Mine went downhill after a successful mating. She was around 20cm.
Ate nicely before and after her last moult and stopped eating altogether after mating.

Its a kak one to loose a Rufilata female. I lost a massive female when i had the fire
at my house. I was heartbroken.

Sorry for your loss.

Creator wrote: Yes I agree its very strange.

Funny thing before her last molt, she always ate without a problem, she always took down nice sized hissers.

Then she molted and I think she had one roach and then just slowly deteriorated into a nothing

Because all captive tarantula populations in S.A. are becoming inbred because you can no longer import them, is there a chance that all three females are very closely related, maybe from the same eggsac? Or, share one parent? If so, perhaps what you're dealing with is a case of some genetic, inheritable infirmity. Where or from who did all you who lost yours buy them? Can they be traced back to a common source?

If this is an inheritable thing (e.g. cancer in Bernese Mountain Dogs ), a concerted effort should be made to find family lines not so affected, and only breed those. Or, if it's a "pandemic" situation, it might be best to simply let the species not breed at all, allowing it to go extinct from S.A. collections.

Grim thoughts. Sorry.

Stan as far as I know P. rufilata has never been successfully bred in South Africa.

I think its safe to say that all three females affected where of a imported nature

I think its very difficult to find out, but I will investigate a bit and come back to you.

At least if this is of genetic nature there is three less females to worry about, sad to say

The losses of these amazingly beautiful tarantulas is extremely sad. Now I'm getting super paranoid about my female :S will keep an extra close eye on her.

@cerat ,after you mated her did you raise the tempretures ?

@stickman ,sorry for your loss man