| Summary: | The influence of monospecific feeding on the post-embryonic development of L. intermedia, L. laeta and L. gaucho was evaluated. Two hundred and ten spiderlings were individualized in containers (120 ml), 105 being fed with Tenebrio molitor larvae and 105 with Pycnoscelus surinamensis nymphs. In the three species, the number of molts varied according to the diet. The number of spiders that reached maturity was lower in L. gaucho. In L. intermedia, the duration of the post-embryonic period was greater when larvae are fed. Mortality was higher in the second instar in the three species, the highest frequency being registered for L. gaucho. The data provided evidence that monospecific feeding influenced the post-embryonic development of the studied species. This influence might intensified by specific characteristics such as origin, habits and habitats.
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