperature, humidity, food availability) and the specific type of tarantula, the female lays eggs, weaving them into cocoon. This whole process takes place in the living chamber of the burrow, which turns into a nest. The cocoon, as a rule, consists of two parts, fastened at the edges. First, the main part is woven, then masonry is laid on it, which is then braided with the covering part. Some species ( Avicularia spp., Theraphosa blondi) weave their “protective hairs” into the walls of the cocoon to protect it from possible enemies.
Unlike most other spiders, the female tarantula guards her clutch and cares for the cocoon, periodically turning it over with the help of chelicerae and pedipalps and moving it depending on changing conditions of humidity and temperature. This is associated with certain difficulties with the artificial incubation of spider eggs at home, which is often advisable, since there are frequent cases of females eating laid cocoons, both as a result of stress caused by anxiety and “for unknown reasons.” For this purpose, collectors in the USA, Germany, England and Australia have developed an incubator, and some hobbyists, taking cocoons from females, take over their “maternal” functions, turning the cocoon by hand several times a day (see also Breeding).
Interestingly, for several species of tarantula spiders, there are known facts of laying several (one or two) cocoons after mating, with a time difference of no more than a month: Hysterocrates spp.., Stromatopelma spp., Holothele spp.., Psalmopoeus spp.., Tapinauchenius spp.., Metriopelma spp.., Pterinochilus spp.. (Rick West, 2002, oral communication), Ephebopus murinus And E. cyanathus (Alex Huuier, 2002, oral communication), Poecilotheria regalis (Ian Evenow, 2002, oral communication). At the same time, the percentage of unfertilized eggs increases significantly in repeated clutches.
The number of eggs laid by a female varies among different species and is related to her size, age, and other factors. Record number of eggs known for species Lasiodora parahybana and is approximately 2500 pieces! On the contrary, in small species it does not exceed 30-60. Incubation periods are also different - from 0.8 to 4 months. Interestingly, arboreal species generally have shorter periods than terrestrial species (see Table).
№ | View | Incubation time* | A source of information |
1. | Acanthoscurria musculosa | 83 | Eugeniy Rogov, 2003 |
2. | Aphonopelma anax | 68 | John Hoke, 2001 |
3. | Aphonopelma caniceps | 64 | McKee,1986 |
4. | Aphonopelma chalcodes | 94 | Schultz & Schultz |
5. | Aphonopelma hentzi | 76 | McKee,1986 |
56 | Baerg, 1958 | ||
6. | Aphonopelma seemanni | 86 | McKee,1986 |
7. | Avicularia avicularia | 52 | McKee,1986 |
39, 40,45 | Garrick Odell, 2003 | ||
51 | Stradling, 1994 | ||
8. | Avicularia metallica | 68 | Todd Gearhart, 1996 |
9. | Avicularia sp. (ex. Peru) | 37 | Emil Morozov, 1999 |
59 | Denis A. Ivashov, 2005 | ||
10. | Avicularia versicolor | 29 | Thomas Schumm, 2001 |
46 | Mikhail F. Bagaturov, 2004 | ||
35 | Todd Gearhart, 2001 | ||
11. | Brachypelma albopilosum | 72 | McKee,1986 |
75, 77 | Schultz & Schultz | ||
12. | Brachypelma auratum | 76 | McKee,1986 |
13. | Brachypelma emilia | 92 | Schultz & Schultz |
14. | Brachypelma smithi | 91 | McKee,1986 |
66 | Todd Gearhart, 2001 | ||
15. | Brachypelma vagans | 69 | McKee,1986 |
71 | Todd Gearhart, 2002 | ||
16. | Ceratogyrus behuanicus | 20 | Phil&Tracy, 2001 |
17. | Ceratogyrus darlingi | 38 | Thomas Ezendam, 1996 |
18. | Cyclosternum fasciatum | 52 | McKee,1986 |
19. | Chilobrachys fimbriatus | 73 | V. Sejna, 2004 |
20. | Encyocratella olivacea | 28 | V. Kumar, 2004 |
21. | Eucratoscelus constrictus | 25 | Rick C. West, 2000 |
22 | Eucratoscelus pachypus | 101 | Richard C. Gallon, 2003 |
23. | Eupalaestrus campestratus | 49 | Todd Gearhart, 1999 |
24. | Eupalaestrus weijenberghi | 76 | Costa&Perez-Miles, 2002 |
25. | Grammostola aureostriata | 29 | Todd Gearhart, 2000 |
26. | Grammostola burzaquensis | 50-55 | Ibarra-Grasso, 1961 |
27. | Grammostola iheringi | 67 | McKee,1986 |
28. | Grammostola rosea | 54 | McKee,1986 |
29. | Haplopelma lividum | 56 | Rhys A. Bridgida, 2000 |
60 | John Hoke, 2001 | ||
52 | Mikhail Bagaturov, 2002 | ||
30. | Haplopelma minax | 30 | John Hoke, 2001 |
31. | Haplopelma sp. "longipedum" | 73 | Todd Gearhart, 2002 |
32 | Heterothele villosella | 67 | Amanda Weigand, 2004 |
33 | Heteroscodra maculata | 39 | Graeme Wright, 2005 |
34 | Holothele incei | 36, 22 | Benoit, 2005 |
35. | Hysterocrates scepticus | 40 | Todd Gearhart, 1998 |
36. | Hysterocrates gigas | 37, 52 | Mike Jope, 2000 |
89 | Chris Sainsburry, 2002 | ||
37. | Lasiodora cristata | 62 | Dirk Eckardt, 2000 |
38. | Lasiodora difficilis | 68 | Todd Gearhart, 2002 |
39. | Lasiodora parahybana | 106 | Dirk Eckardt, 2000 |
85 | Eugeniy Rogov, 2002 | ||
40. | Megaphobema robustum | 51 | Dirk Eckardt, 2001 |
41. | Nhandu coloratovillosus | 59 | Mikhail Bagaturov, 2004 |
42. | Oligoxystre argentinense | 37-41 | Costa&Perez-Miles, 2002 |
43. | Pachistopelma rufonigrum | 36,40 | S.Dias&A.Brescovit, 2003 |
44 | Pamphobeteus sp. platyomma | 122 | Thomas (Germany), 2005 |
45. | Phlogiellus inermis | 40 | John Hoke, 2001 |
46. | Phlogius crassipes | 38 | Steve Nunn, 2001 |
47. | Phlogius stirlingi | 44 | Steve Nunn, 2001 |
48 | Phormictopus cancerides | 40 | Gabe Motuz, 2005 |
49 | Phormictopus sp. "platus" | 61 | V. Vakhrushev, 2005 |
50. | Plesiopelma longistrale | 49 | F.Costa&F.Perez-Miles, 1992 |
51. | Poecilotheria ornata | 66 | Todd Gearhart, 2001 |
52. | Poecilotheria regalis | 43 | Todd Gearhart, 2002 |
77 | Chris Sainsbury, 2005 | ||
53. | Psalmopoeus cambridgei | 46 | Alexey Sergeev, 2001 |
54. | Psalmopoeus irminia | 76 | Guy Tansley, 2005 |
55. | Pterinochilus chordatus | 23, 38 | Mike Jope, 2000 |
56. | Pterinochilus murinus | 26, 37 | Mike Jope, 2000 |
22, 23, 25 | Phil Messenger, 2000 | ||
57. | Stromatopelma calceatum | 47 | Eugeniy Rogov, 2002 |
58. | Stromatopelma c. griseipes | 53 | Celerier, 1981 |
59 | Thrigmopoeus truculentus | 79, 85, 74 | J.-M.Verdez&F.Cleton, 2002 |
60. | Tapinauchenius plumipes | 48 | John Hoke, 2001 |
61. | Theraphosa blondi | 66 | Todd Gearhart, 1999 |
62. | Vitalius roseus | 56 | Dirk Eckardt, 2000 |
The size of babies born varies widely from 3-5 mm (for example, Cyclosternum spp.. ) up to 1.5 cm in leg span of the goliath tarantula Theraphosa blondi. Newborn spiders of arboreal species, as a rule, are larger than those born from terrestrial tarantulas, and their number is usually noticeably smaller (usually does not exceed 250 pieces). Juvenile spiders are very mobile and at the slightest danger they hide, run to the nearest shelter or quickly burrow into the soil. This behavior has been noted for both terrestrial and arboreal species.
