# What the hell is this?!



## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

I fed all the Ts earlier, my P. Parvula is now crunched up with white stuff oozing out of it's abdomen. Last time I checked on her was about 2 hours ago

It was acting really weird earlier, it was like standing with it's body really high off the ground, the cricket ran off and hid behind some plants. I thought oh she'll get it later, the crickets were fed before I gave them to my Ts, so I don't think it was the cricket. The T was quite heathy and walks around fine, it's not as if she would have just laid there and been eaten. She was too busy webbing up the place and laying down hairs on her new mat to bother with the cricket. The cricket is a standard brown and the T is about 4 inches. 

It seems really strange, could it be something else, like if it's a wild caught T? 

Here's a photo, sorry it's not very clear, stupid flash!










Here she is a couple of hours ago, normal happy healthy T!


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

More pictures Kerry


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Colosseum said:


> More pictures Kerry


What of? My phone is being crap, I just took another one with the flash on. It's not any clearer though.


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Oh Kerry Berry

Looks like a ruptured abdomen can't be sure without clearer pictures.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Colosseum said:


> Oh Kerry Berry
> 
> Looks like a ruptured abdomen can't be sure without clearer pictures.


I'll get her out and have a poke about after dinner, don't fancy doing it before, it's making me feel a little sick! 

I don't see how it could have ruptured, there's hardly any space between the top and the substrate...


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Don't know if this is a better picture?


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Get a cotton wool bud and wipe the puss off then you can see where it is coming from.


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Hmmn...

It's hard to see from the images but I'd probably prepare for the worst. The best I can suggest is that you try to see if there is a rupture and try to seal it if possible. Provide her with a water dish, she might attempt to drink and replenish body fluid if she's not already too far gone. 

The other thing is pay close attention to that ooze, it might be something alive. If it is, resist the urge to kill it if possible.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

It's a great big fat maggot type thing and it's moving. 

It's big and hard, I pulled it out with a cotton bud, now it's moving, can see it's insides working.


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

In other words bag the puss up and send it to GRB he will the spread it on his toast and label it Primula!


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

If that was a ruptured abdomen woudnt the abdomen itself shrink?


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> If that was a ruptured abdomen woudnt the abdomen itself shrink?



Yeah in time it would


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Eww it;s moving around and it's head is out, what the hell is it?!

I never signed up for alien to go on in my front room what the hell is it?!


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Interesting. 

The tarantula is dead by now then I assume? They usually do kill them sadly.

The only way to find out what the parasite is is to allow it to pupae into the adult. Matching larvae to adult is pretty much impossible since we currently know so little about arachnid: parasitoid relationships.


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Need pictures Kerry has it eaten out of the Abdomen of the spider?


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

GRB said:


> Interesting.
> 
> The tarantula is dead by now then I assume? They usually do kill them sadly.
> 
> The only way to find out what the parasite is is to allow it to pupae into the adult. Matching larvae to adult is pretty much impossible since we currently know so little about arachnid: parasitoid relationships.


 
any idea on where it might have came from? substrate or was it already on or inside the T?


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Pepsis wasp GRB?


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

GRB said:


> Interesting.
> 
> The tarantula is dead by now then I assume? They usually do kill them sadly.
> 
> The only way to find out what the parasite is is to allow it to pupae into the adult. Matching larvae to adult is pretty much impossible since we currently know so little about arachnid: parasitoid relationships.


Yeah, tarantula is dead. I'm not letting it turn into an adult. >_< Do you want me to send it to you or anything? I don't know if you study these things. 



Colosseum said:


> Need pictures Kerry has it eaten out of the Abdomen of the spider?


I'm trying to take some pics, my phone takes ages!


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

I am checking all my spiders now.
:whip:


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> Yeah, tarantula is dead. I'm not letting it turn into an adult. >_< Do you want me to send it to you or anything? I don't know if you study these things.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm trying to take some pics, my phone takes ages!


If you kill it now, then you'll never have an answer I'm afraid. I doubt anyone could really tally it up to something 100% unless it happens to be something really common. Considering the tarantula fauna is so little known, there's even less chance their parasitoids will be known in any greater detail. 

Could be a wasp, could be some species new to science...


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> I am checking all my spiders now.
> :whip:


my spider was fine earlier, I showed you a pictures, it seemed to be lifting it's abdomen quite high, but other than that it looked perfectly normal. 

