🕷️ Spider Care Diary
A personal record of arachnid research, care, and observation
My arachnid journey
I'm an arachno‑hobbyist and I keep and breed spiders in bioactive enclosures made from repurposed Tupperware. They contain live plants and microfauna such as springtails, isopods and mealworms, which help maintain a naturalistic, self‑sustaining environment.
I've loved spiders (and insects) for as long as I can remember, but I've been keeping them as pets for about 6 years.
At present, I care for spiders across a wide range of species: sheet web spiders, wolf spiders, jumping spiders, white tails, orb weavers, and my personal favourite, the vagrant prowling spider (Uliodon albopunctatus). I have occasionally participated in giving "spider talks", sometimes planned and sometimes impromptu. More recent additions to my collection include the Grey House Spider (Badumna longinqua), some Orb-weavers from the Eriophora genus, and the Spotted Ground Swift Spider (Supunna picta).
Research focus: aggression in spiders
For several years I have been researching aggression in spiders. My work was originally inspired by an academic paper by Raphael Jeanson (National Centre for Scientific Research), which discusses the onset of aggression in spiderlings after they disperse from the nest.
The paper suggests that solitude breeds aggression - meaning it is a consequence of isolation rather than a cause. I agree with this idea, though there is still much that is not fully understood. My findings have revealed intriguing correlations and compelling evidence that extend beyond the paper's original scope.
Handling protocol for Uliodon albopunctatus
Uliodon albopunctatus are often flighty and fearful when I first open their enclosure or attempt to interact. To ensure the spider is comfortable with handling, I begin by gently nudging the abdomen with a soft‑bristled brush to test its temperament. If it remains calm or interacts with the brush without aggression (placing a leg on it or simply moving away), I may proceed with handling. However, if the spider adopts a threat posture, that is a clear sign to leave it be.
When handled, a spider might initially appear nervous as it walks across my hand, but it often settles after a short time. Once returned to its enclosure, it tends to remain calm for a few hours. However, after about 12 to 24 hours without further interaction, it will revert to its more cautious or flighty behaviour. This shift fascinates me, and understanding what drives this cycle is one of my ongoing research goals.
Eva's legacy
I also have a tattoo of my favourite spider, Eva. She was a Uliodon albopunctatus, a terrestrial vagrant prowling spider endemic to New Zealand. They are usually found in woodland areas, under logs, stones, and leaf litter, and they tend to avoid moist environments. Eva passed away a few years ago, but she left a lasting impression on me.
🕸️ Spider Myths & Facts
Over the years I've encountered many misconceptions about our eight‑legged neighbours. Here are some of the most common myths - especially those circulating in New Zealand, along with the scientific facts.
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| Daddy longlegs are the most venomous spiders in the world, but their fangs are too short to bite humans. | This myth mixes up two different creatures. Harvestmen (often called daddy longlegs) are not spiders at all - they belong to the order Opiliones and have no venom glands, fangs, or silk. They are harmless scavengers. Cellar spiders (Pholcidae) are true spiders and do produce venom, but it is extremely mild and poses no danger to humans. They can bite, but the effect is negligible. |
| Harvestmen are spiders, just with longer legs. | Harvestmen are arachnids, but they are in a different order (Opiliones) than true spiders (Araneae). They lack the narrow waist (pedicel) that separates the cephalothorax and abdomen in spiders, and they have a fused, oval body. They do not produce venom or silk, and they are scavengers or predators of tiny invertebrates. They are more closely related to mites and scorpions than to true spiders. |
| White tail spiders cause flesh-eating ulcers and extensive necrosis. | This myth has been thoroughly investigated and debunked. White tail spiders (Lampona cylindrata and L. murina) are common in New Zealand and Australia. While their bite can cause local pain, redness, and swelling, there is no conclusive evidence that their venom directly causes necrotic lesions or serious medical conditions. Reported cases of ulceration or tissue breakdown are now understood to be most often the result of secondary bacterial infection, not the bite or venom itself. Most confirmed bites result in mild, short-lived symptoms. These spiders are shy and prefer to hide, biting only when provoked. |
| The katipo spider is deadly. | The katipo (Latrodectus katipo) is New Zealand's only native venomous spider, related to the redback and black widow. Its venom is potent, but bites are extremely rare because the spider is not aggressive and its habitat is now limited. Antivenom is available, and no deaths have been recorded in over a century. Conservation efforts are important as katipo populations are declining due to habitat loss. |
| New Zealand tunnel web spiders are as dangerous as Australian funnel-webs. | New Zealand has several tunnel web spiders (genus Porrhothele). These spiders are members of the primitive spider group (the mygalomorphs) and are therefore distantly related to tarantulas, but they are not closely related to the infamous Australian funnel-web spiders and are not considered dangerous to humans. Mygalomorphs have robust bodies, long lifespans, and downward-pointing (orthognathous) fangs, and many build silk-lined burrows or tunnel webs. A bite from a Porrhothele may be painful and cause local swelling, itching, or numbness, but the venom is not known to cause systemic life-threatening effects. As with other benign spider bites, the main risk for worsening tissue damage is secondary bacterial infection, so bites should be cleaned and monitored; medical attention is advised if signs of spreading redness, increasing pain, fever, or unusual symptoms develop. |
| If you squish a white-tailed spider, it releases a scent that attracts more. | There is no scientific evidence that crushing a
white-tailed spider
(genus Lampona) releases an alarm pheromone that attracts others.
