B albopilosum looks smaller after molt :-(

[Paul Moulton]

Hi

I got her in June 2007 and she molted in August 2007. All good since then until she molted again a couple of weeks ago since when I've been waiting for this BIG and dark lovely to come out of her burrow. Well, yesterday she did and i was in for a disappointment on the size front. Her span is about the same at 5 inches but her abdomen looks to be smaller than it was previously.

Should i assume this is her full grown size now?

Aside of size she looked really good

[Craig Mackay]

No worries there mate. Their abdomens are usually a little smaller after a moult but she'll soon fill out when she starts eating again.

[Phil Rea]

Are you sure the spider's female Paul? Mature males are often leggier and more slender than females.

[Colin D Wilson]

Gonna go with Phil on this, if you can retrieve the moult you could sex from that (if you're not familiar with the practice you can ask on here how its done)
If it's matured then he'll have hook-like spurs (tibial apophyses) under his front legs and his pedipalps will look different and have small (often shiney) "bulbs" at the end

[Paul Moulton]

pic

That could be a good shout. I've not had a look before but here is a pic of the molt - I hope it is clear enough. From reading up on Google I think it is female but I'll take it on advice.

Thanks
Paul

[Iain Condy]

That could be a good shout. I've not had a look before but here is a pic of the molt - I hope it is clear enough. From reading up on Google I think it is female but I'll take it on advice.

Thanks
Paul

You need to take a pic of the lower inside of the abdomen, showing the four booklungs.

[Paul Moulton]

Thanks Iain. Rather embarassingly I realise now that was a picture of the eyes . My only excuse is that it was late when I was doing it!!

The abdomen was destroyed in the molt but having had a good look this morning there are no hooks on the legs so I am fairly sure it's a she. I need to get some crickets down her and see what happens. Thanks to all for your comments.

Paul

[Colin D Wilson]

Damn good macro photo Paul
this is the bit we need to look at, inside of the abdomen part of the exuvium

this is a female, indicated by the spermatecae within the red ring.