This is how it came out. 










Then this is what it looks like now with it's head thing out. 










Want me to prod the spiders abdomen to see if there's anything else in there?


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

GRB said:


> If you kill it now, then you'll never have an answer I'm afraid. I doubt anyone could really tally it up to something 100% unless it happens to be something really common. Considering the tarantula fauna is so little known, there's even less chance their parasitoids will be known in any greater detail.
> 
> Could be a wasp, could be some species new to science...


Do you want it then? Maybe you can ask around see if anyone wants the grub and spider for research? 

Other wise it's getting crushed and binned. I mean I know I'm not much of a girly girl but I draw the line and ugly grubby maggot things.


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

How unusual to see this sort of thing in the UK. You see a lot of similar stuff in the US where a lot of people simply collect them from their backyards.


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

vivalabam said:


> my spider was fine earlier, I showed you a pictures, it seemed to be lifting it's abdomen quite high, but other than that it looked perfectly normal.
> 
> This is how it came out.
> 
> ...


that thing looks like a minature jabba the hut! if you keep it name it that.
Poor spider.


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

I feel sorry for the spider but it's kind of fascinating as well. I think you should send the grub to Grant.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

GRB said:


> How unusual to see this sort of thing in the UK. You see a lot of similar stuff in the US where a lot of people simply collect them from their backyards.


Just my luck this happens to me!


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> Do you want it then? Maybe you can ask around see if anyone wants the grub and spider for research?
> 
> Other wise it's getting crushed and binned. I mean I know I'm not much of a girly girl but I draw the line and ugly grubby maggot things.


Well, I suppose so. 

At least that way we have a slim chance of learning something from the death of the tarantula. 

I'll pay for RMSD, could have it sent to the lab.


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

GRB said:


> Well, I suppose so.
> 
> At least that way we have a slim chance of learning something from the death of the tarantula.
> 
> I'll pay for RMSD, could have it sent to the lab.


name it Jabba:2thumb:


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## Unscene (Sep 23, 2007)

Fascinating,although I'm sure upsetting to happen to your pet. I've seen this happen to other folks before. I don't think Pepsis wasp,as (could be wrong) they all paralyse the spider and lay thier egg on the body rather than inside it.The spiders dont get a chance to wake back up and continue with life in this situation. There may be other wasp species which do directly lay eggs into a host and then these recover from the sting and continue to feed etc,feeding the internal grub until it is large enough to eject. I'm thinking it could be a species of fly though. Time will tell,best thing you can do is keep it on slightly moist tissue and let it pupate.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

GRB said:


> Well, I suppose so.
> 
> At least that way we have a slim chance of learning something from the death of the tarantula.
> 
> I'll pay for RMSD, could have it sent to the lab.


I sent you a PM. ^_^

It's curled back up now, weird thing it is!


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

GRB said:


> Well, I suppose so.
> 
> At least that way we have a slim chance of learning something from the death of the tarantula.
> 
> I'll pay for RMSD, could have it sent to the lab.


That would be awesome then you could keep us posted about it assuming it hatches out ok.


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

Unscene said:


> Fascinating,although I'm sure upsetting to happen to your pet. I've seen this happen to other folks before. I don't think Pepsis wasp,as (could be wrong) they all paralyse the spider and lay thier egg on the body rather than inside it.The spiders dont get a chance to wake back up and continue with life in this situation. There may be other wasp species which do directly lay eggs into a host and then these recover from the sting and continue to feed etc,feeding the internal grub until it is large enough to eject. I'm thinking it could be a species of fly though. Time will tell,best thing you can do is keep it on slightly moist tissue and let it pupate.


It reminds me of the ichneumon wasps in the UK that target certain caterpillars, the grubs eat the inside then burrow out of the caterpillar (which then dies) and almost immediately pupate.


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## Xx-lilith-xX (Sep 2, 2011)

Awww this is horrible, i would be gutted if it was one of mine, really sorry for you , i think i would squash the stupid bug out of revenge lol. X


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

garlicpickle said:


> It reminds me of the ichneumon wasps in the UK that target certain caterpillars, the grubs eat the inside then burrow out of the caterpillar (which then dies) and almost immediately pupate.


Yes, I think this may well pupate quite soon as it's emerged. 

