Dolomedes purged silk & stomach contents?

Ciphor

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Looking to see if anyone has shared a similar experience, with any spider.

A few nights ago my very well fed Dolomedes okefinokensis looked so swollen, I thought she might molt. Last night I caught her making an inch in diameter web cluster on the side of the cork bark in her enclosure. When I awoke this morning the spider was very thin, and all the web cluster was gone. directly below where it was located, was now a penny sized yellow goo puddle. Never observed a "purge" like behavior like this in a spider before. Anyone ever seen any behavior like this?
 

Ciphor

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I originally thought that too, but it's been captive for so long. Typically a spider carries for 4 weeks or less before laying eggs? I've owned her for almost 4 months, even if WC that time span doesn't make sense. The yellow goo was a perfect even color and texture, and when inspected it is like mucus. No texture what so ever. If it was a bad egg sac, that almost raises more questions.
 

Ciphor

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Does anyone have any documentation on D. okefinokensis spermatheca, and if they have 1 chamber or more?

I think they store sperm after doing some reading but I'd like to confirm. You guys may be right about the bad egg sac.
 

catfishrod69

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well widows are supposed to be able to store sperm for a year. but this being a fishing spider it might not be able to. hard to tell.
 

Ciphor

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Ya Theridiidae females store sperm for awhile.

I'm reading Pisauridae have 3 chambers, but I'd like to confirm that.

And nevermind, as I'm reading this research I find " Spermatheca with three chambers is most common in the Pisauridae and assumed to be primitive condition. In Dolomedes, the spermatheca is slender and long, and is not divided into different chambers"
 

EXOPET

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could be a phantom sac 'gone wrong' as many species will produce eggs if well fed enough depite not being mated, usually if it is made properly they will then eat it several days later.
 

Tarantula_Hawk

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What Exopet said. Had the same thing happening numerous times with captive bred araneomorphs.
 

Ciphor

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Interesting. Makes me wonder if it has happened before with my true spiders and this is just my first time witnessing it or noticing it because of this particular spiders size.

Well thanks for responses.
 

zonbonzovi

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Another for the phantom sac. I had an unmated female for a long while(6+ months?). She produced a sac, carried it about for a week or so and dropped dead.
 
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