Genus Olios species of Huntsman in U.S?

[MaartenSFS]

After being decidely creeped out the the first time I saw one jump at me from the corner of my eye I have been impressed by family Sparassidae. I was just doing a bit of research on the astounding diversity of Huntsman in Asia (lost count at 83 in China alone) when I saw that there are several species from genus Olios listed as being native to the U.S. Has anyone seen these before and, if so, please describe?

Here is where I saw them listed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sparassidae_species

 

[AzJohn]

I've got what I believe is Olios giganteus. They are very cool.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=178780

Heres what I found with a quick search

http://kaweahoaks.com/html/olios_giganteus.html

 

[MaartenSFS]

O, those definitely look like the huntsman that impressed me in China, though apparently somewhat smaller. Where did you find these? In AZ?

 

[AzJohn]

O, those definitely look like the huntsman that impressed me in China, though apparently somewhat smaller. Where did you find these? In AZ?

Yes I found the cacoon in central Arizona. I was flipping rocks looking for scorpions. They are fairly common if not often seen.


JOhn

 

[MaartenSFS]

There is a possibility that I will move down there next year so I'll be flipping.

 

[cacoseraph]

rare six legged species from central CA

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/cacoseraph/aranea/handling/bugumentary2lh014sm.jpg


for US species, plantick says http://research.amnh.org/iz/spiders/catalog/SPARASSIDAE.html:

albinus
bibranchiatus
fasciculatus
foxi
franklinus
giganteus
minax
mohavensis
schistus

some of these the USA shares with Mexico. Mexico has at least that man species all to them self, it looks like

 

[ErikWestblom]

Hey Andrew, nice insect

Olios are really cool, actually pretty cute

 

[cacoseraph]

i think i can see its antennae in the small picture, too




WC Olios seem pretty easy to get to make eggsacs... but if you keep them in upright jars they also seem to have the annoying tendency to make their like, egg incubation house right in the neck, attached to the lid. i think providing a good flat hide for females might reduce the chances of that... as would not keeping them in upright jars =P

the babies are pretty tiny though. i killed both eggsacs i got from my two females and so don't any experience raising them... but i've seen CH 2i or 3i and they are still TINY

if they will live together for a while and gang feed of dead and mangled bugs that is cool... but if you have to keep them all separate with tiny live feeders it will be very labor intensive, i bet

 

[AzJohn]

i think i can see its antennae in the small picture, too




WC Olios seem pretty easy to get to make eggsacs... but if you keep them in upright jars they also seem to have the annoying tendency to make their like, egg incubation house right in the neck, attached to the lid. i think providing a good flat hide for females might reduce the chances of that... as would not keeping them in upright jars =P

the babies are pretty tiny though. i killed both eggsacs i got from my two females and so don't any experience raising them... but i've seen CH 2i or 3i and they are still TINY

if they will live together for a while and gang feed of dead and mangled bugs that is cool... but if you have to keep them all separate with tiny live feeders it will be very labor intensive, i bet

I was wondering about seperating my brood. Most have stayed in the pill vial. The rest are either on the lid or on near the top. Plus mom has moved out of the pill vial and should be removed soon. It should be fun.

My babies aren't to small. They molted again, I think, they are a lot more leggy at least. I think fruit flies will work well. I'll try group feeding just because it sounds cool. I was planning on letting some canavalism happen just to thin things out a little.

 

[AzJohn]

There is a possibility that I will move down there next year so I'll be flipping.

If you make it out this way PM me. I'll get you some good collecting sites. They are harder to find than you'd think, and much harder to collect.


John

 

[PoPpiLLs]

cacoseraph did you have a picture you posted of 2 females you kept in a jar with upright rocks and substrate

 

[cacoseraph]

i can't seem to find it

 

[MaartenSFS]

If you make it out this way PM me. I'll get you some good collecting sites. They are harder to find than you'd think, and much harder to collect.


John

If I make it out that way I'll have so much to look for besides these. I'll definitely be wanting to organise some expeditions to find all sorts of things and photograph them mostly. Except trap-doors. I want one, damnit!

 

[MaartenSFS]

rare six legged species from central CA

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/cacoseraph/aranea/handling/bugumentary2lh014sm.jpg


for US species, plantick says http://research.amnh.org/iz/spiders/catalog/SPARASSIDAE.html:

albinus
bibranchiatus
fasciculatus
foxi
franklinus
giganteus
minax
mohavensis
schistus

some of these the USA shares with Mexico. Mexico has at least that man species all to them self, it looks like

Is that really a six-legged species or a mutation or injury? Mexico seems to also have a great diversity of life. It's unfortunate that the government is such a mess. Same with China and many other nice countries.

 

[ErikWestblom]

Is that really a six-legged species or a mutation or injury? Mexico seems to also have a great diversity of life. It's unfortunate that the government is such a mess. Same with China and many other nice countries.

I'd bet it's an injury... sarcasm is hard to put into text

 

[MaartenSFS]

I'd bet it's an injury... sarcasm is hard to put into text

Good sarcasm is rare in America, though, so... :?

 

[cacoseraph]

i wouldn't say i am being sarcastic. just joking around. i only "try" to be sarcastic when i am annoyed and i like this thread =P

it lost two legs via some kinda misadventure before my bro caught it. you can still see the coxa, iirc. yeah, kind of awesome ~story. my brother caught these two spiders for me on his honeymoon. and even sent me a few pics of them while they were still on the moon. of course, the spiders *were* from him debugging their cabin when they first got there, iirc, too =P

 

[MaartenSFS]

i wouldn't say i am being sarcastic. just joking around. i only "try" to be sarcastic when i am annoyed and i like this thread =P

it lost two legs via some kinda misadventure before my bro caught it. you can still see the coxa, iirc. yeah, kind of awesome ~story. my brother caught these two spiders for me on his honeymoon. and even sent me a few pics of them while they were still on the moon. of course, the spiders *were* from him debugging their cabin when they first got there, iirc, too =P

Don't worry. Us Europeans love sarcasm and consider it the same as joking. Honeymoons are great times to find creatures. The biggest preying mantis I have ever seen fell on my head during our "honeymoon". It must have been half a metre in length!

Anyways, it's good to know that there is an abundance of interesting invers & herps down there. Before I leave the U.S again in several years I will run down there to escape the evil Michigan winters and document as much wildlife as I can (photographs).

 

[jsloan]

Last year I found a 7-legged crab spider. There wasn't even a coxa where the 8th leg should have been. I think I posted pictures, but in case they have disappeared here is the spider again (I think the spider must have lost the leg, coxa and all, when it was very young and somehow survived):

 

[MaartenSFS]

Last year I found a 7-legged crab spider. There wasn't even a coxa where the 8th leg should have been. I think I once posted pictures, but in case they have disappeared here is the spider again (I think the spider must have lost the leg, coxa and all, when it was very young and somehow survived):

That is pretty crazy, but could also be a genetic defect? Cool looking spider, nonetheless.