Something's getting at my spiders!

[Hedera]

These poor chaps/esses on my walls, each lost 3 legs. One inside, one outside. IDs please?

[Jason Green]

Afternoon Hed,

Poor things!

#1: Crab spider, Xysticus sp.

#2: House spider-type, Tegenaria sp.

Take care,

Jason

[Hedera]

Thanks Jason. Do you know how long it takes for a spider to regrow legs? or how many legs could one lose without becoming unable to live properly? Both of these moved very fast on five legs!

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Hedera

Thanks Jason. Do you know how long it takes for a spider to regrow legs? or how many legs could one lose without becoming unable to live properly? Both of these moved very fast on five legs!

I think if they get below 3 legs they are done for, but there is an account (perhaps in one of Bristowes books?) of spiders with no legs being quite capable of living if fed and kept on a pad of cotton wool. As both your spiders appear to be mature, they won't regenerate legs now, and this is very much the swan song of their lives. For some reason Pisaura mirabilis is very good at loosing legs.

Opiliones will not survive the loss of both of the second pair of legs, they use them for so much. Apart from that, they shed legs with gay abandon!

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

For some reason Pisaura mirabilis is very good at loosing legs.

...yes, I know. It's all those little ankle biters the mother looks after

[jaguarondi]

The first one looks more like a Philodromus to my eyes

[Jason Green]

Thanks for that - conceded! Yes, should've wrote Philodromus...