Confused?!?! Is it or isn't it?

[Joel Tipler]

Hi, and good afternoon to all at B.T.S.

My first post is kind of a cheeky one really! i mean i don't know anybody and i'm already asking for favors!

But i acquired a Theraposa Blondi around 3 months ago! or what i thought was a T.Blondi at the time. at around 3.5 - 4 inches.
To describe the T 3 months prior to this post, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that this T is a Blondi, For example the distinct brown colouring, the rapid growth pattern, Urticating hairs capable of a lot of pain (As from personal experience of this spider) and also this T is almost definetly male, and lacking tibial spurs.

But after a Recent Molt, Around a month ago, My T appeared out of his old skin, and was Jet black with an almost Blue tint to him, which as time goes on is fading to a Black and Grey, With Deep red hairs on the abdomen and appearing on the legs.

which gives me doubts as to wether this guy is actually a Blondi, as i can find no information on the net as to wether anybody else has experienced this.
I have provided a few images, though they are very poor quality, you may get a slightly better opinion on his colour, and any opinions will be valued!

[wesley flower]

in brief, the spider in the pics looks to me to be a Megaphobema velvetosoma, i am sure Ray G will id it correctly. also this spider is not appearing like an adult male ie no palp emboli.
hope this has helped
wes

[James Box]

in support of that, i have read that M velvetosoma looks a bit like a smaller T blondi, and acts like one too...
also won't get tibial spurs til final moult, so no surprise there...if it is an immature male M velvetosoma, i believe it will have spurs after it's final moult.
someone correct me if i'm wrong please!

http://thebts.co.uk/forums/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/618

though those pics don't look a huge amount like yours...you can check against the blondi pics in the gallery as well.

[Joel Tipler]

Thanks Wes, And Thanks James.
I've had a quick look on the BTS gallery at the M.velvetosoma and the match is quite unbelievable..i hope somebody can confirm for definite to put my mind at rest. but i'm quite sure myself after taking a look at this pic - http://thebts.co.uk/forums/gallery/s....php/photo/549.. gonna take a wee while to have a read up on them to try and confirm myself.

i have resided to the fact that my T isn't a Blondi! which i'm quite dissapointed about, as i'm sure somebody who deals in arachnids should have known this T wasn't a Blondi?

Is this something that happens frequently? i mean dealers Incorrectly Id'ing T's?
Regards Joel.

[Colin D Wilson]

Could this even be a sub adult male of the B vagans hybrids that were lurking a few years ago?

As far as pet shops and some dealers mis-ID'ing spiders......in short...Yes !!

You'll notice on here that apart from the trusted private sellers, there are anly a few online dealers that we all purchase from.

[James Box]

it does happen on occasion...though most of the professional dealers do put some effort into id-ing correctly. mistakes can and do happen though.

i can understand your disappointment, however, on the plus side, i think your T (if Wes is right) is quite rare.

i've not seen or heard of velvetosoma for sale any time recently. i'm sure they are available, they are not that common, whereas blondi's appear fairly regularly, considering their price.

so if you look on the bright side, you possibly have quite a nice rare T! and you can get a blondi next time you see one for sale.

[Joel Tipler]

Thanks for your input too colin, i definetly see your point on the B Vagans!

And James, As for me being dissapointed, not with the spider in the slightest, It's a beatiful T, since i've had it, i've loved it! really amazing to watch, as i'm the owner of a chilean rose(Grammostola rosea) which isn't particularly active, and a haitian brown (phormictopus cancerides), which is rather recluse, seldom seen! so i enjoy this spider for hours on end.
My dissapointment is believing it's one thing, and finding out there's 99.9999% that it's something else. so the dissapointment is with the dealer! grrr!

I'm currently in the market for a few more tarantula's, and will not be repeating a purchase from the same person again!
regards Joel.

[James Box]

completely understandable!

[wesley flower]

i am really curious to ascertain a correct ID for this spider as colin as thrown in the suggestion of a Brachypelma hybrid.
what is the leg span of the spider and is it 100% male?

[Joel Tipler]

Me too Wes!

As to getting an exact measurement will be a nightmare, as it will not hesitate for a second to bite me, i cant get within an inch or two of him.

Im now coughing and sneezing from breathin in a cloud of urticating hairs! Lol, but i got some estimated measurements...

All in inches sorry people..
Close estimate's are a legspan of 4.3 - 4.8 inches wide at full stretch, and 5.2 - 5.6 inches long from tip of front legs to tip of the back legs.

Carapace 1.2 inches.
Adbdomen slightly bigger at 1.5 inches long, and 1.3 wide.

As for being 100% male - briefly, No.
But it is VERY leggy, All of his Size is made up of leg length, and i have just called the man who sold the spider to me who states

" The spider definetly had no fusillay"
which i asked him to elaborate on because i didn't understand, which to his response was
"it has no sperm pocket, so it can't be a female"

As to how much he knows i have no idea, as he is the same man who sold me the mis id'd spider, Also doubts are to wether were talking about the same spider?! people's records can never be 100% accurate.
Regards Joel.


Edited to add:
Just to make sure, bare in mind the measurements were taken by getting my T to walk onto a DVD case with a tape measure stuck flat to it.

thats why the measurements are between one measurement and another, they are as accurate as possible.

[wesley flower]

nice size spider really. Epiandrous fussilae gendering of Theraphosidae is far from accurate, some people say that it is accurate in the genus Poecilotheria but i am yet to be convinced. also saying that the spider is a leggy individual is not a factor to ascertain gender. have you had this spider moult in your care as yet?

[Eric Reynolds]

Sorry, but it looks like a Sericopelma species to me.

Eric

[Ray Gabriel]

Sorry, but it looks like a Sericopelma species to me.

Eric

Yep same for me its a Sericopelma sp (i know which one but not saying yet

Ray

[Lisa Baines]

You'll notice on here that apart from the trusted private sellers, there are anly a few online dealers that we all purchase from.

Best move i ever made was moving onto the BTS forum. and another scorpion based forum because i have met some wonderful private breeders so i doubt i will ever buy from a 'local' shop again

and hope you get ya little beauty filly ID'd. It is gorgeous

[michaelmckinney]

Well Ray,

Let me have a go, is it by any chance Sericopelma rubronitens???

Michael..