The most bizarre parasite I've ever seen was something attacking a weevil. The entire abdomen had been consumed and all that remained was the legs and head region. Even the elytra had fallen off. 

Astoundingly, the weevil was still moving around (albeit somewhat shakey) and tried to flee when it saw my shadow.


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## bulkupman (Aug 16, 2011)

blimey its like something from Alien.

sorry to see this and kill your t, im shocked its grown to such a large size and not caused death weeks ago...

i remember seeing something like this coming out of cows...

indeed it's a maggot and a large one. best to get this properly looked at.

interesting to see the results.

Kerry did you have your spider from a sling or was it a recent purchase?

what a awful thing to happen


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

bulkupman said:


> blimey its like something from Alien.
> 
> sorry to see this and kill your t, im shocked its grown to such a large size and not caused death weeks ago...
> 
> ...


I brought it from TSS at Kempton, must have been wild caught! I never ask, definitely something I will be doing in future...


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> I brought it from TSS at Kempton, must have been wild caught! I never ask, definitely something I will be doing in future...


Kerry send the photo to Lee and point him to this thread I am sure he will replace or refund for you he is proper sound like that, I had an imperfection on a Bicoloratum he send me another for nothing.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Here's what the grubby thing is in, is that what you meant GRB?


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Colosseum said:


> Kerry send the photo to Lee and point him to this thread I am sure he will replace or refund for you he is proper sound like that, I had an imperfection on a Bicoloratum he send me another for nothing.


Yeah I may do that, they are going through the moving thing at the moment aren't they?


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

I want to eat it


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> Here's what the grubby thing is in, is that what you meant GRB?
> 
> image



Yeah, just fire some more substrate in to stop it bouncing around. 

Have to say, never shipped maggots before, especially one that has just erupted from a tarantula. It should be fine so long as it's not mashed in or allowed to bounce around.


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> Yeah I may do that, they are going through the moving thing at the moment aren't they?


Ring him have a chat he don't bite.


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

vivalabam said:


> I brought it from TSS at Kempton, must have been wild caught! I never ask, definitely something I will be doing in future...


you need to ask : victory:


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

GRB said:


> Yeah, just fire some more substrate in to stop it bouncing around.
> 
> Have to say, never shipped maggots before, especially one that has just erupted from a tarantula. It should be fine so long as it's not mashed in or allowed to bounce around.


Yeah I'll pack it up a bit better when I ship it tomorrow, figured it would want to move around while it can? 



Colosseum said:


> Ring him have a chat he don't bite.


I'm too shy. :blush: I send them an email instead. :blush:


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## Unscene (Sep 23, 2007)

Use tissue only like I said earlier.They need to be kept in near sterile conditions or they will die. In the wild a tarantulas burrow with silk lining provides this apparently.


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## bulkupman (Aug 16, 2011)

i was thinking moist but not wet cotton wool, works a treat on other applications, tissue is ok but known to fall aapart and some are dusty


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## JoeR (Dec 24, 2009)

Sorry to hear this


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## empirecook (Sep 1, 2009)

I'm useless when it comes to sympathy. 

What I would like to say though. Is that Although This has taken a tarantula's life. I find it remarkable that something else has lived on from it. 

A fine example of nature, And how the survival of the fittest plays a massive roll On all living things. :2thumb:


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## DeborahR (Aug 27, 2011)

I am very sorry. What a horrible thing to happen.

*hugs*


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the kinds words. Even empirecook, it is an amazing part of nature, except I wouldn't like that part of nature sitting in my computer room!!


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## Zenythcatt (May 16, 2011)

I HATE maggots, they make my skin crawl :eek4: and it doesn't make them anymore popular for me seeing these horrid parasitic maggoty like things taking the life of a Tarantula, I am sorry about your loss , I feel so sorry for your T.


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## aussiesk8 (Apr 28, 2009)

Sorry to hear about you T, Keep us updated on what happens.

Andy


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Unscene said:


> Use tissue only like I said earlier.They need to be kept in near sterile conditions or they will die. In the wild a tarantulas burrow with silk lining provides this apparently.


Good point actually, I didn't consider this.


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## bulkupman (Aug 16, 2011)

vivalabam said:


> Thanks everyone for the kinds words. Even empirecook, it is an amazing part of nature, except I wouldn't like that part of nature sitting in my computer room!!


