What Poecilotheria specie is this female?

[Ian Foxon]

I'm no authority but I have kept pokies for several years. As far as I am aware only the regalis exhibits the abdominal band.
The striata should have more orange than yellow undersides to the legs. The light and dark markings on the top sides of the legs are good indicators of species. As is the proportion and placement of light and dark around the eyes and on the centre of the carapace. Sadly I have just looked but cannot find my printed references. However a quick look at the images at:

http://giantspiders.com/Poecilotheria_species.html

will show what I mean.
Looking at this I'd say it's a regalis. Only the dark patch at the centre/rear of the upper abdominal markings is a little unusual.
It is just possible it is a hybrid but I'd still say regalis not striata. Lets face it it wouldn't be unusual for unscrupulous or misinformed dealers to sell a common species claiming it's a rare one.

Ian

[Ian Foxon]

Here is another useful reference.

http://www.froschlurche.de/Poecilotheria-ventral.jpg

Ian

[Chris Sainsbury]

Ner, ner ner ner nerrr! @ Chris lol

Why the ner ner ner nerrr? I still think with the limited pics and examples I have seen of both species that its still quite possible that its a regalis. But then I never came to this just because of a stripe on the abdomen but rather a combination of the stripe and the because the on most pics of striata that I have seen, the black stripe on the femur of leg 4 looks to be wider and and more prominant, where as in the pic the stripe looks to be more narrow (almost in fact to the point of being fasciata).
Something I have noticed on my regalis also is that the cream band under the abdomen does tend to gray off when it is coming up for a moult , although not to the extent from what it looks like in the pic. After a moult the band on mine is more pinkish than white and darkens over a time.
It would be intresting to know how big the spider in the pic is as from what I know striata tend to lose the stripe when they are fully grown.

[Ray Gabriel]

I have forwarded your email to Peter kirk and am awaiting his reply.

I would be very interested to know :

"The person who sold the female said, for a few years an english (in his opinion Ray Gabriel, but he isn`t sure"

Who sold you this female?? I only have 2 females myself, and have not supplied any P. striata until this year as spiderlings.

Ray

[flateric]

Hi Ray,

I wrote to Peter Kirk too. It was the same e-mail which I sent to you. Here is the answer from Pete:

"The short answer to this is, no, P. striata should not have any pale band
underneath on either the male or female. The ONLY species to possess this band is P. regalis."

I know Peter Kirk only from his name."Merely" he have a known name in this field I don`t know if he is a "respectable" researcher who works scientific. I know one or two germans who have a known name in this field too, but you must be very careful with her designations and describtions Thats the reason why I would have an answer of my question from you and Andrew Smith too.

"But can/must have a striata a abdominal band even it is pale/slight? I always read in the describtions of P. striata that this specie don`t/must not have a abdominal band. Can this specie have the band if the band is pale and slight? And who say/said this or who say/said that a striata should not have a band (except Pete)?"

In germany some people say a adult striata male can have a pale abdominal band. Why or why not? And if a adult male can have, why not a adult female too. Is the reason for the no, if it is a no, because Peter Kirk wrote it in his answer? Perhaps that is it, I don`t know but thats why I want to have more informations from many sides to make my own opinion.

I didn`t write that you supplied this striata female. The seller believe, but he isn`t really sure, that you said for a few years this female is a striata female, saw at the arachnid pix list at yahoo.

I would be very glad if you Ray and Andrew Smith can anything say to this striata discussion. "Edit" Because the answers from Peter Kirk (see P.S. too) it would be very interesting for me what you and Andrew Smith says.

Dirk

@Barry: If that correct what P. Kirk wrote, you should not mate with this male, and some or many people have a problem with her striatas. Oh, and then the "parents" of this male, the female and the male or at least one of them are no striatas and thus the whole breeding of them are no striatas.
P.S. I have got an answer from P. Kirk because my question if that what he say is be valid for subadult striatas too? He say "To my knowledge there should be no banding on the underside of striata, adults or juveniles".

[mesomelas]

mmmmmmmmm????? i have an ad female striata with no band at all, and i have just loand a male that has a pale band.............do i try to mate them or not ????

[sarah Smith]

I would say play safe till this issue is cleared up and not try to mate them for now. But thats just me being overly causious I guess.