Hi Scarab,
I have read recently on another forum(not sure which one but the guy was Canadian if i remember correctly) of a communal setup with 3 generations of spiders all living together for months without any hassles. It may have been H incei though. It is an interesting little experiment you have going there, wish you the best of luck with it and keep up the good work:)

Thanks SK, I shall. It is not a short term project though, but I have time. There are many "unknowns" that might still play themselves out. I will note those here once they become known.

The way I see this going forward would resemble that communal you are referring to.

Tic, toc...

I imagine this is the one that you are referring to. I read it a few months ago, and was saddened by the fact that it is no longer updated.

Regardless, it still makes for fascinating reading.

www.arachnofreaks.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3325&PN=1

Speaking of which, this is so delightfully ironic:

www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?...t-communal-tarantula

How predictable...

Before we left for the coast, I noticed that the female inside the communal enclosure created a good solid nest. It is strangely obvious that almost no webbing is visible "outside", but dense layers cover the "tunnel" she is living in. I also noticed that a number of crickets frequent her nest without any attentions from the female.

At about 20H00 last night (5/10/2011), she was VERY busy webbing. I knew what to expect this morning...



These offspring will be left until they disperse into the rest of the enclosure. I anticipate THIS egg case to be the source of fantastic observations. The opening is close to the front and not sealed in.

Now all I need is a video camera with time lapse capabilities... :blush:

Awesome, that's great news :woohoo:

First communal egg case in SA

Congrats mate

She has been a busy girl!!! Well done Grandpa scarab!!! It seems that M. Balfouri are fast breeders!

Edit: What happened to the MM living in the communal?