White-tails are solitary, wandering hunters that do not live in colonies and do not
coordinate through alarm signalling like ants or bees.
While spiders do use pheromones (primarily for mating and silk communication), there is no documented mechanism showing that squashing one summons others. This appears to be an urban myth. |
| Collect daddy longlegs and release them in your house to control white-tails. | This advice oversimplifies predator ecology. The "daddy longlegs" people
usually mean are
cellar spiders (Pholcus phalangioides). They can eat other spiders, but white-tails
also prey on spiders, including web builders.
Introducing more spiders into a home does not create a controlled ecosystem. It simply increases total spider population and web density. Predation outcomes are not predictable, and you may end up with more spiders, not fewer. Long-term control is better achieved by reducing prey availability, sealing entry gaps, and minimising clutter. |
Species overview
Common: Vagrant prowling spider
Feed: Medium‑large mealworms, crickets
Notes: Favourite species. Terrestrial hunter, under logs & leaf litter.
Common: Grey house spider
Feed: Flies, moths, ants
Notes: Native to Australia, now widespread in NZ. Builds distinctive messy, ladder-like webs in window frames and walls.
Common: Orb-weaver (garden orb-weaver)
Feed: Flying insects (flies, moths)
Notes: Builds classic spiral webs. Common in gardens across NZ and Australia.
Common: Spotted Ground Swift Spider (previously Supunna picta)
Feed: Small insects, hunted without a web
Notes: Native to Australia, naturalised in NZ since 1943. Diurnal hunter with distinctive orange front legs.
Common: Wolf spider
Feed: Flies
Common: Barn funnel weaver
Feed: Flies, small mealworms
Common: Sheet web spider
Feed: Flies, small mealworms
Common: Jumping spider
Feed: Small flies, fruit flies, micro crickets
Notes: Excellent vision, active hunters. Provide vertical spaces and small hides.
Common: White‑tailed spider
Feed: Small insects, preys on other spiders
Notes: Shy, nocturnal, often found in homes. Bite causes mild local effects only.
Common: Orb weaver
Feed: Flying insects (flies, moths)
Notes: Builds classic spiral webs. Needs vertical space and anchor points.
Personal notes & observations
Uliodon albopunctatus habitat refinements
- Substrate tweak: Testing layered moisture gradient - damp sphagnum under cork bark (NE) + dry leaf litter (SW). They prefer hunting near dry zone. Avoid uniform dampness!
- Hide redesign: Stacked slate stones with 1cm gaps - better retreat mimicry. Added bark tunnels after Canyon wedged into crevices.
- Light cycle adjustment: Reduced LED to 4h/day (10am‑2pm). UVB strip added Mondays/Wednesdays for plants. Nocturnal activity higher.
Feeding experiments
- Prey variety trial: Introducing local woodlice (Porcellio scaber) - Rocky ignored, Shrimp (M) hunted aggressively. Note: gut‑load crickets with carrot 24h before feeding.
- Feeding frequency: Juveniles 3x/week, adults 1x/week + biweekly calcium dusting. Reduced obesity in Vague (F).
Handling protocol updates
- Desensitisation routine:
- Brush‑test abdomen with soft bristle brush
- If no threat posture, lift on palm with brush
- Max 5 min/day - short sessions reduce regression. Keo (F) now explores hand voluntarily after 3 weeks.
- Stress indicators: threat postures documented: legs raised = abort; pedipalps vibrating = curious (proceed).
Breeding insights
- Egg sac failures analysis: Suspect low humidity fluctuations caused 2022
losses. Now:
- 70% RH first week → 40% after silk hardening
- Isolation chamber with vermiculite base
- Sac darkening = 48h hatch window
- Gravid female care: Double protein pre‑laying (extra mealworms), honey‑water soaked cotton post‑laying.