Hatching of juveniles from eggs of the same clutch occurs at more or less the same time. Before hatching, small spines are formed at the base of the pedipalps of the embryo - "egg teeth", with the help of which he breaks the shell of the egg and comes into being. Before the so-called postembryonic molt, which usually occurs inside a cocoon, the hatched spider has very thin covers, its appendages are not dismembered, it cannot feed and lives off the yolk sac remaining in the intestine. This life stage is called "prelarva"(according to another classification - nymph stage 1). After the next moult (3-5 weeks), the prelarva enters the stage "larvae" (nymphs stage 2), also not yet feeding, but slightly more mobile and already having primitive claws on the paws and developed chelicerae ( Vachon, 1957).
From the next ( postembryonic) by molting, young spiders are formed, which, becoming more active and able to feed on their own, come out of the cocoon and at first, as a rule, stick together, and then scatter in different directions, starting to live independently.
Usually, after the juveniles emerge from the cocoon, the mother no longer cares for them, but an interesting feature of the biology of species of the genus Hysterocrates sp. from the island of Sao Tome, which consists in the fact that young spiderlings live with the female for up to six months after leaving the cocoon. At the same time, the female shows real care for her children, not seen in any other member of the tarantula family, actively protecting them from any possible danger and obtaining food for them. Similar facts are known regarding (Haplopelma schmidti E. Rybaltovsky ), as well as tarantulas Pamphobeteus spp.
The biology and lifestyle of young spiders are usually similar to those of adult spiders. They set up shelters for themselves and actively hunt for food items of suitable size. The number of molts during a life varies, depending on the size of the spider and its gender (males always have fewer molts), ranging from 9 to 15 per life. The overall lifespan of female tarantula spiders also varies greatly.
Arboreal, even such large spiders as Poecilotheria spp.. , as well as tarantulas of the genus Pterinochilus live no more than 7 - 14 years. Large terrestrial spiders, and especially spiders of America, live in captivity up to 20 years, and according to individual reports, even to a more respectable age (for example, the age of a female Brachypelma emilia , who lived with S. A. Shultz And M. J. Schultz, was estimated to be at least 35 years old).
The life expectancy of males is significantly less and, in general, is limited to 3-3.5 years. The fact is that males, as mentioned above, mature earlier than females (at 1.5-2.5 years), and, as a rule, the average lifespan of male tarantula spiders of the last instar (after the last molt) is five to six months. However, significantly longer periods are known for individual specimens of a number of species.
Thus, according to Dr. Claudio Lipari, the maximum life span of males of the last instar of the Brazilian Grammostola pulchra amounted to at least 27 months, and one copy lived with him for more than four years.
Other long-lived male tarantulas of the last instar, according to Luciana Rosa, the following:
Grammostola rosea- 18 months, Megaphobema velvetosoma - 9 months, Poecilotheria formosa— 11 months, Poecilotheria ornata— 13 months, Poecilotheria rufilata - 17 months.
According to information from a Moscow collector Igor Arkhangelsky last instar male Brachypelma vagans lived in captivity 24 months(however, for the last few months it was fed artificially), and another individual of the same species lived 20 months.
According to a Canadian scientist Rick West adult male tarantula Phormictopus cancerides lived with Allana McKee, having lost the upper segments of the pedipalps after molting, 27 months, and the male Brachypelma albopilosum at the very Rick West — 30 months after reaching maturity and died during the second molt (personal communication).
The following facts of longevity among male tarantulas were noted: Lasiodora parahybana : 3 years Jeff Lee, 2 years 6 months Joy Reed and 2 years 3 months Jim Hitchiner.
Also the male of the species Grammostola rosea lived 2 years 5 months with Jay Staples.
There is a unique case when an amateur Jay Stotsky small male of an arboreal species Poecilotheria regalis molted safely twice! at the last instar, with an interval between molts of 18 months. At the same time, the pedipalps and one chelicerae lost during the first molt were completely restored after the second molt!
It should be true that such cases are known only when tarantulas are kept in captivity.
Regarding the onset of sexual maturity of tarantula spiders, the following, often contradictory, information is available.
Male tarantulas of the genus Avicularia reach sexual maturity by 2.5 years, females by 3 years ( Stradling 1978, 1994). Baerg (Baerg, 1928, 1958) reports that males Aphonopelma spp.. Grammostola burzaquensis reach maturity at 10-13 years, females at 10-12 years. Tarantulas become sexually mature at 6 years of age (, 1961), Ibarra-Grasso Acanthoscurria sternalis – at 4-6 years ( 1984, 1992).
Galiano
The information provided by these authors most likely refers to observations in nature. It is necessary to take into account that in captivity, the timing of the onset of sexual maturity of tarantula spiders is generally reduced, and often quite significantly.
In conclusion, I would like to note that tarantulas have virtually no natural enemies in captivity. The only creatures that are hunters of tarantulas in nature are hawk wasps from the family Pompilidae , of which the species of genera are well studied And Pepsis Hemipepsis (the largest reach 10 cm in length), paralyzing the spider, laying an egg on its abdomen, the hatched larva from which, throughout its further development, feeds on such a kind of “canned food” (, 1999, Dr. F. Punzo).
S. Nunn, 2002, 2006
Watch an interesting clip about this.
Another enemy can be considered predatory scolopendras, constantly moving along the surface of the soil in search of food. The kind like Scolopendra gigantea
, some specimens of which reach 40 cm in length, are able to cope with a spider of considerable size. Also representatives of the genus Ethmostigmus
from Australia are known as predators of tarantulas of the local fauna. At the same time, scorpios of childbirth, Isometrus, Liocheles, Lychas Hemilychas , as probably some Urodacus , are not averse to snacking on juvenile tarantulas, and scorpions from the genus Isometroides are generally known to specialize in eating spiders, and can regularly be found in old burrows belonging to tarantula spiders (, 2006).
S. Nunn In addition to those listed as natural enemies of tarantulas, large spiders have been noted in nature Lycosidae , and for Australia also a spider, in whose nets the remains of adult male tarantulas were regularly found. And, undoubtedly, among invertebrate animals the main enemy of tarantulas, like other spiders, is ants.
When considering the natural enemies of tarantulas, one cannot help but dwell on some vertebrates. Australian arachnologist Stephen Nunn repeatedly observed as the largest frog in Australia Litoria infrafrenata(white-lipped tree frog) caught and ate sexually mature males. Similarly, the American aga toad introduced into Australia ( Bufo marinus), which is one of the natural enemies of theraphosides in Central America, eats the latter in Australia. In this regard, it is interesting that we were in a burrow with a female and 180 young tarantulas of the species that had just emerged from the cocoon. Selenocosmia sp.. a small specimen of the aga toad, which probably “eaten up” young tarantulas ().
S. Nunn, 2006
The development cycle from egg to adult is on average 20-21 days.
These flies, called humpback flies, can be confused with other flies - the well-known fruit flies.
However, fruit flies are extremely rare in tarantula terrariums and are distinguished by their red eyes.
I would also like to note that, in addition to the previously mentioned species of frogs, representatives of a small group of dipterous insects are also found in spider burrows.
They lay eggs directly on the host spider itself or in the soil of its burrow. In this case, the larvae concentrate in the area of the tarantula’s mouth or in the substrate and feed on organic debris. Theraphosa blondi, Megaphobema robustum And Interestingly, for the three South American tarantula species, Pamphobeteus vespertinus
are characterized by their own specific species of dipterans. In home terrariums, as a rule, there are representatives of two groups of winged insects - humpback flies of the family Phoridae
(recently widespread among collectors around the world) and the so-called “pot flies”. The vast majority of “pot flies” found in tarantula terrariums are species of mosquitoes of the family And Fungivoridae Sciaridae
Fans of growing flowers in greenhouses regularly encounter these insects. They are also sometimes found in potted indoor plants, which is where they apparently got their name. They are smaller in size and thinner than the Diptera family In home terrariums, as a rule, there are representatives of two groups of winged insects - humpback flies of the family, with dark wings and actively fly.
Gobat flies of the family In home terrariums, as a rule, there are representatives of two groups of winged insects - humpback flies of the family they look more pointed and humpbacked compared to the “potted” ones, they fly very rarely - only when disturbed, mainly moving along the substrate with characteristic jerks.
You can get rid of them by replacing the substrate and disinfecting the tarantula's terrarium, transplanting it into a new container. Drying the substrate also helps, making sure to provide the tarantula with a container of water to drink.