Monsters Inside Me - Maggots in My Head - YouTube

:gasp:


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

bulkupman said:


> Monsters Inside Me - Maggots in My Head - YouTube
> 
> :gasp:


I couldn't watch it all, it was too creepy, considering I saw that very thing happen yesterday. :blush:

I've not stopped scratching since. :blush:


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## Dee_Williams (Aug 15, 2010)

it is a truly yak looking thing. would be really interesting ot see what it is when adult though. sorry kerry.


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## kris74 (May 10, 2011)

empirecook said:


> I'm useless when it comes to sympathy.
> 
> What I would like to say though. Is that Although This has taken a tarantula's life. I find it remarkable that something else has lived on from it.
> 
> A fine example of nature, And how the survival of the fittest plays a massive roll On all living things. :2thumb:


Pragmatic, that's what you are mate. Pragmatism rules!

Interesting though. I want to know what it is.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Yeah, I'm sending it to Grant today, it's all packed up and ready to go. So hopefully we'll be able to get an ID on what it is, once it becomes whatever it is. :lol2:

I thought it was dead this morning, it was all scrunched up, but it was still alive, probably senses I'm a living thing and wants to come eat me or something. :whistling2:


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

I'm sorry to hear this happened, but my god that is fascinating!

At the very least I hope we can find something out about it. Sorry about the spider though


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Should of sent it to Spinin Tom he would of Identified it for you as a Emperor Scorpion


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## TEENY (Jan 4, 2008)

That looks strangely like a blow fly maggot you normally see these in livestock tho i suppose it is possible that f there was nowhere else for it to lay ????


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

GRB said:


> Good point actually, I didn't consider this.


I only just saw this now, the tarantula did lay down a load of silk all of a sudden, it never webbed, then last time I looked the tank was covered. Do you think it could have been something to do with the maggot releasing a chemical for it to web? Or just a coincidence?


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## mrcarlxx (May 1, 2009)

sorry about your T, but i am subbing to this so i can find out what it is...i am really interested


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Well it's been sent to GRB, so hopefully we'll get to find out what it is! 

I've messaged Lee from TSS and got a reply, he says it's probably a parasitic wasp. 

Also I was offered a refund which is amazing, TSS are brilliant, even after this grubby thing it's still the only shop I will ever buy from, can't fault them at all. :no1:


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Just a quick update: arrived this morning, appears to be still alive. 

My plan is to leave it be really in one of the CT rooms next to my lab and hope it pupates. 

Currently doing some more reading around the subject but it seems most people find a larvae and that's about as far as it goes. Hopefully this one might make it to an adult stage and facilitate ID.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Glad it arrived safe. :no1:

When I had my spider set up, it was quite humid (me failing to dry out the substrate!) also hot, the frog heat mat is set to about 80 and I have the spiders next to it. 

Don't know if that helps you at all!


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## Rubio (Aug 24, 2011)

*THis thread*

This is the best thread I've ever got into the suspense is doing me brain in sorry about ya pal though but this may help others when you know what did it good stuff go investigation team


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

there was me thinking this was a "is it a G. rosea or G. porteri" thread. LOL

fascinating
great response from TSS
Look forward to seeing how this progresses
sorry to hear of your loss, in such a cringe way


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## Biggys (Jun 6, 2010)

This thread is really interesting, sorry for your loss though Kerry


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## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Rubio said:


> This is the best thread I've ever got into the suspense is doing me brain in sorry about ya pal though but this may help others when you know what did it good stuff go investigation team


Yes Rubio I have to admit threads like this do make me want to rub myself.


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## My8legsVladimir (Jul 18, 2011)

Despite the non-optimal quality picture that thing looked alive to me from the off, too many sharp, dark bits that look a lot like some kind of feet. 

As far as I know, and I may be wrong, the T's innards are too far gone for it to be able to survive... someone please correct me and tell me I'm wrong! sorry to see it. 

Vlad

edited to add: my point is moot; someone else made it way before me; I just didn't notice all the other pages full of posts, I thought the thread was fresh...


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## exopet (Apr 20, 2007)

sounds like wasp larvae, send it to me, I'd love a pepsis as a study invert.


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## Stelios (Aug 28, 2009)

It's already been sent to a lab'.


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## Dz75 (Aug 22, 2011)

Anynews on this, is it still alive..? started to pupate ?


