I was feeding the black widows in my lab (all neatly caged, of course) when I saw this little guy hanging out just above the benchtop. Pholcus phalangioides, obviously.
I imagine most people have a little internal debate — do I squish him, or do I gently scoot him out the door? I always take the third option. I had just come from the genetics lab, with a bottle full of redundant Drosophila, and I shook a bunch out over her web. She was showered with flies! She was so excited, scurrying about to wrap them all up.
This is how I generally treat these random spiders in the lab (I call them the Ferals, and I’ve got Ferals all over the place.) I guess I shouldn’t wonder how she got here.
I wish I had a bucket of flies available for just this reason.
Thanks for clearing that up. I thought the stork brought them.
You shouldn’t be feeding the wildlife.
@2. Reginald Selkirk : Two other spiders and a subsequent egg sac as I’m sure PZ knows in vast and deep detail.
PS. I don’t trust a stork with a spiderling or even a full grown spider. Suspect they’d get eaten quickly.
Lucky spider. The best mine get is being gently guided out of the shower
When I was moving last year, I actually caught several Pholcus phalangioides and one Scytodes thoracica in my old flat and released them into my new one. I just love those cuties.
You know this is how cats domesticated themselves, right? Do you want domesticated spiders? Because this is how you get domesticated spiders…
Yes, I know you’re an atheist, but my West African ancestors are looking down with approval. If it’s bad luck to kill a spider, does one accrue merit for feeding one.
I’ve been relocating them to a less trafficked area of the house from either the shower or the cats’ water bowls. Mostly varieties of steotoda. Not sure which variety, I’ve been mostly finding baby spiders.
@pluky, # 9: Anansi would be proud of you. : )