Request for Specimens - Cricket tub/delivery spiders

[Phil Rea]

I'm looking to obtain some specimens of true spiders found as passengers in cricket tubs/deliveries in the UK for investigation.

Females would be excellent, mature males even more so. Live or dead is fine (as long as they're not manky! ). If anyone has any they could let me have I'd be very grateful.

I can pay postage or whatever, or if you are at the lectures I can collect. I will bring spare pots and a jar of alcohol just in case.

[wayne balcombe]

Wish youd have posted this sooner phil, i've been getting these little buggers for months in with my brown crickets, look like Thanatus vulgaris.

I've been letting them go in my garden but i'll start collecting them for you now. i may get a small critter keeper to gather them in, wonder how they will get on communially?

[Craig Mackay]

I've just got a couple of boxes of crickets in today. I'll have a look for spiders and if I have any I'll send them your way. There's always a couple so PM me your address and I'll get what I have sent to you

[Phil Rea]

Wayne, thanks for that

They seem to give a half hearted lunge sometimes when they pass each other, but they generally just ignore any others in with them. I suppose it's less risky for them to ignore each other when there's such an abundance of food. They do look like T. vulgaris, and that's what they very likely are, but that's rather the point of why I'm after some examples.

Thanks Craig, I'll send you a message in a second

[Ray Hale]

Get your teeth into this one Phil, Im sure you know what it is.

it now lives in my spider room

Ray

[Phil Rea]

That's a beauty Ray. Looks like it could well be Uloborus sp. to me

[Ian Hall]

Hi Phil,

I found this spider in with some black crickets I got a couple of weeks ago. I've been keeping it in it's own little enclosure since.

[Phil Rea]

Yes, those are the ones Ian

[Ian Hall]

What species are these Phil?

[Phil Rea]

What species are these Phil?

Definiely Thanatus sp. Ian, and most probably T. vulgaris

[Ian Hall]

Would you like me to send you it?