Close up Macro Photo of a burst egg sack of a Dark Fishing Spider aka Wharf Spider. There are dozens of tiny spider exoskeletons hanging in the remnants of a web. The Story: I have been keeping tabs on a large Wharf Spider all summer after I found her guarding her egg sac on the ladder of our dock. After staying put for months, guarding her offspring, she finally was gone we visited in the late fall. The sac had now burst and I initially thought these tiny spider shapes left in the web were hatchlings that had died. After looking closer at the photo you can see the spider bodies look empty, as if completely drained. I thought maybe some of the spider babies eat some the others, and these were the unlucky first food of their own siblings. After doing some further research on the species, I learned that the babies will shed their skin 2-3 times before they are big enough to leave the safety of the nursery web. So these are just the leftover exoskeletons of spiders who grew even bigger! After a few moltings, shedding their skin as they grow, the babies will be large enough to safely leave the nursery web. They will climb aboard the mother's back, who will lead them to the closest forest area, to hibernate for winter. When they emerge in the Spring they will be fully grown young adults!
Dark Fishing Spiders Shed Their Skin
Mountain View
October 2025
See Alt Text for the full story!
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