Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#643257
Death curl  - Pimoa altioculata - female

Death curl - Pimoa altioculata - Female
Buckley, Pierce County, Washington, USA
May 13, 2012
I found both adult females in the same location, their thin sheet webs approximately 6 inches apart, which seemed odd because all of them, including the male I captured earlier from their web, seemed more aggressive then the usual true spider.

I decided to house them together, with both their egg sacs. Just as in the wild the more dominant, larger female took the high ground, and the smaller made a web and kept her egg sac below. You can see the blurry, smaller spiders egg sac, on the left side of the image.

Approximately a few hours after the larger egg sac hatched, both mothers died within minutes of each other while I had them outside taking these photos. I did not see either of them bite each other, and did not see a spiderling biting either; although either is possible as I was focused on shooting the hatchlings with my eye in my camera.

Images of this individual: tag all
egg sacs - Pimoa altioculata Death curl  - Pimoa altioculata - female Newly hatched P. altioculata - Pimoa altioculata Newly hatched P. altioculata - Pimoa altioculata Newly hatched P. altioculata - Pimoa altioculata Newly hatched P. altioculata - Pimoa altioculata Newly hatched P. altioculata - Pimoa altioculata Newly hatched P. altioculata - Pimoa altioculata Unknown Spider - Pimoa altioculata

weird
Any possibility that they overheated? How long were they together before the egg sacs hatched?

 
Possibly overheated
I didnt think about them overheating, I did have the jar out in the sun to take the photos of the hatching.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.