Precarious
Well-known member
Caught a pair of Tan Jumpers (Platycryptus undatus) on a hike just over a month ago at Slateford Creek Waterfalls in PA. The male was courting the female so I knew they were a pair. I housed them together and got to witness the mating ritual the following day. Not long after the female built a nest and laid a clutch of eggs. The female stays with the eggs to guard them and remains with the babies, called "slings", for a week after hatch. Mama comes out occasionally to get water when I mist but doesn't eat while on guard duty.
A week ago the eggs hatched! Mother still nesting with them.
When I came home from work yesterday the female was out and had built a little nest for herself. Looks like she ate a small cricket and got fat. The strange part is the male was in the egg sack laying over the slings. He wasn't eating them. Just guarding. He stayed in there with them all day. Never heard of that behavior from spiders. Today he and the female are both out, keeping separated. And now the slings have started to come out and explore!
Mama
Hatched Slings (you can see the egg cases fallen to the bottom of the sack)
Slings on the loose! (grid is the same screen the mother is on above. That's how tiny they are.)
A week ago the eggs hatched! Mother still nesting with them.
When I came home from work yesterday the female was out and had built a little nest for herself. Looks like she ate a small cricket and got fat. The strange part is the male was in the egg sack laying over the slings. He wasn't eating them. Just guarding. He stayed in there with them all day. Never heard of that behavior from spiders. Today he and the female are both out, keeping separated. And now the slings have started to come out and explore!
Mama
Hatched Slings (you can see the egg cases fallen to the bottom of the sack)
Slings on the loose! (grid is the same screen the mother is on above. That's how tiny they are.)
