The different life stages a spider goes through
Bitty was a hybrid between a canopy jumping spider canopy jumper (Phidippus otiosus) and a regal jumper (Phidippus regius). These species are the only known phids that hybridize and sometimes hybridize in the wild. The main thing that keeps them seperate species is that canopy jumpers tend to live higher up that regius.
I adopted Bitty as a sub-adult in September 2015 from a breeder named Don Cadle (he has since left the hobby). Sub-adult means one molt away from adulthood. If you adopt a spider, I recommend adopting a sub-adult since they are more likely to survive than a younger spider.
Within a few weeks she started her final molt. Molting spiders build a thick sac where they shed their exoskeleton.
Never disturb a molting spider. While they are molting, they are vulnerable to stress and damage. Do not feed a molting spider, but you may spray the interior of the enclosure with a water mist every few days to keep it humid, which may make molting easier.
Bitty stayed in her molting sac for almost a month. When she emerged she pushed her old exoskeleton out.
Like all female spiders, Bitty laid eggs. Since she had never encountered a male, they were infertile. She sat with them in the sac for a few weeks and then abandoned them.
Bitty was a very tame spider and was fun to take pictures of.
As spiders age they slow down. The "gripping" hairs on their feet often wear off so they have trouble climbing. They may eat less and less.
Often they become more docile and this is often the best time to take pictures of them. I used a simple cheap Iphone macro lens.
Old spiders often also lose the ability to build new sacs, so do not change their enclosure or remove their resting sac. If you do they may die early because of the stress.
Often spiders show some particular symptoms before dying. Most often hanging out in the bottom of their enclosure is a sign they won't be around much longer. I offered her Q-tips with sugar water when I started seeing this. She passed away in August 2016, a little over a year old.
I preserved her in alcohol and donated her to a local university collection.