A.geniculata or L.cristata

[Richard Goram]

I bought a spider today in my local reptile shop that was sold as an Acanthoscurria geniculata. When looking at it in the shop there was somehing that looked different but I couldn't put my finger on it. I bought it anyway because it is a beautiful spider but by the time I got it home I realised it looks like a Lasiodora cristata. What do you think?:

[Adam Smith]

It certainly looks suspect.

[CJ_GRISDALE]

tough one that, those hairs on the abdomen certainly make you wonder

[Mike Conabeer]

To me it looks like you have a very nice Lasiodora cristata, the carapace is wrong to be geniculata, they usually have a chocolate brown carapace rather than a cream coloured one as shown in the pic, also the abdominal hairs on geniculata aren't normally as red as shown.

Hope this helps,

Mike.

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

It is shure the spider known for science as Nhandu chromatus, but really look not quite other Nhandu genus representatives...

[J M Clegg]

I have just compared both my Nhandu Chromatus and Acanthoscurria Geniculata against your picture and neither of them have the pale carapace, so I personally would rule them out. It's nice looking spider though.

[Neil Richardson]

Looks exactly like my N.chromatus


Definately not a geniculata, that's for sure.

[Mark Pennell]

I bought a spider today in my local reptile shop that was sold as an Acanthoscurria geniculata. When looking at it in the shop there was somehing that looked different but I couldn't put my finger on it. I bought it anyway because it is a beautiful spider but by the time I got it home I realised it looks like a Lasiodora cristata. What do you think?:

Richard

If you look on the BTS theraphosidae gallery you will find your answer.

or click here

This page is in need of an update to reflect current name changes, so no one point this out OK...
All the best
Mark
P.S A nicer spider than A, geniculata

[Richard Goram]

Thanks everyone. Lasiodora cristata, now known as Nhandu chromatus I believe. Bit disappointed with myself I didn't realise what it was until I got it home, but I'm sure I would have bought it either way.

The funny thing is the shop I bought it from actually has a smaller L.cristata for sale at 3 times the price I paid for this one. Goes to show it would pay for pet shops to have a bit more knowledge about tarantulas.