Predatory Invert Updates

Got some predatory invert updates to share!

My Metallyticus splendidus are doing OK, sadly I lost another one due to molting issues, the nymph that was missing part of it's back leg on arrival. So with that death, plus the one runt dying shortly after arrival, that left me with three healthy nymphs. Thankfully, it's two males and a female, both of the males just matured, and the female is a subadult. So things are looking good for now, or at least as good as can be with the small number I started with.

Here are some more recent pictures of the nymphs, and some pics of an adult male:

Slightly teneral nymph

Fully hardened nymphs

Mature male

Really loving the colors on these, fingers crossed I get the female to maturity successfully, and hopefully they'll breed as well!

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Most of my Microtomus purcis are now mature. And wow, they're pretty. 😍 It's a very male heavy group, 2 females to like 7 males, which seemed to be stressing the females out a bit too much. So I removed most of the males, and wouldn't you know it, the females started pumping out eggs, which are large compared to the assassins in size. After 1.5-2 months of incubation, the eggs have started hatching out, so I've secured a next generation with this beautiful species! 😃

Here are some pictures of the adults:

Male

Female

Hatchling

Hopefully they keep laying more eggs, and hopefully they'll continue to have good hatch rates too!

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Regarding the Platymeris eggs I got from Chris Synder, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is, looks like all the Platymeris laevicollis eggs he sent me are duds, none have hatched and several molded over shortly after arrival.

Good news, while most of the Platymeris biguttatus "Ghost" eggs he sent were duds too or otherwise damaged from shipping, several of them hatched! Unfortunately I lost a few nymphs due to some stupid mishaps on my part, but I've got 8 L2-L3 nymphs that are stable and doing well.

I've got the Ghosts in a minimally ventilated container with no substrate, only eggcrates for hides. For food and water they're being fed prekilled roaches and Eleodes spp. larvae, and I'm keeping them at around 80F°.

Here are some pictures of the cuties:

Here's hoping I get some pairs out of this group and can breed these beauties!

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Next up, while we're on the topic of Platymeris, a group of Platymeris guttatipennis were briefly in my possession last month, though I was just holding onto them for someone else. This species is not yet established in US culture, and while I don't have them ATM, provided my friend who bought them breeds them successfully, I should have first dibs on acquiring a group of this beautiful species. 

Here are some pictures of one of the adults:

The coloration on these things is unreal, so I'm really really hoping I'll be able to get some eggs/nymphs later this year. 🙏

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Lasty, I had a bit of an impulse buy at a petstore a month ago... and I bought an immature, suspect female Phyrnus maesi. 😄 This is my first whipspider I've ever seen in person before, and man, are they such cool arachnids. This one has acclimated well in my care, and has been eating Pseudomops pretty consistently. 

I've got her in a moderately ventilated container with some vertically slanted Styrofoam boards for hides, and a thin layer of moist coconut fiber as the substrate. Keeping the humidity high, and keeping her at around 80F°. Hopefully she'll do well for me, grow, and maybe eventually I'll get a male for her and breed this species. 😀 

Here are some pictures of her:

Such a beautiful animal, I'm definitely going to have to expand my Amblypygid collection in the future.

Anyways, that does it for this post, thanks for reading, hope everyone enjoyed, stay safe, and I'll see you all next time! 😉