In general, they are completely safe for healthy spiders, but they may cause anxiety. However, these problems, as a rule, do not arise if there is good ventilation of the terrarium and the use of a ventilation mesh through which the penetration of dipterans is impossible.
However, it should be taken into account that humpback larvae can penetrate cocoons broken off by tarantulas and eat eggs and developing larvae, as well as develop on weakened and sick individuals. Adults can also be carriers of various diseases, incl. transport nematode eggs.
Finally, I note that in terrariums with tarantulas, representatives of invertebrates introduced, usually with the substrate, are occasionally found - collembolas and wood lice, which also do not harm them. At the same time, some collectors specifically populate terrariums with tarantulas with a culture of tropical wood lice Trichorhina tomentosa , because they feed on the waste products of spiders and destroy excess organic residues in the substrate.
What do you need to know about tarantulas, what difficulties arise when keeping and handling them, and what conditions need to be created so that they not only feel good in your home, but also reproduce?
Spider breeding
Today, more and more often, our compatriots have exotic pets in their homes and, moreover, decide not only to simply care for them, but also to breed them. But, as you yourself understand, if the specifics of its content are one thing (not a very complicated science that requires, first of all, desire and skills from you), then breeding spiders is a completely different, more complex and responsible activity . If you are not afraid of difficulties, and have set yourself the goal of breeding spiders (a fairly profitable occupation, by the way), you have the strength and desire, time and opportunity, then our publication will help you, which we decided to devote to questions breeding spiders at home. So, be patient and attentive - today you will learn a lot of useful and interesting information, and how you learn it will determine whether you can breed spiders in your terrarium or not...
Physiology of house spiders
In fact, the physiology and biology of reproduction of house spiders are topics that have been little studied. There are general data based on which we can draw some conclusions. So, for example, young spiders, regardless of their gender, lead a similar lifestyle, and it is almost impossible to distinguish them by behavior. True, the appearance of such an exotic pet serves as a hint to the owner of spiders and the answer to the question - where is the female spider and where is the male. So,
sexually mature males, as a rule, always have bright colors, proportional and elongated legs, a special structure of the pedipalps, and are distinguished by great mobility.
By the way, they reach puberty earlier than females, who look somewhat gray compared to such bright “men,” behave awkwardly, and are characterized by inactivity. For male spiders this is 1.5 years, for females this period of puberty occurs when she is 2-3 years old.
Such a time gap in matters of puberty excludes the possibility of inbreeding.
Features of the behavior of male spiders
Before mating begins, a mature male spider begins to weave a special web, which has a 3- or 4-corner shape. It secretes a drop of inseminating liquid onto the underside of such a web. After such a “network” is ready in every sense of the word, the male proceeds to search for a female. His behavior becomes overly active, he moves around the terrarium day and night...
In nature, during this period, male spiders can even cover a distance of 9 kilometers during the night in order to find a female.
The spider searches for the “lady of the heart” in a very interesting way - using exclusively the senses of touch. He follows the female's trail and almost always finds her. But, it is quite clear that when living in a terrarium, whether he finds a female to mate with or not will depend on you, as the owner of the spider.
Spiders mating
If you seriously decide to start breeding spiders, then take care in advance of a neutral territory for mating of these creatures and a female spider. And, after you notice that your spider has begun to weave a ritual web, start trying to cross spiders. To do this, first place the female and then the male spider in a neutral terrarium.
If the female spider has other plans and “children” are not included in them, most likely she will attack the male spider. In this case, it is recommended to immediately remove the male from the terrarium. Since the struggle between spiders for territory - the female now perceives the male as a potential invader of her square centimeters, can end in the death of one of the spiders or self-harm and severed limbs. By the way, many people mistakenly think that the female eats the male spider. So, it doesn't always happen this way. If the male spider is strong enough, he can cope with the female and then, instead of thinking about where to place the little spiderlings, you will think about where to get another female, instead of the one that died in the paws of the male spider.
If the female spider is ready to mate, she will initially simply ignore the male. His task will be to attract her attention with a ritual dance, and lure the female out of the shelter, where she could hide at the sight of a stranger spider. After this, the male begins to carefully approach the female, who will behave quite calmly. Although, there are cases when the female herself attracted the male spider by drumming her paws on the substrate. After such an “invitation,” the spider begins the mating process, which lasts several seconds. At the end of them, he quickly runs away to the other end of the terrarium, since the spider can change her mood and attack him. It is recommended to remove the male immediately after mating in order to avoid unpleasant incidents.
At one time, a male is able to fertilize several females. Likewise, a female can mate with several males in one season.
Features of the behavior of a female spider
The structure of a female spider
Depending on many factors - season, temperature in the terrarium, humidity, availability of food, etc., fertilization of eggs in the uterus can occur 1-8 months after mating.
The female lays eggs and weaves them into a cocoon. The cocoon itself consists of 2 parts, fastened at the edges. It is noteworthy that to protect themselves from enemies, some types of spiders weave their protective hairs into the walls of the cocoon.
The female spider is very careful about her egg laying and watches the cocoon, turns it over and can move with it inside the terrarium. In fact, there is a completely logical explanation for this behavior - depending on humidity and temperature, the female looks for optimally comfortable conditions for her spiderlings.
If you want your idea to be successful and small spiders to be born, try not to irritate the female during this period and protect her from stress. Since there are often cases when, as a result of a nervous shock, a spider ate its cocoon.
By the way, some spider breeders practice... taking on maternal functions and, after the female lays her clutch and weaves a web around it, they take the cocoon from the terrarium and place it in a special container, turn such a cocoon over several times a day and monitor the humidity and temperature . I would like to immediately warn you that such an “incubator” is a very difficult task, therefore, we do not undertake to guarantee you that you will cope with maternal responsibilities better than the spider herself.
There are also cases when a female spider laid several cocoons after mating at intervals of several weeks.
As for the number of eggs in such clutches, it is 30-60 eggs, but the female spider Lasiodora parahubana can lay 2500 eggs at a time!
The incubation period of eggs also depends on the type of pack itself, but on average ranges from several weeks to 4 months. Moreover, the eggs of arboreal spider species “mature” faster than those of terrestrial spider species.
The appearance of small spiders
Cocoon with spiders
When small spiders are born, their size is 3-5 millimeters, and their leg span is 1.5 centimeters. Newborn spiders of arboreal species are larger than terrestrial ones, and their number is smaller. They are distinguished by great mobility and timidity. The slightest danger, rustle, or movement serves as a signal for them to burrow deeper into the substrate of the terrarium.
The process of the birth of spiders is very interesting. In embryos, on the eve of this event, egg teeth are formed at the base of the pedipalps, with the help of which they tear the egg shell from the inside. But now they are very weak, their appendages are not dismembered, their integuments are thin, and they feed on the yolk sac that remains in the intestines. After the first molt, claws appear on the spider's legs inside the egg and chelicerae develop. It's time for him to be born. He experiences the next moult post-embryonic, and now he is an active baby, capable of feeding on his own. By the way, after its birth, it is better to remove it from the mother’s terrarium, since now the spider will perceive her little spiderlings not as her children, but as food. What can you do, such laws of Nature...
The reproduction biology of tarantulas is complex and, it must be said, has not yet been sufficiently studied. Young spiders of both sexes lead a similar lifestyle and actually do not differ in their behavior.Sexually mature males are very different from females in their lifestyle and appearance in most species. In many species, the males are brightly colored. They are, as a rule, smaller, have proportionally more elongated legs, a different structure of the pedipalps, and also differ from females in much greater mobility. Puberty in males occurs earlier than in females. The average period of sexual maturity for males is 1.5 years, for females it occurs no earlier than 2 years (in some species the difference is even more divergent in time - 1.5 and 3 years, respectively), so it actually seems impossible for “closely related” crossing of spiders emerging from one cocoon, in natural conditions. However, this is possible in captivity when raising males and females by artificially creating for them different temperature and humidity conditions and feeding regimes from an early age.
Before mating, a mature male weaves a so-called sperm - web, usually having a triangular or quadrangular shape, on the underside of which he secretes a drop of sperm. The sperm is captured by the copulatory apparatus, after which the male begins to search for a female. At this time, his behavior is directly opposite to that of the previous period of life. He leads a wandering lifestyle, is highly active and can be seen moving even during the daytime, covering quite significant distances in search of a female (7-9 km per night ( Shillington et al. 1997).