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Poxicator said:


> there was me thinking this was a "is it a G. rosea or G. porteri" thread. LOL
> 
> fascinating
> great response from TSS
> ...


I'm not that bad! :lol2:



Biggys said:


> This thread is really interesting, sorry for your loss though Kerry


Thanks. : victory:


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Dz75 said:


> Anynews on this, is it still alive..? started to pupate ?


It formed a pupae over the weekend, is now a reddish-purple colour with a more defined shape. 

We'll just have to see how it goes really, I can't find much info on how to 'culture' them and at the larval stage it could be a number of things.


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## Dr3d (Jul 31, 2010)

GRB said:


> It formed a pupae over the weekend, is now a reddish-purple colour with a more defined shape.
> 
> We'll just have to see how it goes really, I can't find much info on how to 'culture' them and at the larval stage it could be a number of things.


 
Any images Grant ???


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

GRB said:


> It formed a pupae over the weekend, is now a reddish-purple colour with a more defined shape.
> 
> We'll just have to see how it goes really, I can't find much info on how to 'culture' them and at the larval stage it could be a number of things.


Would love a picture if you can get one. 

jay


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Good to hear it's pupated! :no1:

Thanks for keeping us updated. : victory:


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> I only just saw this now, the tarantula did lay down a load of silk all of a sudden, it never webbed, then last time I looked the tank was covered. Do you think it could have been something to do with the maggot releasing a chemical for it to web? Or just a coincidence?


A lot of parasitoids (like parasites but they kill the host in the end) do amazing things to their host. Ever read about the cow liver-fluke's ant based part of the life-cycle?



GRB said:


> It formed a pupae over the weekend, is now a reddish-purple colour with a more defined shape.
> 
> We'll just have to see how it goes really, I can't find much info on how to 'culture' them and at the larval stage it could be a number of things.


Correct me if I'm wrong but hymenopteran larvae are usually very distinct. I mean you couldn't ID it from that, but you could probably tell right now if you're dealing with some kind of wasp or a dipteran parasite. Hymenopteran larvae look like scrunched up adults mostly, with the legs free of the pupa etc. While this is in no way a hard and fast rule, a large number of dipterans form simple oval pupae (think fly casters), not all, but many. It's more a case of it should be obvious if it's a wasp or not.

While far from authoritative on the subject, wikipaedia mentions that the wasp pupates _within_ the spider, but I don't know how true that is. It also uses words like rip, tear, voracious and devour, so y'know, hardly a dispassionate description.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Hedgewitch said:


> A lot of parasitoids (like parasites but they kill the host in the end) do amazing things to their host. Ever read about the cow liver-fluke's ant based part of the life-cycle?


I haven't, but I'm kinda interested now!


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

Well their whole lifecycle is pretty fascinating, but the bit I'm talking about is how an infected ant works all day, like a good ant should. And when night falls, she climbs a blade of grass and stands at the top until daybreak. 

The parasite takes over her brain every night in the hope that she'll be eaten by a cow or sheep.

Why Captain Higgins is my favorite parasitic flatworm - The Oatmeal A fun little comic describing the life-cycle of a parasitic flatworm


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Hedgewitch said:


> Well their whole lifecycle is pretty fascinating, but the bit I'm talking about is how an infected ant works all day, like a good ant should. And when night falls, she climbs a blade of grass and stands at the top until daybreak.
> 
> The parasite takes over her brain every night in the hope that she'll be eaten by a cow or sheep.
> 
> Why Captain Higgins is my favorite parasitic flatworm - The Oatmeal A fun little comic describing the life-cycle of a parasitic flatworm


Wow that's amazing! Awesome comic as well, nice and simple, which is always handy for me. :blush:

Seems like a lot of effort though! :lol2:


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

There's crazier ones out there. Fungi that control ants. Wasps that keep a caterpillar alive almost till the end to protect their pupating siblings. Rats that become attracted to the smell of cat pee as cats are the next host. Wasps that lobotomize cockroaches. There's a _Gammarus sp._ parasite that is bright red, turns the gammarus translucent grey and makes them swim in circles on the water's surface.

Parasitoids are creepy, and it's horrible when they kill a pet, but maaaan are they ever interesting to study.


