H.longipes gender please

[paul fleming]

Hi all,
Just re-homed this nasty beast and while it was out in a tub.....photo time.
Can anyone tell the sex please......I imagine it is or almost mature.....a big spider.
If the picture is pants,I can probably get some more.
Paul

[wayne balcombe]

hi paul from the angle of the picture i'd say female but the resolution is not quite high enough to see epiandrous fusillae if they are present.

[paul fleming]

what sort of picture angle do you need to see Wayne ?
Really appreciate your help by the way
Paul

[wayne balcombe]

as i say paul it looks to me like a female, the angle is fine, when ventrally sexing a spider you are looking for the presence or absance of epiandrous fusillae (a patch of specialised setae above the epigastric furrow between the proximal pair of book lungs) this is present in male spiders from quite a young age and used in sperm web production when mature.

if you can get in a little closer to this area with a higher resolution photograph you should get a 100% positive ID of the sex.

[wayne balcombe]

i'm about 95% sure its female, i'm still fairly new at the ventrally sexing thing though.

[paul fleming]

Thank you Wayne
I will have another go tomorrow on macro but this spider is "aggressive"....no other words to describe it but I will be safe and have another go tomorrow if you don't mind having another look for me ?
Paul

[wayne balcombe]

i dont mind at all mate, if you dont manage to get another picture without disstressing the spider i'm sure there are others on here with more experience than myself who can give you a conclusive answer from the photo you have added.

i do like H.Longipes, and Minax for that matter narky little buggers at the best of times and great looking spiders to boot.

[paul fleming]

I think I will leave the spid Wayne,don't want to stressit anymore mate.
Thanks again,
Paul

[Eleanor]

I'm sure that's female. See how the slit sort of looks a bit 'open' - wider in the middle. And it's quite wide side-to-side. I think the picture is good enough to show the fusillae if they were there, but they're not.

[paul fleming]

Thank you Eleanor and Wayne
I will go with your judgement on that then
Looks like I have a cracking female
Thanks again,
Paul