Bioactive system notes
- Microfauna balance: Reduced springtails - competing with slings? Added dwarf white isopods (Trichorhina tomentosa) for cleanup.
- Plant casualties: Pilea murdered by Canyon. Replaced with hardy spider plant (Chlorophytum).
Research questions
Aggression study: Grouped 10 slings vs isolated. Testing:
- Threat response to prey introduction
- Handling tolerance after 3 weeks
Preliminary: grouped slings less defensive.
Desensitisation decay: Why 12‑24h reset? Testing pheromone markers (vanilla extract 1:3 water) on handling gloves.
- Pheromone markers seem to help - slings less skittish after glove scent exposure.
- Specific formula is 1 part vanilla extract to 3 parts water, applied to handling gloves before interaction.
- The 12‑24hr regression implies ephemeral memory consolidation. Potential mechanisms:
- Olfactory imprinting: Need to test other pheromone-mimics (e.g., eugenol in cloves).
- Tactile memory decay: Spiders may "reset" due to lacking long-term associative neural pathways.
- Actionable tweak: Gradually increase handling duration by 15 seconds/day to test memory retention limits.
Species‑specific adjustments
| Species | Change | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Wolf spiders | Shallow water dish added | Rogue drinks nightly |
| Sheet web spiders | Vertical mesh panel | Octavia built larger web |
| Jumping spiders | Added mirror "play" item | Increased activity |
Ethical considerations
- Sourcing leaf litter only from fallen branches (never live trees)
- Releasing 10% wild‑caught adults post‑breeding season
- Cross‑referencing DOC protected species list monthly
Tomorrow's tasks
- Measure humidity gradients in new enclosures
- Introduce moths to Uliodon feeding trial
- Record handling response times for grouped slings
My favourite spiders
Details of my favourite species, combined with personal observations and scientific summaries.
Uliodon albopunctatus Endemic
Common name: Vagrant prowling spider Family: Zoropsidae (false wolf spiders)
Description
Medium to large spider, body length up to 20 mm. Cephalothorax reddish‑brown, abdomen greyish with distinctive white or cream spots arranged in rows. Legs robust and spiny, adapted for active hunting.
Habitat & distribution
Endemic to New Zealand, widespread in both North and South Islands (more common in the North). Found in native forests, under logs, stones, and leaf litter; also in gardens and scrublands. Prefers moist but not waterlogged environments.
Behaviour & diet
Nocturnal hunter that does not build a capture web, instead actively prowls at night. During the day it hides in a silken retreat under debris. Diet consists of insects and other arthropods. Fast and agile when pursuing prey.
Reproduction
Females produce an egg sac and guard it until spiderlings hatch. Young disperse and lead solitary lives.
Venom & human interaction
Not considered dangerous to humans. A bite may cause mild local pain and swelling, but no systemic effects are known. They are generally shy and will flee unless provoked.
Personal note
My favourite spider, I keep several and have observed their intriguing shift from flighty to calm after brief handling. Eva, a special individual, inspired a tattoo and much of my research interest.
Porrhothele antipodiana Endemic
Common name: Black tunnel web spider Family: Porrhothelidae (mygalomorphs)
Description
One of New Zealand's heaviest spiders, females can be quite large with robust bodies and downward‑pointing fangs (orthognathous). Colour ranges from dark brown to black, with a glossy carapace.
Habitat & distribution
North Island: Widespread, but notably absent from Northland; common south of Hawke's Bay. South Island: Broadly distributed in lowland regions (except alpine zones and Fiordland); well documented in Canterbury, Otago, Banks Peninsula. Also present on Chatham Islands (likely human‑mediated).
Prefers native bush, forests, gardens, and urban structures. Constructs permanent silk‑lined tunnel webs under old logs, rocks, leaf litter, and inside tree trunks. Adaptable to rock piles, retaining walls, and suburban debris.
Behaviour & diet
Nocturnal - emerges from its tunnel to hunt. Preys on insects, snails, and other arthropods, acting as a natural pest controller. Not aggressive toward humans; will rear up in threat if provoked but bites are rare and not medically significant.
Interesting facts
- Long‑lived: Can live over 10 years in captivity.
- Shelob's inspiration: The design of Shelob in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was inspired by this species.
- Gardener's ally: Helps control garden snails and insects.
Observation tips
Look for silk‑lined tunnel openings (2-3 cm wide) under logs or along garden edges. Use a torch at dusk to spot them emerging. In Christchurch, try the Botanic Gardens woodland, Port Hills reserves, or suburban gardens with log piles.
Personal note
My second favourite spider. I admire their prehistoric build and the silken tunnels they construct. The connection to Tolkien's Shelob adds a touch of legend.