Dear eurachnologists,

I am new to the list so please forgive me if my question is off base.

Yesterday, I collected an subadult Araneus angulatus from an Danish pine forest.
The species is rather rare here, so I want to rear it to maturity while
observing its behavior as well. Unfortunately, I do not know much about rearing
cold temperate spiders. I am keeping the spider in an 15-L, ventilated plexiglas
container with a some branches to support web building, using dead pine needles
as bottom substratum. For now I have situated the container outdoors at a shaded
site because I fear that the spider might dessicate indoors. I am feeding it
with insects such as dipteras and neuropteras.

Do I need to supply water and how?
Can I keep the spider indoors in a warmer and drier situation than the natural
habitat?
Is there anything else I need to know?

The species is related to the common garden spider (A. diadematus) suggesting
that rearing procedures for A. diadematus may apply to A. angulatus as well.

I hope someone can help me keeping it alive!

Sincerely,

Jorgen






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Jorgen Lissner
Noelev Byvej 38
DK-8300 Odder
DENMARK

Ph: +45 8655 9171
Cell: +45 2279 9171
Homepage:
www.jorgenlissner.dk

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