The detection of a female occurs mainly through touch (vision in no way affects this process: spiders with blurred eyes easily find females) by the odorous trail she leaves on the substrate or web near the burrow (for example, the female Aphonopelma hentzi weaves a ball at the entrance to the burrow from the web). In the first option, if the female is not ready to mate, she quickly attacks the male, spreading her chelicerae and preparing to grab him. In this case, the male is forced to hastily retreat, otherwise he may not be perceived as a potential partner, but risks turning into a “hearty dinner”, or losing one or more limbs. Unlike other species of spiders, which are characterized by complex mating behavior, which consists of performing peculiar “wedding dances”, for example, species of the family Araneidae, Salticidae, Lycosidae, or in offering a female recently killed prey (in Pisauridae), courtship by tarantulas is relatively simpler.Having found the female, the male carefully moves inside the hole. When meeting a female, two scenario scenarios are possible.
In the second scenario, the female, as a rule, does not initially show any interest in the male. In this case, the male lowers his cephalothorax and raises his abdomen, stretching his outstretched front legs and pedipalps forward, backing towards the exit from the hole, thereby attracting the attention of the female and, as it were, inviting her to follow him. From time to time he stops and moves his front legs and pedipalps now to the right, now to the left, shuddering with his whole body so that the female’s interest in him does not wane until they leave the hole and come to the surface. Here, having space to move safely, he feels more confident.The male periodically carefully approaches the female, quickly touches her with the tips of the front pair of legs and pedipalps or “drums” on the substrate. Usually he repeats this procedure several times with minor breaks until he is convinced that the female’s behavior does not pose a danger to him and she will not cause him harm (until now, studies have not been conducted on the presence of features characteristic of the mating behavior of various species tarantulas).
If the female is still passive, the male will slowly approach her, bringing his front paws between her pedipalps and chelicerae, which the female usually spreads when ready to mate. Then he, as it were, rests against them with his tibial hooks in order to take a stable position and tilts her cephalothorax back, “stroking” the lower surface of the base of the abdomen.
If the female expresses readiness to mate (which is also often expressed in frequent "drum" sound, made by kicking the legs on the substrate), he unfolds the embolus of one of the pedipalps and introduces it into the gonopore, located in epigastric groove. The male performs the same action with the second pedipalp. This is actually the moment of copulation itself, which lasts literally a few seconds, after which the male, as a rule, quickly runs away, since usually the female immediately begins to chase him. Contrary to popular belief that a female often eats her partner after mating, in most cases this does not happen (moreover, males have been known to eat females) if there is enough space for him to move a considerable distance, and the male is able to after some time fertilize several more females. Often a female also mates with different males in one season.
Fertilization egg theft occurs in uterus, with which they communicate seminal receptacles, and after a certain period after copulation(from 1 to 8 months), the duration of which is directly dependent on various conditions (season, temperature, humidity, food availability) and the specific type of tarantula, the female lays eggs, weaving them into cocoon. This whole process takes place in the living chamber of the burrow, which turns into a nest. The cocoon, as a rule, consists of two parts, fastened at the edges. First, the main part is woven, then masonry is laid on it, which is then braided with the covering part. Some species ( Avicularia spp., Theraphosa blondi) weave their “protective hairs” into the walls of the cocoon to protect it from possible enemies.
Interestingly, for several species of tarantula spiders, there are known facts of laying several (one or two) cocoons after mating, with a time difference of no more than a month: Hysterocrates spp.., Stromatopelma spp., Holothele spp.., Psalmopoeus spp.., Tapinauchenius spp.., Metriopelma spp.., Pterinochilus spp..
(Rick West, 2002, oral communication), Ephebopus murinus And E. cyanathus
(Alex Huuier, 2002, oral communication), Poecilotheria regalis
(Ian Evenow, 2002, oral communication). At the same time, the percentage of unfertilized eggs increases significantly in repeated clutches. The number of eggs laid by a female varies among different species and is related to her size, age, and other factors. Record number of eggs known for species Lasiodora parahybana and is approximately 2500 pieces! On the contrary, in small species it does not exceed 30-60. Incubation periods are also different - from 0.8 to 4 months. Interestingly, arboreal species generally have shorter periods than terrestrial species (see Table).Unlike most other spiders, the female tarantula guards her clutch and cares for the cocoon, periodically turning it over with the help of chelicerae and pedipalps and moving it depending on changing conditions of humidity and temperature. This is associated with certain difficulties with the artificial incubation of spider eggs at home, which is often advisable, since there are frequent cases of females eating laid cocoons, both as a result of stress caused by anxiety and “for unknown reasons.” For this purpose, collectors in the USA, Germany, England and Australia have developed an incubator, and some hobbyists, taking cocoons from females, take over their “maternal” functions, turning the cocoon by hand several times a day (see also Breeding).
№
View
Incubation time*
A source of information
1.
Acanthoscurria musculosa
83
Eugeniy Rogov, 2003
2.
Aphonopelma anax
68
John Hoke, 2001
3.
Aphonopelma caniceps
64
McKee,1986
4.
Aphonopelma chalcodes
94
Schultz & Schultz
5.
Aphonopelma hentzi
76
McKee,1986
56
Baerg, 1958
6.
Aphonopelma seemanni
86
McKee,1986
7.
Avicularia avicularia
52
McKee,1986
39, 40,45
Garrick Odell, 2003
51
Stradling, 1994
8.
Avicularia metallica
68
Todd Gearhart, 1996
9.
Avicularia sp. (ex. Peru)
37
Emil Morozov, 1999
59
Denis A. Ivashov, 2005
10.
Avicularia versicolor
29
Thomas Schumm, 2001
46
Mikhail F. Bagaturov, 2004
35
Todd Gearhart, 2001
11.
Brachypelma albopilosum
72
McKee,1986
75, 77
Schultz & Schultz
12.
Brachypelma auratum
76
McKee,1986
13.
Brachypelma emilia
92
Schultz & Schultz
14.
Brachypelma smithi
91
McKee,1986
66
Todd Gearhart, 2001
15.
Brachypelma vagans
69
McKee,1986
71
Todd Gearhart, 2002
16.
Ceratogyrus behuanicus
20
Phil&Tracy, 2001
17.
Ceratogyrus darlingi
38
Thomas Ezendam, 1996
18.
Cyclosternum fasciatum
52
McKee,1986
19.
Chilobrachys fimbriatus
73
V. Sejna, 2004
20.
Encyocratella olivacea
28
V. Kumar, 2004
21.
Eucratoscelus constrictus
25
Rick C. West, 2000
22
Eucratoscelus pachypus
101
Richard C. Gallon, 2003
23.
Eupalaestrus campestratus
49
Todd Gearhart, 1999
24.
Eupalaestrus weijenberghi
76
Costa&Perez-Miles, 2002
25.
Grammostola aureostriata
29
Todd Gearhart, 2000
26.
Grammostola burzaquensis
50-55
Ibarra-Grasso, 1961
27.
Grammostola iheringi
67
McKee,1986
28.
Grammostola rosea
54
McKee,1986
29.
Haplopelma lividum
56
Rhys A. Bridgida, 2000
60
John Hoke, 2001
52
Mikhail Bagaturov, 2002
30.
Haplopelma minax
30
John Hoke, 2001
31.
Haplopelma sp. "longipedum"
73
Todd Gearhart, 2002
32
Heterothele villosella
67
Amanda Weigand, 2004
33
Heteroscodra maculata
39
Graeme Wright, 2005
34
Holothele incei
36, 22
Benoit, 2005
35.
Hysterocrates scepticus
40
Todd Gearhart, 1998
36.
Hysterocrates gigas
37, 52
Mike Jope, 2000
89
Chris Sainsburry, 2002
37.
Lasiodora cristata
62
Dirk Eckardt, 2000
38.
Lasiodora difficilis
68
Todd Gearhart, 2002
39.
Lasiodora parahybana
106
Dirk Eckardt, 2000
85
Eugeniy Rogov, 2002
40.
Megaphobema robustum
51
Dirk Eckardt, 2001
41.
Nhandu coloratovillosus
59
Mikhail Bagaturov, 2004
42.
Oligoxystre argentinense
37-41
Costa&Perez-Miles, 2002
43.
Pachistopelma rufonigrum
36,40
S.Dias&A.Brescovit, 2003
44
Pamphobeteus sp. platyomma
122
Thomas (Germany), 2005
45.
