Giant Amazon Fishing Spider - Andy Newman Images©

Female fishing spider carrying egg sac.

Female fishing spider.

Baby hatchlings fishing spider.

Giant Amazon Fishing Spider (Ancylometes Bogotensis)

One of the largest true spiders of South America, it has attractively marked patterns, especially the male, average size of adults is 4 to 5 inches but females have been known to reach 6 inches.This fishing spider which is a much larger than our British species, is a very interesting spider to study, it can hunt and capture insects, small fish, tadpoles, frogs and newts above and under the water, and to escape predators they can dive under water and stay there for over an hour. They like to rest with there legs touching the waters edge any ripples or vibrations felt on the waters surface will send the spider skating across the top of the water in chase its prey. It can run very fast and as I have discovered when filming it can even jump. A close relation to the wolf spider it also has good eyesight. If felt threatened it can dive under the water, and stay there for over an hour as it is covered in numerous short, bent hair, which traps a thin layer of air, which gives it a silvery look under water. Scientists have even copied this, from this species of spider to develop a fabric, which remains dry under water.

I brought my first Female fishing spider from Entomological Supplier who told me that the spider had been living with a male, and could be fertile. Well the spider had 2 egg sacs which failed, the third egg sac I separated from the spider, it felt cruel, as she put up hell of a fight with long tweezers and would not let go, it was all for nothing, because I was not successful in hatching the eggs. The fourth egg sac she kept under water for very long periods of time I thought they could not survive, but about 4 weeks later in the tank was rewarded by hundreds of baby spiders, first day hatched they changed there skins.

Some Wolf spiders carry there egg’s on there spinnerets this one carries them in her fangs, and so does not feed for a long time until the eggs hatch, by then she is very hungry.  I noticed at night my spider would release the egg sac and guard it at its side, probably so she can relax her fangs, still no interest in feeding though, until the eggs either hatched or failed. If kept in captivity they must have a bowl of water, my spider also has its tank filled with coconut fibre with pieces of bark on top, at the back of the tank I have used a aquarium rock with holes so I can observe the spider carrying its egg sac.
The adult fishing spiders are safe to handle, and very docile, but handle with slow movements, and they will move slowly or they will run with fast bursts of speed and some jumping. I think my challenge is going to be photographing a fishing spider swimming, as they can break through the water surface and dive straight down swimming freely. An attractive wolf spider, they are fascinating to watch, and I enjoy keeping in my collection. Andy Newman© 18/07/10.
 

Female guarding baby spiders hatching.

See my pictures of British Raft Spider