Tarantula ID

[Mark Pennell]

Welcome back Phil.

Seconded! welcome back

[Colin D Wilson]

Cheers Colin

No problems, you've been missed by many mate!!

I know precious little about Haplopelma.

you and me both,

Try and get in touch with someone like Volker von Wirth, Boris Striffler, or Søren Rafn. I'm sure they'd be able to swiftly point you in the right direction

Absolutely, this was to be a point of call at some point, i'm not intending to breed from her in the near future so no real rush.

[Phil Rea]

Seconded! welcome back

Cheers Mark. Good to be back

[Søren Rafn]

Looks like Ornithoctonus aureotibialis

Regards
Søren

The sp. vietnam was a guesstimate an associate had on mine, I'm still not quite sure..

[Nicola Dolby]

Could be, the leg stripes are faint though. I thought that the only Haplopelma with leg stripes was the albostriatum, though again I know little about them. As for the spid with the green carapace, I don't know what it is but where did you get it, I want one!

[Colin D Wilson]

Looks like Ornithoctonus aureotibialis

Regards
Søren

Thanks for the input Søren,

My specimen has a 6+ inch legspan, is it still feasible that this may be Ornithoctonus aureotibialis?? as most desciptions of this species state around 5 inch LS.

[Phil Rea]

Picture of my Ornithoctonus aureotibialis female for comparison.

[Colin D Wilson]

Mines lacking the orange setae but visually they're quite similar to be honest, think i need to get her in someones hands that knows really

[Phil Rea]

Mines lacking the orange setae but visually they're quite similar to be honest, think i need to get her in someones hands that knows really

Probably the best course of action mate.

The orange setae are a key feature on O. aureotibialis though - Ornithoctonus aureotibialis sp. n. can be distinguished from all other Ornithoctonus species by an orange – golden fringe of hairs on retrolateral side of patella and tibia of leg I and II. - von Wirth and Striffler (2005).

They can get fairly faint when the spider is in need of a moult if I remember correctly. She doesn't come out of her burrow very often

[Colin D Wilson]

Hmmm, orange setae are apparent on leg II, leg I seems to be void of them as does the "fringe" to the carapace (as in your picture). Then again, as you say, a moult could be on the cards, eating well at the mo though so time will tell

[Søren Rafn]

Size quotes in descriptions are averages of adult specimens - not maximums Phil is partially right about the yellow fringes as they are the best hint to the species "at a glance", but to be sure you need to check the taxonomic character combinations as the yellow fringes can be vague or lack entirely. They are particularly conspicuous in juveniles and subadult males whereas females tend to darken with age. The yellow fringes are furthermore found in Ornithoctonus sp. "Koh Samui" which may be a species on its own or an island subspecies of O. aureotibialis. The size and the presence of yellow setae retrolaterally on patella and tibia indicates O. aureotibialis though - as the adults of O. sp. "Koh Samui" is considerably smaller

Regards
Søren

[Colin D Wilson]

Thank you again Søren,

Seems to be "hinting" towards the O. aureotibialis

I think i will wait till she moults and take her to the Lectures for the more familiar keepers of the Genus to pass judgement before i consider aquiring a male.

[Søren Rafn]

for the more familiar keepers of the Genus

...

If you are in doubt you can send me an exuviae

Friendly
Søren

[Colin D Wilson]

I will contact you for an address when i have an exuvium.

Thanks very much Søren