Phlogiellus inermis
40
John Hoke, 2001
46.
Phlogius crassipes
38
Steve Nunn, 2001
47.
Phlogius stirlingi
44
Steve Nunn, 2001
48
Phormictopus cancerides
40
Gabe Motuz, 2005
49
Phormictopus sp. "platus"
61
V. Vakhrushev, 2005
50.
Plesiopelma longistrale
49
F.Costa&F.Perez-Miles, 1992
51.
Poecilotheria ornata
66
Todd Gearhart, 2001
52.
Poecilotheria regalis
43
Todd Gearhart, 2002
77
Chris Sainsbury, 2005
53.
Psalmopoeus cambridgei
46
Alexey Sergeev, 2001
54.
Psalmopoeus irminia
76
Guy Tansley, 2005
55.
Pterinochilus chordatus
23, 38
Mike Jope, 2000
56.
Pterinochilus murinus
26, 37
Mike Jope, 2000
22, 23, 25
Phil Messenger, 2000
57.
Stromatopelma calceatum
47
Eugeniy Rogov, 2002
58.
Stromatopelma c. griseipes
53
Celerier, 1981
59
Thrigmopoeus truculentus
79, 85, 74
J.-M.Verdez&F.Cleton, 2002
60.
Tapinauchenius plumipes
48
John Hoke, 2001
61.
Theraphosa blondi
66
Todd Gearhart, 1999
62.
Vitalius roseus
56
Dirk Eckardt, 2000
The size of babies born varies widely from 3-5 mm (for example, Cyclosternum spp.. ) up to 1.5 cm in leg span of the goliath tarantula Theraphosa blondi. Newborn spiders of arboreal species, as a rule, are larger than those born from terrestrial tarantulas, and their number is usually noticeably smaller (usually does not exceed 250 pieces). Juvenile spiders are very mobile and at the slightest danger they hide, run to the nearest shelter or quickly burrow into the soil. This behavior has been noted for both terrestrial and arboreal species.
Hatching of juveniles from eggs of the same clutch occurs at more or less the same time. Before hatching, small spines are formed at the base of the pedipalps of the embryo - "egg teeth", with the help of which he breaks the shell of the egg and comes into being. Before the so-called postembryonic molt, which usually occurs inside a cocoon, the hatched spider has very thin covers, its appendages are not dismembered, it cannot feed and lives off the yolk sac remaining in the intestine. This life stage is called "prelarva"(according to another classification - nymph stage 1). After the next moult (3-5 weeks), the prelarva enters the stage "larvae" (nymphs stage 2), also not yet feeding, but slightly more mobile and already having primitive claws on the paws and developed chelicerae ( Vachon, 1957). From the next ( postembryonic) by molting, young spiders are formed, which, becoming more active and able to feed on their own, come out of the cocoon and at first, as a rule, stick together, and then scatter in different directions, starting to live independently. Usually, after the juveniles emerge from the cocoon, the mother no longer cares for them, but an interesting feature of the biology of species of the genus Hysterocrates sp. from the island of Sao Tome, which consists in the fact that young spiderlings live with the female for up to six months after leaving the cocoon. At the same time, the female shows real care for her children, not seen in any other member of the tarantula family, actively protecting them from any possible danger and obtaining food for them. Similar facts are known regarding (Haplopelma schmidti E. Rybaltovsky ), as well as tarantulas Pamphobeteus spp. The biology and lifestyle of young spiders are usually similar to those of adult spiders. They set up shelters for themselves and actively hunt for food items of suitable size. The number of molts during a life varies, depending on the size of the spider and its gender (males always have fewer molts), ranging from 9 to 15 per life. The overall lifespan of female tarantula spiders also varies greatly.
Arboreal, even such large spiders as Poecilotheria spp.. , as well as tarantulas of the genus Pterinochilus live no more than 7 - 14 years. Large terrestrial spiders, and especially spiders of America, live in captivity up to 20 years, and according to individual reports, even to a more respectable age (for example, the age of a female Brachypelma emilia , who lived with S. A. Shultz And M. J. Schultz, was estimated to be at least 35 years old).
The life expectancy of males is significantly less and, in general, is limited to 3-3.5 years. The fact is that males, as mentioned above, mature earlier than females (at 1.5-2.5 years), and, as a rule, the average lifespan of male tarantula spiders of the last instar (after the last molt) is five to six months. However, significantly longer periods are known for individual specimens of a number of species. Thus, according to Dr. Claudio Lipari, the maximum life span of males of the last instar of the Brazilian Grammostola pulchra amounted to at least 27 months, and one copy lived with him for more than four years. Other long-lived male tarantulas of the last instar, according to Luciana Rosa, the following: Grammostola rosea- 18 months, Megaphobema velvetosoma
- 9 months, Poecilotheria formosa- 11 months, Poecilotheria ornata- 13 months, Poecilotheria rufilata
- 17 months. According to information from a Moscow collector Igor Arkhangelsky last instar male Brachypelma vagans lived in captivity 24 months(however, for the last few months it was fed artificially), and another individual of the same species lived 20 months. According to a Canadian scientist Rick West adult male tarantula Phormictopus cancerides
lived with Allana McKee, having lost the upper segments of the pedipalps after molting, 27 months, and the male Brachypelma albopilosum
at the very Rick West - 30 months after reaching maturity and died during the second molt (personal communication). The following facts of longevity among male tarantulas were noted: Lasiodora parahybana
: 3 years Jeff Lee, 2 years 6 months Joy Reed and 2 years 3 months Jim Hitchiner. Also the male of the species Grammostola rosea lived 2 years 5 months with Jay Staples. It should be true that such cases are known only when tarantulas are kept in captivity. Regarding the onset of sexual maturity of tarantula spiders, the following, often contradictory, information is available. Male tarantulas of the genus Avicularia reach sexual maturity by 2.5 years, females by 3 years ( Stradling 1978, 1994). Baerg (Baerg, 1928, 1958) reports that males Aphonopelma spp.. Grammostola burzaquensis
reach maturity at 10-13 years, females at 10-12 years. Tarantulas become sexually mature at 6 years of age (, 1961), Ibarra-Grasso
Acanthoscurria sternalis – at 4-6 years ( 1984, 1992). Galiano The information provided by these authors most likely refers to observations in nature. It is necessary to take into account that in captivity, the timing of the onset of sexual maturity of tarantula spiders is generally reduced, and often quite significantly. S. Nunn, 2002, 2006 Another enemy can be considered predatory scolopendras, constantly moving along the surface of the soil in search of food. The kind like Scolopendra gigantea , some specimens of which reach 40 cm in length, are able to cope with a spider of considerable size. Also representatives of the genus Ethmostigmus from Australia are known as predators of tarantulas of the local fauna. At the same time, scorpios of childbirth, Isometrus, Liocheles, Lychas
Hemilychas , as probably some Urodacus , are not averse to snacking on juvenile tarantulas, and scorpions from the genus Isometroides are generally known to specialize in eating spiders, and can regularly be found in old burrows belonging to tarantula spiders (, 2006). S. Nunn In addition to those listed as natural enemies of tarantulas, large spiders have been noted in nature Lycosidae , and for Australia also a spider, in whose nets the remains of adult male tarantulas were regularly found. And, undoubtedly, among invertebrate animals the main enemy of tarantulas, like other spiders, is ants. When considering the natural enemies of tarantulas, one cannot help but dwell on some vertebrates. Australian arachnologist Stephen Nunn repeatedly observed as the largest frog in Australia Litoria infrafrenata(white-lipped tree frog) caught and ate sexually mature males. Similarly, the American aga toad introduced into Australia ( Bufo marinus), which is one of the natural enemies of theraphosides in Central America, eats the latter in Australia. In this regard, it is interesting that we were in a burrow with a female and 180 young tarantulas of the species that had just emerged from the cocoon. Selenocosmia sp.. a small specimen of the aga toad, which probably “eaten up” young tarantulas (). S. Nunn, 2006 The development cycle from egg to adult is on average 20-21 days. These flies, called humpback flies, can be confused with other flies - the well-known fruit flies. However, fruit flies are extremely rare in tarantula terrariums and are distinguished by their red eyes. I would also like to note that, in addition to the previously mentioned species of frogs, representatives of a small group of dipterous insects are also found in spider burrows. They lay eggs directly on the host spider itself or in the soil of its burrow. In this case, the larvae concentrate in the area of the tarantula’s mouth or in the substrate and feed on organic debris. Theraphosa blondi, Megaphobema robustum
And Interestingly, for the three South American tarantula species,
Pamphobeteus vespertinus are characterized by their own specific species of dipterans. In home terrariums, as a rule, there are representatives of two groups of winged insects - humpback flies of the family Phoridae Gobat flies of the family In home terrariums, as a rule, there are representatives of two groups of winged insects - humpback flies of the family a small specimen of the aga toad, which probably “eaten up” young tarantulas ( You can get rid of them by replacing the substrate and disinfecting the tarantula's terrarium, transplanting it into a new container. Drying the substrate also helps, making sure to provide the tarantula with a container of water to drink. In general, they are completely safe for healthy spiders, but they may cause anxiety. However, these problems, as a rule, do not arise if there is good ventilation of the terrarium and the use of a ventilation mesh through which the penetration of dipterans is impossible. However, it should be taken into account that humpback larvae can penetrate cocoons broken off by tarantulas and eat eggs and developing larvae, as well as develop on weakened and sick individuals. Adults can also be carriers of various diseases, incl. transport nematode eggs. they look more pointed and humpbacked compared to the “potted” ones, they fly very rarely - only when disturbed, mainly moving along the substrate with characteristic jerks. Trichorhina tomentosa
, because they feed on the waste products of spiders and destroy excess organic residues in the substrate. What do you need to know about tarantulas, what difficulties arise when keeping and handling them, and what conditions need to be created so that they not only feel good in your home, but also reproduce?
