Searching for the true Euathlus pulcherrimaklaasi

[Stephen]

I am looking for specimens (adults or juveniles) of Euathlus pulcherrimaklaasi with the aim of breeding this species. This is not going to be easy, as I am not aware of any available in the hobby – however, I hope to be proved wrong!

The biggest challenge is over the species identification. The spider was described by Schmidt in 1991 with the collection site being in Ecuador. I have seen spiders for sale pertaining to be this species but they were misidentified. Just to confuse matters, I have seen similar names (for example, Euathlus or Paraphysa pulcherrimuklaasi) applied to similar looking spiders; again, none of them the true spider.

So to help anyone out there who believes they may have this species, below is a link to a picture taken by Guy Tansley of his now dead (unfortunately) female specimen. The key identifiers (as best as I can describe) are: grey/silver carapace (slightly ’woolly’ in appearance), red stripes on the knees and, most strikingly of all, dark blue/navy colour to the femurs.

If anyone can help, please contact myself, Ray Gabriel or Guy Tansley.

Many thanks

Stephen
(stephenccopley@aol.com)

LINK - http://giantspiders.com/webpics/euathlus.jpg

If the link takes too long to download, I can arrange to send a small version of the pic direct.

[Ray Gabriel]

These were also sold in the UK as:

Ephebopus violacius and the Pichandui Purple

[sjl197]

Hi stephen,

I think i have a real one, but its only tiny (about two inches all in all), so i was going to wait a while before i decided what it actually is. It was bought from a guy called del boy of the back of a yellow van in peckham (or someone along those lines).

Anyway keep mine in mind as a potential, i will sell it in a few months probably, you have first call. Perhaps i should bring it to the lectures.

See you soon.
stuart l.

[Stephen]

thanks

Stuart

Great - see you at the lectures.

Stephen