I found this with my crickets.

[Andrew Ferguson]

Following on from the earlier thread about a caterpillar type critter in with the crickets, I found this today.

At first I thought it was a mite of some sort but then noticed the fangs. It is absolutely tiny. About the size of a grain of sand and its rump looks reddish orange. It moved at lightening pace. Is it something I should be worried about? I was away for 24 hours on Saturday and bout 1/5 of my crickets are dead now. Obviously, as a new owner, I don't want anything unsavoury getting in with Smiffy, directly or indirectly. Can anyone shed some light please?





And this is the best shot I could get with my cameras limited macro setting.

[Phil Rea]

I have had spiders in with crickets before. If you think about it, it's spider paradise

It could be anything. Stick it in a pot and grow it on a bit, then some of the true spider guys on here could probably give you a good ID

[Colin D Wilson]

From the images you provided it just looks to me like an Orb spiderling, (possibly A. diadematus) probably stowed away when they tubbed up the crickets.
nothing to worry about and i doubt it would have anything to do with the demise of your crickets.

[Andrew Ferguson]

Colin and Phil, you are both gents. I had a feeling it was nothing to worry about, but there is always that bit of doubt in the back of ones mind. Especially when I've been looking at a lot of spider related sites and realising its not always the big ones that are a bother.

[Nicola Dolby]

On a par with the Steatoda grossa I got with some cork bark. Got the blooming things living all over the flat now, they're competing with the house spiders!

[Ray Hale]

Ive seen these many times in my crickets. They are a Thomisidae species ( crab spider). I let them roam around my spider tanks .

Ray H