There is a unique case when an amateur Jay Stotsky small male of an arboreal species Poecilotheria regalis molted safely twice! at the last instar, with an interval between molts of 18 months. At the same time, the pedipalps and one chelicerae lost during the first molt were completely restored after the second molt!The only creatures that are hunters of tarantulas in nature are hawk wasps from the family The only creatures that are hunters of tarantulas in nature are hawk wasps from the family Pompilidae , of which the species of genera are well studied And Pepsis Hemipepsis (the largest reach 10 cm in length), paralyzing the spider, laying an egg on its abdomen, the hatched larva from which, throughout its further development, feeds on such a kind of “canned food” (, 1999, Dr. F. Punzo).
(recently widespread among collectors around the world) and the so-called “pot flies”. The vast majority of “pot flies” found in tarantula terrariums are species of mosquitoes of the family And Fungivoridae Sciaridae
Fans of growing flowers in greenhouses regularly encounter these insects. They are also sometimes found in potted indoor plants, which is where they apparently got their name. They are smaller in size and thinner than the Diptera family In home terrariums, as a rule, there are representatives of two groups of winged insects - humpback flies of the family, with dark wings and actively fly.
Finally, I note that in terrariums with tarantulas, representatives of invertebrates - collembolas and wood lice - introduced, usually with the substrate, are occasionally found, which also do not harm them. At the same time, some collectors specifically populate terrariums with tarantulas with a culture of tropical wood lice
- These are animals that have aroused both interest and fear in people since ancient times. Each spider is interesting for its unique characteristics of living, obtaining food, and reproducing.
In this article we will cover these topics, consider the reasons for the appearance of cobwebs in our homes and study effective ways to remove spiders. Today on our planet there is about 40 thousand species of spiders
. Only a few of them live in Russia. For the most part, they live in open nature, but quite often they appear in people's homes.
In fact, only a few species can live indoors. Spiders and cobwebs in the house often frighten people, and you should understand that these arthropods are not interested in people, are afraid of them and will never attack first.
Black and white house spiders
- The most common domestic spider species are: Haymaker
- , which has a small body and very long legs, reaching a length of 5 cm..
- Gray house spider.
- Tramp. They live in the house and weave tube-shaped webs in the corners, which are a serious trap for its victims. They are quite large in size, their length is about 13 mm. They bite a person extremely rarely, but if this happens, it is very unpleasant and painful, since it can cause consequences such as allergies, swelling, vomiting, dizziness and general malaise of the bitten person.
- White spiders There are different types and live in different countries. For example, in the southern part of Russia, as well as in the countries of the Middle East, you can find karakuta. There is a "white lady" in Africa. In North America, southern Europe, Japan and Russia, the white “flower spider” is found. White spiders are rarely found in the house; they, as a rule, live in nature, in the vegetable garden, orchard, in the forest, and their bite is the most dangerous for humans, and can even be fatal.
Many spider lovers keep them specifically to add exoticism to their home, and they can also be classified as domestic. The most famous white spider among such pets is white-haired tarantula.
What do spiders look like?
Each type of spider looks unique. Exotic spiders that live in terrariums usually catch the eye with their impressive size, fleecy surface and bright colors.
House spiders look more modest:
- For example, the haymaker spider has a small body and very long legs, reaching a length of 5 cm.
- Black spiders are black or dark gray in color, measuring approximately 13 mm.
- Gray spiders are very similar to black ones, having the same size.
- The hobo spider is brown and light brown in color, with an elongated abdomen and long legs.
Many species of spiders differ in their speed of movement, web, search for food, and appearance, but they all have the same number of legs - 8 of them.
The limbs of spiders differ in size and cover, but their main functions are common to all types of arthropods:
- Legs are the spiders' means of transportation. Some have the ability to move by jumping, some use lateral walking, some run on water, and some change locations by stomping loudly.
- The limbs are carriers of many receptors: smell, touch, balance. They help spiders recognize danger and detect food.
- The function of the paws is to weave webs. Thanks to this ability, spiders are able to get food.
- Parent spiders use their tentacles to hold and move their cocoon to another place. It is for these purposes that spiders have such a large number of limbs, which simultaneously serve them as hands, nose, vision and even the so-called “sixth sense”.
Types of spiders in Russia
There are quite a few varieties of spiders in Russia, the most common among them are:
- Serebryanka- This is the only species that lives on and under water. The habitat is marshy reservoirs of Russia. Refers to poisonous spiders.
- Cross spider, living in temperate climates, on grass and branches of bushes and trees. It has a cross-shaped pattern at the top of the abdomen. Not dangerous to humans.
- South Russian tarantula- lives in semi-desert and steppe regions of Russia, lives in burrows. It is a poisonous and dangerous species of spider for humans.
- House spiders, living closely with a person and safe for him. They weave webs in the most inconspicuous corners of the room.
- Knitting spider, which has the ability to camouflage itself and become invisible. Refers to non-poisonous representatives of arachnids.
- Jumping spider- a jumping small spider. It has the ability to climb glass and capture its prey without the help of a web.
- H black widow (karakut)– the most dangerous type of spider for humans. Lives in the Astrakhan and Orenburg regions, as well as in the North Caucasus.
Are spiders insects or animals?
Many people are interested in this question; some people believe that spiders are insects, however, this is not so.
Spiders belong to the class Arachnids, and belong to a species of animal, and not insects, despite the incredible similarity to the latter. Arachnids were born 300 million years earlier than insects.
Both of these species have formed separate classes that have clear differences:
- Insects: They have 6 legs, belong to the class of insects of the arthropod type, and for the most part are omnivores. The main parts of the structure of insects: head, chest, abdomen, wings.
- Spiders have 8 legs, belong to the class of arachnids of the arthropod type, are very selective in food, natural hunters. It consists of only two sections - the abdomen, from which the legs grow, and the cephalothorax, on which the spider’s mouthparts are located. Has the ability to weave webs.
What do spiders eat?
Spiders, despite their small size, consume a large amount of food, however, they may not eat for a long time - from a month to a year. An interesting fact is that in a year the amount of food eaten by spiders exceeds the amount of food consumed by all people in the world.
Each type of spider has its own methods of obtaining food:
- Creating traps using web weaving. The caught prey is treated with digestive juice, which corrodes it from the inside, after which the spider swallows it.
- Searching for food by spitting out sticky saliva, which allows it to attract food to itself.
What do spiders eat:
- The main diet of both outdoor and indoor spiders is insects. Spiders in a private house feed on flies, mosquitoes, crickets, butterflies, mealworms, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and woodlice larvae. Read more about the answer to the question.
- Spiders living in burrows or on the soil surface love to eat beetles, orthoptera, and even snails and earthworms.
- Some species hunt at night. For example, the queen spider creates a trap for moths at night.
- Exotic spiders, due to their impressive size, choose larger prey for themselves. Thus, tarantula spiders prefer to hunt frogs, lizards, other spiders, mice, and even small birds. And the Brazilian tarantula is capable of catching and eating small snakes and grass snakes.
