Matron the Parson spider
@matronspider.bsky.social
spider account of @obisooth.bsky.social - posting pictures and updates of my spiders.
current spiders:
- Matron (Herpyllus ecclesiasticus) RIP
- Potema (Trochosa sp.) RIP
- Vlková (Pardosa sp.) RIP
current spiders:
- Matron (Herpyllus ecclesiasticus) RIP
- Potema (Trochosa sp.) RIP
- Vlková (Pardosa sp.) RIP
Pinned
This is my Parson spider Matron. She was found starving & dehydrated on Sept 15. Intended on keeping her for only a few days, but decided to keep her long term after I saw she was thriving. Oct 28 she laid a surprise egg sac! I document her care & behaviour.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids
Some sad news - after 1yr & 1mo of having her, Matron passed away on Oct 16th. Noticed she was walking strange & started to curl, so instead of letting her die in her enclosure, I held her for the first (and last) time so she wouldn't be alone.
#arachnid #arachnids #spider #spiders #inverts #bugsky
#arachnid #arachnids #spider #spiders #inverts #bugsky
October 20, 2025 at 2:11 AM
July 22, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Rescued 2 spiders today -
First 2 pictures: mature female Wolf spider (maybe Gladicosa sp. or Alopecosa sp. ?)
Last 2 pictures: juvenile Parson spider, who was in bad shape but had a meal and some water and is looking much better!
#arachnid #arachnids #spider #spiders #inverts #bugsky
First 2 pictures: mature female Wolf spider (maybe Gladicosa sp. or Alopecosa sp. ?)
Last 2 pictures: juvenile Parson spider, who was in bad shape but had a meal and some water and is looking much better!
#arachnid #arachnids #spider #spiders #inverts #bugsky
July 7, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Sunflower passed away. I gave her 5 more months of life than she would have had. I loved her very much. Sweet, rage-filled Sunflower, I will miss her and her desire to end my life because I had the audacity to exist in her general vicinity. 💔🕷️
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
April 11, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Matron is still mostly hiding, so no new pictures of her. But Sunflower is as feisty as ever. Usually spiders run away from problems, but Sunflower goes towards them to try to make them worse (she sees my hand sometimes and wants to attack).
.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
February 15, 2025 at 12:40 PM
I had the audacity to give Sunflower water last night. She raced around her enclosure trying to attack, and then sat like this facing me before going to drink. Meanwhile Matron casually crawled out of her hiding spot and meandered around.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
January 22, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Sorry that I have not posted pictures of the girls in over a week - I had to move them to a warmer place in the home, and it is harder to photograph there. Matron & Sunflower are doing well! Will get more pictures soon!
January 4, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Sorry that I have not posted pictures of the girls in over a week - I had to move them to a warmer place in the home, and it is harder to photograph there. Matron & Sunflower are doing well! Will get more pictures soon!
Matron is still egg sitting like a good mum, and Sunflower has her legs hooked around her egg sac webbing.
Matron got a cricket snack, and Sunflower (who is full of yummy waxworm) had some water twice (she was very thirsty).
I love my girls.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
Matron got a cricket snack, and Sunflower (who is full of yummy waxworm) had some water twice (she was very thirsty).
I love my girls.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
December 17, 2024 at 12:36 AM
Took these lovely shots of Sunflower last night.
She is such an aggressive spider. Some of her behaviours reminds me of some aggressive tarantula species. I love her.
Her eggs are coming along nicely! She stands guard constantly.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
She is such an aggressive spider. Some of her behaviours reminds me of some aggressive tarantula species. I love her.
Her eggs are coming along nicely! She stands guard constantly.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
December 7, 2024 at 12:40 PM
Matron made another egg sac yesterday.
She was moving a bit slow in general & was hiding all day yesterday. I was worried she might be getting up in age.
I checked on her, making sure she was still doing well, and...
" Hi, I made egg :) "
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
She was moving a bit slow in general & was hiding all day yesterday. I was worried she might be getting up in age.
I checked on her, making sure she was still doing well, and...
" Hi, I made egg :) "
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
December 4, 2024 at 8:49 AM
Sunflower (adult female American Grass spider) has done this several times now. Tends to occur after failing to find an escaped food, when going back to her spot & 'gives up' in her search, & vibrates her abdomen a few times before settling.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
December 2, 2024 at 2:40 AM
This is what it looks like when Sunflower (American Grass spider) wants to end my life. I love her.
[she was mad at the feeding tweezers & attacked them. I feel bad for accidentally stressing her out, but I hope her small cricket snack helped]
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
[she was mad at the feeding tweezers & attacked them. I feel bad for accidentally stressing her out, but I hope her small cricket snack helped]
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
December 1, 2024 at 3:09 AM
Sunflower (adult female American Grass spider) laid an egg sac today. I imagine her eating the moth over time was enough protein to lay the eggs. The eggs in the sac look orange, very much fertile. Will have babies shortly before Christmas.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
November 26, 2024 at 9:44 AM
Matron's babies are emerging! I have successfully put Matron in a different new enclosure and put the babies in their own separate clean container. Matron was actually very relaxed about being moved - she did not try to escape at all!
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
November 25, 2024 at 3:13 PM
Sunflower (an adult female American Grass spider) was fed a wax moth. Sunflower did consume the wax moth, but has gone the extra mile to slowly eat the rest of it. The wax moth was much bigger than shown. She has eaten half of it already.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
November 25, 2024 at 6:35 AM
Matron is still guarding her eggs. The egg sac itself has taken on a darker colour. I'm still not hopeful that they are viable. I'm sure she had mated and the eggs were fertile, but her enclosure might have been too dry for them to survive.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
November 18, 2024 at 11:07 PM
This is Sunflower! An adult female American Grass spider. Unsure of the precise species.
Too cold to put her outside, and her location would have resulted in certain death, as it has for previous Grass spiders.
She was very thirsty!
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
Too cold to put her outside, and her location would have resulted in certain death, as it has for previous Grass spiders.
She was very thirsty!
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
November 9, 2024 at 3:54 AM
This video is from June 19th of this year!
Matron has been residing within my living space for a lot longer than I had initially thought. I had also spotted her on my bathroom door & in the kitchen!
I do wonder what caused her to lose a leg.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
Matron has been residing within my living space for a lot longer than I had initially thought. I had also spotted her on my bathroom door & in the kitchen!
I do wonder what caused her to lose a leg.
#spider #spiders #arachnid #arachnids #inverts #bugsky
November 8, 2024 at 2:54 AM