Established 2026
Hourglass Exotics began in 2026 with a wild-caught Southern Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans) founder female. From that founding animal, the project developed into an ongoing effort focused on observation, husbandry, documentation, and captive propagation.
Rather than focusing solely on results, the project aims to document the process itself. Major events such as egg sac production, hatching, sling development, and husbandry observations are recorded through photographs, timeline entries, and written notes.
This website serves as the public archive of that work. The Timeline records significant milestones, the Gallery provides visual documentation, and the FAQ addresses common questions about both the species and the project.
By maintaining detailed records, Hourglass Exotics seeks to create a clear and traceable history of project development from founder female through future generations.
The long-term goal is to continue improving husbandry practices, expand the project archive, and eventually produce healthy captive-produced Southern Black Widows accompanied by documented project history and development records.
The following profiles summarize the founding animal and the first documented cohort produced within the Hourglass Exotics project. These records will be updated as the project develops.
Notes The founder female became the foundation of the Hourglass Exotics project following collection on August 23, 2026. One day later, she produced Egg Sac #1, establishing the project's first documented generation. The founder female remains an active part of the project's ongoing documentation and husbandry efforts.
Notes The Egg Sac #1 cohort represents the first documented captive-hatched generation of the Hourglass Exotics project. Following hatching, the cohort was individually housed and monitored through hydration, verification, feeding, and ongoing development milestones. Continued molt activity and additional molt skins have been observed. Increasing variation in individual size is being documented, along with early physical characteristics that may eventually assist with sex determination; no sex determinations are recorded. Future records will document growth, molt progression, juvenile development, and long-term cohort development. The 48-Hour Prey-Removal Checkpoint, a dedicated prey-removal check approximately 48 hours after feeding, has been added to the husbandry workflow to improve enclosure management and overall maintenance efficiency.
The following project milestones and developmental stages are actively being monitored and documented as the cohort progresses.
Observed size differences are being documented without an established cause. Continued monitoring will track growth, development, and molt activity across the cohort.
Southern Black Widow Captures and Feeds on Cricket | Full Feeding Response
Documents the founder female detecting, capturing, web wrapping, transporting, immobilizing, and feeding upon a cricket. Approximately 13 minutes. Source: Hourglass Exotics YouTube Channel.