✅ SOLVED Weird Silver thing on a Rock.

[Digginit]

I have a feeling it's some kind of (alien) spider egg sac...
My little grandson picked this up a few months ago near Natchitoches, La. Recently I noticed the silver 'pod' - not sure if it was there all along or not.

I've googled every term I can think of...no luck.
Any 'bugologists' out there who can help ID what it is?

Should I kill it with fire? Keep it in a jar & see what hatches? Weld it into a steel box & bury it??

I've taken several pics on different settings to try to show it as best I can. I'm gonna try to post the Photobucket pics...if I fail, I will try again.

Thanks for your help!

 

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[Critical Recovery]

Reminds me of a type of barnacle or underwater growth. Is it quite hard?

 

[Digginit]

Fairly hard, but not rock-hard. Kinda like the plastic from a blister pack. It's somewhat flexible but tough.

 

[Critical Recovery]

Fairly hard, but not rock-hard. Kinda like the plastic from a blister pack. It's somewhat flexible but tough.

Clearly of alien origin. Kill it. Kill it with fire.

 

[rock]

You really like that rock lol. Yes its a spider egg.

 

[Digginit]

Thanks CR & rock - I appreciate the input.

Haha yeah, rock - I took a buncha snaps of it. Before I take CR's advice & kill it with fire. I abhor spiders.

rock, what kinda spider? Have you seen one before? Why is it silver? Will the eggs hatch without a momma spider?

Maybe I'll seal it in a jar, just to be safe.

 

[GTK96]

Find em in old bottles sometimes, they like hard things to cling to i.e. glass, rock, etc

 

[nhbenz]

Castianeira, a type of ant mimicing spider has a metallic looking egg sac and is usually found on rocks. See the section on ant mimic spiders here; Tracks & Sign of Insects & Other Invertebrates: A Guide to North American ... - Charley Eiseman, Noah Charney, John Carlson - Google Books

 

[Digginit]

Wow, thank you!!
I'll show my grandson...he's a budding arachnologist (like most 7 yr old boys...!)

 

[nhbenz]

Excellent, encourage that young man! My father has been an arachnologist for over 40 years, and at 80 years old still goes up to his lab (at UNH) daily to continue his research, although now retired from teaching. He absolutely loves it!

 

[Digginit]

We do encourage him, thanks for the advice! He set a "House Rule" when he was 4...No Killing Of Any Spider In The House!
His parents follow it - I do at my home when he's here...no comment on when he isn't.

I have to DVR 'Monster Bug Wars' for him, he re-watches the spider episodes over & over...always warning me with "You better look away, Granny - this'll freak you out!" LOL...I have one true phobia, and yep - it's spiders. He gets a kick outa creeping me out.

He is interested in all types of science, fortunately, but it's amazing what a little kid can teach us oldies about things we've never been interested in - in my case, arachnids.

Awesome about your Dad - that's impressive!

Hey, your "Beep beep 'm beep beep Yeah" makes me think of a Beatles song : )