- Spiders that live on water use their webs to catch tadpoles, small fish or midges floating on the surface of the water.
- Some spiders use flora as a source of food: pollen, plant leaves, cereal grains.
How do spiders give birth?
By their nature, sexually mature males differ significantly from females in their small size, bright color, and low life expectancy. Found in nature, as a rule, they are much less common.
In some species of spiders, males are not found at all. It is believed that female spider has the ability to develop eggs virginally, therefore, can produce offspring without even being fertilized.
The male independently fills the genitals with sperm and goes in search of the female. Some types of spiders bring the “lady of the heart” a gift - an insect, as a sign of attention and approval from her. Males try to court as much as possible so as not to be eaten by the female. They perform a wedding dance - a rhythmic movement of their paws along their own web.
Some species of spiders fight on the female's web, while others mate with the males. Many males, in order to avoid a threat from the female, mate at the moment of her molting, while she is still helpless. After all, a fertilized spider often strives to eat its partner. Sometimes the male manages to escape.
Some species of spiders create families: they live in the same nest, raise offspring, and share prey. There are “cuckoo” spiders that throw their cocoons into the nests of other relatives.
A female spider can hatch at once up to 200,000 children. Such incredibly large offspring can be produced by both large and very tiny species of spiders. Spider eggs go through two molts before reaching the adult stage.
An interesting fact is that spiders have the ability to independently induce childbirth in the case of sick or weak offspring.
How long do spiders live?
The lifespan of spiders depends primarily on their species. Most spiders have many enemies and rarely survive to natural death.
Lifespan of spiders:
- So, some live only a couple of months, while others can live for several years. Moreover, about six months are spent on the egg stage.
- The life cycle of males ends much faster than that of spiders. Provided they live comfortably, males can live for only two years, but females can live up to ten years.
There are also such records:
- Some female tarantulas can live more than twenty years.
- Spiders of the genus Sicarius, living in South America and Africa, can live up to 15 years.
- Some tarantulas can live twenty years.
- It is clear that species of spiders that are pets of humans and live in captivity have longer lifespans. History knows of cases where such spiders lived up to thirty years.
Are house spiders dangerous for humans?
All spiders are venomous by nature, but The dose of venom from house spiders is not significant for humans. Therefore, in the event of a bite, which is extremely rare, you simply need to treat the area with an antiseptic. They can only be dangerous for people suffering from arachnophobia (fear of arachnids).
Several individuals living in an apartment are beneficial, because they destroy insects, which, as a rule, cause discomfort and pose a danger to people. Of course, if spiders are found on every corner, this creates a feeling of aesthetic rejection and unsanitary conditions in the house, so they should be removed.
How to get rid of spiders in the house?
In order to completely forget about spiders in your apartment, you need to use the following measures to combat spiders:
- Create a clean living environment. Spiders are very afraid of cleanliness, so regular and thorough cleaning of the premises can remove such residents. Particular attention should be paid to the most secluded corners: the back walls of furniture, the bottom of beds, the ceiling and walls.
- Use special anti-spider preparations: aerosols, crayons, gels, as well as ultrasound. Chemical preparations such as Butox-50, Tarax, and Neoron have proven themselves well.
- Renovate your home. Spiders cannot stand the smell of wallpaper paste, paint and whitewash.
- Use folk remedies, they are safer and proven over the years. The most well-known remedy for spiders is crushed hazelnuts, chestnuts and oranges, which must be placed in all corners of the house. The smell of these fruits is unbearable for spiders.
- Limit spiders' access to your apartment: seal all the cracks and cracks around windows and doors, check for holes in the window screen, walls, drains, and eliminate them.
- It is necessary to call the appropriate specialists, if you are unable to cope with the spider infestation yourself.
It must be remembered that the most effective method of destruction is complex.
Reasons for spiders appearing in the house
Spiders are very voracious animals. None of them will choose a place of residence where there is no food for them.
Therefore, before removing such residents, you need to figure out where the spiders are coming from:
- There are a lot of insects in your apartment: midges, cockroaches, ants, flies, mosquitoes.
- Availability of entrance to the premises. Through open windows, small cracks, flowers brought from the street, not only the spiders themselves, but also the insects that these eight-legged creatures love so much, can enter your home.
- Warm temperature in the house. In autumn, spiders from the street look for a warmer place to live.
- Favorable humidity level.
Signs about spiders
Since ancient times, it has been believed that spiders have the ability to bring good or bad news. Almost every action performed by a spider, or events during which a person met with it, have their own explanations in folk superstitions.
Signs about spiders:
- Spider on the street. If you meet a spider in the morning, bad luck awaits you; in the evening, good news awaits you. If you find yourself in a web, expect trouble.
- Spider in the house. Seeing a spider in your house is a good omen; it will help you get rid of bad thoughts and avoid quarrels. If a spider runs across a table or floor, it means a move.
- Where does it move? It crawls towards you - to profit, crawls away from you - to loss.
- How it moves. If a spider descends on a web from the ceiling, expect an unexpected guest. A spider crawling up announces good news. If a spider lands on a person’s head, one should expect a gift; on one’s hand, money.
- Spiders and the weather. If a spider rolls up its web, it means rain; if you catch the web with your face, it means clear weather. If you see a spider weaving a web, then the weather will change.
Bad omens about spiders:
- Squashing a spider means depriving you of good luck and health, which is why you should not kill spiders.
- If a spider goes down the wall, it means a quick loss.
- If the newlyweds meet a spider, it means bad luck in their marriage.
- If a girl sees a cobweb over the door, it means her partner will cheat on her.
- A cobweb near icons is bad news.
If your encounter with a spider still upsets you, you should not be offended by it, since it is just a herald of upcoming events.
Conclusion
There are many types of spiders, but we can meet only a few of them in everyday life.
Spiders feed on insects, so if they have appeared in your home or garden, do not despair, as they can save you from annoying ants, bugs, mosquitoes, flies, and cockroaches. In addition, these arthropods may bring you some news.
The nature of reproduction in tarantulas is very complex, and in our time very little studied. Young males and females have similar lifestyles and are almost impossible to distinguish by their behavior.
I distinguish pubescent males from females by the way of life they lead and by their appearance. In most species of tarantula, the males are brightly colored. They are often much smaller in size than females and have proportionately larger elongated paws and a different arrangement of pedipalps, thereby differing from females in greater mobility.
Sexually, males mature earlier than females. On average, males reach sexual vision at 1.5 years, while females reach maturity no earlier than 2 years (in some species the difference is even greater - 1.5 and 3 years). “Closely related” mating of spiders that emerged from the same cocoon remains impossible under natural conditions. But such crossing is still possible when the spiders grew up in captivity, by artificially creating different temperature and moisture conditions for the spiders for a feeding regime from an early age.
Mature male, weaves what is called a sperm web before mating. This sperm web is shaped like a triangle or quadrangle, into the lower part of which he secretes drops of sperm. The sperm is captured by the copulatory apparatus, after which the male begins his search for a female. At such times, the spider behaves diametrically opposite to constant life. During the mating period, the male wanders, is very active and can be noticed when he moves even in the daytime. Male tarantulas travel approximately 7 - 9 km in one night alone in search of their female.
The male finds the female only with the help of its sensation (the spider’s vision does not affect these searches in any way: the male very quickly finds a female with blurred eyes) by the smell of the trace that she leaves on the rock or web near her burrow (for example, a female Aphonopelma hentzi near the entrance to her the hole is woven by a small ball of cobweb).
Finally, having finished his search, the male moves into the hole. Thus, having met a female, there may be 2 variations of this event:
In the first option, if the female is still not ready for mating, then she begins to very quickly attack the male, spreading her chelicerae in order to kill the male. In this situation, the male must retreat, or he has a chance:
1) be a “nourishing” food;
2) to be left without one or a pair or three limbs. Since the female initially does not perceive him as her sexual partner.
2nd option. In this case, the female may often show no interest in her partner. In such cases, the male lowers his cephalothorax and raises his abdomen, stretching out his front paws and pedipalps in front of him, then he begins to back away towards the exit, in this way the male tries to attract the attention of the female (it seems to be inviting her to follow him) . After some time, the spider stops and again moves its front legs in different directions - to the left or to the right. And with all this, he does not forget to raise his body so that the female’s interest in him is not lost until the couple leaves the hole and goes outside. When the male is not outside again, he will not feel confident and will not be able to move around safely.
