Lasiodora ID

[Lisa Ashforth]

I bought this about 6 months ago as a Lasiodora klugi, and she was a bit faded looking but she just moulted today for the first time in my care.
I have a suspicion this might be L. parahybana not klugi. I've never owned a Lasiodora before but I expected that klugi would have redder hairs on the abdomen than this.

Any opinions? I can provide more detailed photos if need be. I'm not planning on breeding her because of the huge numbers of spiderlings they produce, but I'm interested for the sake of curiosity really.

[R Thomas]

I am absolutely no good at this identification game but my first thoughts were it looks a lot like a B. albopilosum (but the colouring is not right) then I thought that perhaps it was infact an A. seemani (but again the colouring is a tad off imho). It is however as you say very similar looking to a L. parahybana. I really have no idea how people can see a picture and be 100% sure that it is infact any particular species as so many are similar. But then again I am british so am used to failure. So in the immortal words of the eurovision song contest announcer 'un royaume nul points'

Richard

[Nick Ashley]

I can see what you are saying, and to be honest the 2 species are quite similar to the point that when you look at images on the internet they are quite often wrongly named between the 2...This is compounded that with any species you get slight colour variations between individuals which doesn't help. I am not familiar with the taxonomic differences between the two.. however I have found the base colour of L. parahybana to be more black and L. klugi more grey. Based on that yours does look like L. klugi. Either way she will be BIG!

[Neill House]

Hi Lisa.. this is the first I have seen the pics of her in her new suit.. but now that I have, it does look like a L. klugi. That said, pics are never the best way to ID 100% lol

[R Thomas]

Pics are never the best way to ID 100%

Ok you have me wondering what method is the best for the lay owner lol

I have tried asking mine what species they are but they do not seem keen to put their arms up when I get to the right answer rotflmao

Richard

[Neill House]

Well.. your eyes tbh... I have started to video camera (well it is the video bit on my digital camera) my spiders, as I think that might allow the person viewing to see more detail of the spider, for a longer time. I'm not sure if this is full proof.. in fact I know it isn't.. but it has to be better than a still shot.
Just think of the thousands of people out there, with their 'pet' spider, thinking it is one thing, where as in reality, it is something completely different. To them it isn't important.. to us, well we are always looking for ways to visually satisfy. I think DNA is going to be the final judge eventually.

[R Thomas]

I think DNA is going to be the final judge eventually.

Well I think if that requires someone to prod or probe my Ts then I will just live with a best guess

Richard

[Lisa Ashforth]

I guess with genera such as Lasiodora where only a few are even in the hobby and a large number of those could well be hybrids, the chances of a definitive ID are slim. I'm not prepared to dissect her in order to key her out taxonomically LOL

Her base colour looks more black than grey in natural light. That photo was taken with flash. A photo is never going to be 100% accurate especially online. even people's individual monitors will show colours differently.