Posted by Sean Murphy on June 28, 2006

Q: Good afternoon

My name is Christina and I wrote you a while back asking about a jumping spider that was brought into my class. The students are now quite fond of her and watching her hunt and eat. We now have another spider (seperate cages) that eats and is just as active. After looking at the spiders as closely as I can I believe they are both female. The children have taken to calling them Patty and Selma (from the simpsons) Recently one (Patty) has been observed making a sort of walkway across the top of a corner of her enclosure. I had not thought to much about it untill I looked this morning before feeding her. The web she has woven takes up a good inch and while you can make her out inside it is nearly opaque. My husband Sean says that she might be getting ready to molt or have babies. I have read that some tree dwelling tarantulas spin a type of web and molt inside. Is this possibly the case with Patty and if so is there anything we should do other than leave her alone for till she crawls out?

Habitat: suburban/yard

State: Ohio

Habitat: suburban/yard

A: Good to hear from you again Christina. I think your husband is correct! Many of the jumping spiders build a silken web mass in which they lay their eggs and then defend them until they hatch. This implies that Patty mated before you acquired her. Sure hope this is what is happening as it will be great for the kids to see this event unfold. Even if this is not egg-laying behavior but something else, your students can make observations and see what they can discover. Good observations are at the heart of scientific research. My best to you, your students, and Patty.

John Wiessinger ( June 28, 2006)