Male courtship- tarantulas are much simpler than other types of spiders. Other spiders are characterized by very unusual mating behavior, it consists in performing peculiar so-called “mating dances”, for example in species such as Araneidae, Salticidae, Lycosidae, or the male offers the female recently killed prey (as in Pisauridae).
The male spider begins to slowly approach the female, instantly touching her with the front pair of his limbs and pedipalps, or begins to knock his paws on the substrate. As a rule, the male periodically repeats these actions from time to time to make sure that the female will not harm him in any way. To date, no research has yet been carried out to determine whether there are any behavioral features of other tarantula species during crossing.
If the female is still behaving passively, the male will gradually approach her, moving his front pair of legs between the pedipalps and chelicerae, which she places when she is ready to mate. Then the male seems to press into them with his tibial hooks in order to take a stable position and pushes back the female’s cephalothorax, “stroking” the lower part at the base of the abdomen.
When a female shows her fullness readiness to mate(this is also often manifested in the abundant “drumming” sound that she makes with her paws hitting the substrate), the male wraps embolus 1 of the pedipalps and inserts it into the gonopore, which is located in the epigastric groove. The spider repeats the same procedure with the 2nd pedipalp. Strictly speaking, this is the very moment of copulation. All this happens within a couple of seconds. Often, the male quickly crawls away after this process, as the female will follow him.
It is known that the female eats her partner after mating, but this is not at all the case, i.e. often this does not happen (frequent cases when the male eats the female, and not vice versa), if the male has enough space for him to move away, then he can fertilize several more females afterwards. The spider can mate with several males in one season.
The eggs are fertilized in the uterus, the spermatic receptacles come into contact with it, and after a certain period during copulation (1-8 months), such a long process directly depends on different conditions (seasons, temperature changes, amount of moisture and food), and of course a certain type of tarantula When weaving a cocoon, the female lays her eggs there. All this action takes place in the inhabited chamber of the hole, and then it transforms into a nest. The cocoon is usually made up of 2 parts, which are fastened at the edges. Initially, the main part is woven, then the masonry is laid on it, and then it is woven with the covering part. Certain species (Avicularia spp., Theraphosa blondi) weave their “protective hairs” into the walls of the cocoon to protect it from unwanted enemies.
Unlike other types of spiders, the female tarantula protects and cares for her clutch. Sometimes she turns the cocoon over with the help of her chelicerae and pedipalps. She can also move the cocoon if the temperature begins to fluctuate and the humidity level drops or rises. This is due to certain difficulties in artificially incubating spider eggs at home. There are many cases where a female ate her laid cocoons due to stress or for reasons unknown to science. For this purpose, American, German, English and Australian collectors invented the incubator. Lovers simply take the cocoons from the female, thereby taking on the “mother’s responsibilities”; they twist the cocoons with their own hands, several times a day.
It is curious that for some varieties of tarantula spiders the following fact is known:
After successful mating, females lay several cocoons, with some gap in time, as a rule, this is no more than one month:
Hysterocrates spp., Stromatopelma spp., Holothele spp., Psalmopoeus spp., Tapinauchenius spp., Metriopelma spp., Pterinochilus spp., Ephebopus spp. and etc. What is most surprising is that the percentage of unfertilized eggs increases noticeably in repeated clutches.
The number of eggs that a female lays certainly differs depending on the species and directly depends on her size, age and other factors. The largest number of eggs is known for the species Lasiodora parahybana and is approximately 2.5 thousand pieces! In small spiders, the number of eggs does not exceed 30-60 pieces.
Incubation time: also different - 0.8 - 6 months. It is very interesting that tree species tend to have shorter lines than terrestrial species.
Average incubation temperature– 26-28°C, humidity should be 80%, only for such genera of tarantulas as Xenesthis , Megaphobema, the incubation temperature should not exceed 25°C.
Sizes born to the light of small spiders on average from 2 to 5 mm (for example, Cyclosternum) and up to 1.5 cm in the leg span of the goliath tarantula Theraphosa blondi. Newly born spiders of arboreal species are often larger than those born to terrestrial tarantulas, but the number of babies is usually much smaller (no more than 250). Newly born tarantulas are very mobile, and at the least danger they hide and run to a nearby shelter or very quickly bury themselves in the substrate. This behavior of spiders is typical for all types of spiders (arboreal, burrow, ground).
Young spiders of the same clutch hatch at approximately the same time. Before hatching, tiny spines are formed at the base of the pedipalp of the embryo - “egg teeth”, with the help of which the spider breaks the shell of the egg and is born “into the world”. For the so-called post-embryonic molting, which most often occurs inside the cocoon, the newly born baby has very thin integuments, his appendages are not separated, he still cannot feed himself, therefore he lives off the accumulated yolk, which remains in the intestines. This one of the life stages is called “prelarva” (after which they turn into stage 1 nymphs). After the next molt (3-5 weeks), the prelarva turns into the “larval” stage (2nd stage nymph), also a non-feeding individual, but more or less mobile and already having the smallest claws on the paws and developed chelicerae (Vachon, 1957) .
With subsequent (postembryonic) molt Young spiders begin to form, which become more active and able to feed themselves, crawl out of the cocoon and for the first time, most often, stay in a heap, and then scatter in all directions and begin to live independently.
Most often, after young spiders emerge from the cocoon, the female no longer worries about them, but a very interesting feature of nature in the genus Hysterocrate s from the island of Sao Tome, Pamphobeteus, Pterinochilus. This feature is that after birth, the spiders live next to the female for about six months. With all this, the female shows true, maternal love for her children. This feature was noticed only in this species; in other species this phenomenon has not yet been noticed (but there are some exceptions here). The mother very actively protects her children from any possible danger and obtains food for them herself. Similar facts are known with such a species as Haplopelma schmidti (E. Rybaltovsky).
Nature and lifestyle The lives of young spiders are most often very similar to the lives of adult spiders. They make their own burrows and hunt a lot to get their own food, which is an acceptable size for them. The number of sheddings varies throughout life. The amount of molt depends on the size of the tarantula and its gender (in males the number is always less than in females), for example, 9 – 15 molts per life. The average lifespan of female tarantula spiders is also very different compared to males.
Arboreal spiders, and even such large spiders as Poecilotheria, as well as tarantulas of the genus Pterinochilus, live no more than 15 years. Large terrestrial, namely American spiders, live in a terrarium from 25 years, and according to some facts, even to an older age (for example, the age of the female Brachypelma emilia, who lived with S.A. Schultz and M.J. Schultz, was approximately 35 years).
The lifespan of males is significantly less, on average 3-5 years. Due to the fact that males reach sexual maturity much earlier than females (at 1.5-4 years), and, often, the average lifespan of male tarantulas in their last molt (after the appearance of sexual characteristics in males) ranges from 5 months to 1 ,5 years. But, for some species samples much longer periods are known (6 years).
According to the report of Dr. Claudio Lipari, the extreme life span of the last instar males of the Brazilian Grammostola pulchra is no less than 2.5 years, and one species lived for about 5 years.
The rest of the long-lived male tarantulas of the last age, according toAccording to Lucian Rosa, the following:
Grammostola rosea - 18 months,
Megaphobema velvetosoma - 9 months,
Poecilotheria formosa - 11 months,
Poecilotheria ornata - 13 months,
Poecilotheria rufilata - 17 months.
According to the report of the Canadian scientist Rick West, a sexually mature male tarantula Phormictopus cancerides lived with Allan McKee, although after his moult he lost the upper segments of the pedipalps - 27 months, and the male Brachypelma albopilosum with Rick West himself - 2.5 years after the onset of sexual maturity and died during the next moulting.
We also know about a unique case when amateur Jay Stotsky had a male with a small size of the tree species Poecilotheria regalis very successfully moult 2 times! at the latter age, the intervals between molts were 18 months. But with all this, the pedipalps and one chelicera that he lost during the first molt were completely restored after the second moult!
True, it should be said that such cases became known only when tarantulas were kept in a terrarium.
As for the onset of sexual maturity of tarantula spiders, the following information is usually contradictory.
Males of the genus Aphonopelma reach sexual maturity at 10-13 years, females at 10-12 years. Tarantulas Grammostola burzaquensis become sexually mature at 6 years (Ibarra-Grasso, 1961), Acanthoscurria sternalis - at 4-6 years (Galiano 1984, 1992).
Thank you for your attention!