Chilean rose tarantula,
Grammostola rosea

Adult tarantulas molt every one to two years.
The last molt was two years ago.

1. Pumping
2. Molting
3. Hardening

The place is secured with spider webs. The spider lies on its back and pumps a molting hormone through its body. The upper shield bursts open and it frees itself from the old exoskeleton. After that, the spider is exhausted and not yet fully hardened.

Pumping:
The tarantula pumps a molting hormone (ecdysterone) from its rear end to its front end. This process takes several hours. I found it in this position at 3 p.m. At just after 8 p.m. it burst out of its upper shield. Since it is lying on its back, the upper shield is down. The video is at 200x speed.

Molting:
After the tarantula has burst out of the upper shield, it moves out of the exoskeleton with rhythmic movements, carefully pulling out its legs. This lasted two hours from about 8 to 10 p.m. The process seems well thought out as its old shell falls off perfectly. The video is at 100x speed.

Hardening:
The tarantula lies on its back, peaceful as a baby. It is still very soft and therefore very sensitive. It stretches its limbs by increasing body pressure, actively moving the limbs and then hardening the new exoskeleton. The spider web is nice and soft and not only protects against injuries, but also against intruders such as hungry insects or harmful microorganisms.

After half an hour the tarantula has gotten up again, but is not yet completely hardened. It remains in this safe place for the next few days and recovers.

European garden spider (Araneus diadematus) 🕷️💕

Every year, an adult female garden spider builds her web in this preferred spot. The mating season begins at the beginning of August.

Sexually mature females secrete a substance whose smell attracts males.

However, the guys only notice the smell when they are up close. Therefore, the males themselves have to be good at finding and reaching promising places as well.

Garden spiders live for two years. Sexual maturity begins in the second year. The males die after mating, the females some time after laying their eggs (September-October).

This bug knows how to get through life.✌️😎

Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) trapped by a garden spider (Araneus diadematus).

Molting of my Chilean fire tarantula (Grammostola rosea), last July. ✨

Under increased blood pressure, the tarantula begins to transport a molting hormone (hydroxylated ecdysone/ecdysterone) from the rear to the front of the body. This causes pressure to build up and the carapace (back shield) to burst open. This extends over the entire body, so that the tarantula can now gradually free itself from the old exoskeleton. This can sometimes take several hours and is therefore very exhausting for the tarantula, so that it remains lying on its back even after it has successfully moulted. In this state, the spider has not yet hardened and can therefore easily become a victim. That's why spiders create a somewhat safer place with silk threads beforehand. I've increased the speed of the video eight times because you all don't have as much patience as I do 🤪 and it makes the rhythmic movement sequences clearer.

Ecdysterone is a hormone that triggers moulting in molting animals (arthropods, tardigrades, nematodes, etc.). It is also found in plants to protect against plant pests. In mammals, it only occurs through ingestion or parasitic infestation. It also has an effect on mammals and influences lipid metabolism and protein biosynthesis. It is believed to have an anabolic effect on the muscles, which is why it is also used in competitive sports. It is believed to have no harmful effects because it is a natural part of our diet. 💪😋🥬

❄️🕸️❄️🕸️❄️

This morning the whole balcony was hung with white spider webs. It was very foggy at minus 5 degrees. A beautiful, enchanting sight that did not last long. The webs collapsed after a short time. These were the works of garden spiders (Araneus diadematus).🥰
I couldn't stand it for long either and I'm back in quickly! 😄☕

European garden spider,
Araneus diadematus
(09/2016 in Oberursel, Germany)

My furry friend, so grumpy and cute! 😄

Examining its own exoskeleton
🕷️👻

Lots of people don't like spiders. That is known. It's so well known that no one likes to be called a spider. Guinea pigs are cute. But they only end up on my plate. You don't tell a tarantula what to do. If it has to be, it teaches you respect. Be defenseless and you become a meal.
Law of nature.

🕸🕷❤️

When you open the car door and see this cute crawler, your heart will jump with happiness!
Marpissa muscosa is one of the largest jumping spiders in Central Europe and can reach a length of up to 11 mm (females). The females have black-rimmed eyes with a wide orange band underneath.
The species builds a kind of nest under the bark of dead trees (or in between your car door). Up to 100 of these nests can occur side by side. They demonstrate a social hierarchy: weaker spiders will acknowledge their inferiority by strutting their front legs and slowly retreating from the scene.