Cyriopagopus spermathecae question

[Stephen jordan]

I was wondering if anyone knew at what stage do Cyripagopus schioedtei develope their spermathecae? I have two specimens one is stocky in build and roughly 5/6 inches in legspan and the other is a lot leggier and skinnier in build and around 6 inch +. From just looking at them one would assume that one is male and the other is female and from certain articles I have read recently it seems that they can be sexed by the ventral colouring of each sub adult. Now! Both spiders have been sexed more than once from moults throughout their growth and I make them both out to be male, However both spiders have black ventral colouring which to some people would indicate that they are female! I'm a little bemused and am thinking that ventrally sexing by colour is a load of cobblers...Unless they have yet to develope their sexual organs! Can anyone advise or shed a little light on the matter? My conclusion is that the only way is with a moult and to trust no other method of sexing.

[Mark Pennell]

I was wondering if anyone knew at what stage do Cyripagopus schioedtei develope their spermathecae? I have two specimens one is stocky in build and roughly 5/6 inches in legspan and the other is a lot leggier and skinnier in build and around 6 inch +. From just looking at them one would assume that one is male and the other is female and from certain articles I have read recently it seems that they can be sexed by the ventral colouring of each sub adult. Now! Both spiders have been sexed more than once from moults throughout their growth and I make them both out to be male, However both spiders have black ventral colouring which to some people would indicate that they are female! I'm a little bemused and am thinking that ventrally sexing by colour is a load of cobblers...Unless they have yet to develope their sexual organs! Can anyone advise or shed a little light on the matter? My conclusion is that the only way is with a moult and to trust no other method of sexing.

Hi
Cyriopagopus schioedtei are sexually dimorphic as matured and as juveniles, so sexing can be relatively easy in the specimens the size you've mentioned here. It is not cobblers I promise you.. why not post a picture of them.

The immature male is the one on the top
the immature female is picture on the bottom.



Hope this helps
Regards
Mark

[Stephen jordan]

Hi
Cyriopagopus schioedtei are sexually dimorphic as matured and as juveniles, so sexing can be relatively easy in the specimens the size you've mentioned here. It is not cobblers I promise you.. why not post a picture of them.

The immature male is the one on the top
the immature female is picture on the bottom.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3241[/ATTACH]

Hope this helps
Regards
Mark

Thanks for your reply Mark, I'm sorry I don't have any photo's yet as I hardly ever see them and won't dig them out unless I'm rehoming them. If this method is correct then it seems that I have possibly two females, One of them moulted a few days ago and I checked the moult and I couldnt see anything so I will check again and use my microscope this time to make sure I havent made a mistake. This has been puzzling me as when I've examined the decent moults I've managed to retrieve I've found them to be male but this one is definatly jet black ventrally and at this size I would imagine would be heading for sub adult.

[Mark Pennell]

Hi
If its dark ventrally then it's female. No doubt at all. At 5-6 inches would pretty much be nigh on breedable

Especially if the moult cycle is annually or near as.

Anyway good luck with them they are a great species

Mark

[Stephen jordan]

Hi
If its dark ventrally then it's female. No doubt at all. At 5-6 inches would pretty much be nigh on breedable

Especially if the moult cycle is annually or near as.

Anyway good luck with them they are a great species

Mark

Yes Mark they are a great species and I'm looking forward to rehoming them soon so I can get some shots of them, Plus I'm going to breed from them if I can. I was sure from the moults that they were male but I do hope I'm wrong. I'll probably try to plan for a pairing after the next moult if a male can be found. Thanks for your help!