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

This is a very interesting thread, I feel sorry about the poor _P.parvula_ but hopefully Grant manages to get that thing to pupate and we can find out what it is. All very fascinating stuff these parasites and such.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

It's better now I know what it is, kinda, I was well creeped out when I first saw it! Definitely fascinating though.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

vivalabam said:


> Good to hear it's pupated! :no1:
> 
> Thanks for keeping us updated. : victory:


You're a poet and I bet you didn't know it!







Sorry, i'm only young :blush:


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## ZZfan (Feb 22, 2010)

Crikey - who needs TV soaps when you have this thread - I'm hooked! Can't wait for the next instalment. Really horrible thing to happen to Kerry and the poor T but nature is fascinating - even when it's gross!


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Dissapointing news I'm afraid. 

Especially now after reading another 2 pages of interest (sod's law I guess).

It appears the grub has died. 

I had not checked on it much over the weekend in fear of stressing the organism which had already endured postage. I had a look this evening with hopes of taking some quick photos and was alarmed by the flattening of the specimen. Confirmation under the scope came later. 

I was mistaken in that the colour change was not a development of a pupae - usually grub type things I have seen decay as a browny liquid, and this was a fairly uniform bright maroon / red reminiscent of a schlerotised pupa. The change in shape was simply an uneven tightening of one side of the specimen as it decayed - the other side has remained a beige colour and is soft. There is a constriction near one end (initially thought to be a sign of head differentiation) which was simply a crease due to this decay. Obviously, as I did not wish to disturb it, I have only moved it today to see this polar change from one side to the other. 

Sigh. 

Toby: My own thoughts were that it was probably a spider fly of some sort, but was hoping for the adult to ID with more certainty. Sadly that will not be possible.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

That's a shame.  I was looking forward to seeing what it turned into. 

Knowing my luck I'll probably get another one soon, so have no fear.:whistling2:


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> That's a shame.  I was looking forward to seeing what it turned into.
> 
> Knowing my luck I'll probably get another one soon, so have no fear.:whistling2:


Well, I am dissapointed since it seems a lot of people were interested in an ID and seeing this progress. It's a shame to have it cut short so soon without any results.


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## mrcarlxx (May 1, 2009)

damn, what a cow....well credit for trying man.


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## bulkupman (Aug 16, 2011)

that sucks 

at least you got a refund so its not a total loss, could be worse by having your T for a much longer period.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

GRB said:


> Well, I am dissapointed since it seems a lot of people were interested in an ID and seeing this progress. It's a shame to have it cut short so soon without any results.


Yeah, it's a shame, thanks for trying though!


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

GRB said:


> Dissapointing news I'm afraid.
> 
> Especially now after reading another 2 pages of interest (sod's law I guess).
> 
> ...


Well that sucks. I wonder what the problem was, could be the lack of a web-lined environment, could be the change in conditions in moving to your lab or it could have been any number of other things I suppose.

I wonder if it's pupation was maybe interrupted somehow, I doubt they really do much between exiting the spider and pupating. I'd be expecting pupation in probably a matter of hours rather than days (I don't know of course).

And Grant, when you say spider fly, what do you mean? Acroceridae?


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Hedgewitch said:


> Well that sucks. I wonder what the problem was, could be the lack of a web-lined environment, could be the change in conditions in moving to your lab or it could have been any number of other things I suppose.
> 
> I wonder if it's pupation was maybe interrupted somehow, I doubt they really do much between exiting the spider and pupating. I'd be expecting pupation in probably a matter of hours rather than days (I don't know of course).
> 
> And Grant, when you say spider fly, what do you mean? Acroceridae?


Yes, sub family Panopinae

The Palponinae are restricted to tarantulas only. I have no idea what size they get to however, so I could be well off. I was mainly trying to find some tentative avenues before it matured before focusing on the adult material. 

TBH however, I didn't get very far with narrowing down an ID with information on what the grubs looked like. To me, it had a look of a general fly maggot, but as for further than that, well, it's not an area of expertise for me.


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## bulkupman (Aug 16, 2011)

worth freezing it and compare the maggot upon another sample?


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## Dz75 (Aug 22, 2011)

Aww gutted , I really wanted to know waht that lil bugger was..and if it was because the T was wc, or if it got infected in the owners country..


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## empirecook (Sep 1, 2009)

Did you find a parasite inside it?

:whistling2:


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