# Phormictopus sp. "purple", "green" and "Blue"?



## Tomoran (Nov 10, 2015)

I'm a huge fan of the genus _Phormictopus_, and I've been trying to acquire all of the species I can find. Lately, there seem to be a lot of species becoming available, including "purple", "green", and now "blue" versions.  I'm guessing that taxonomy for this genus may be a bit of a mess, however, I was wondering if anyone in the know might shed some light on all of these color forms. Is the consensus that these are regional color variants (it used to be P. cancerides purple for the sp. purple), or might some of these be separate species?

I know there was an earlier thread addressing the purples, but what about these new color forms?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Pokie Master (Nov 10, 2015)

There are a few that have had the sp. purple name. So that one is kinda messed up. As far as green and blue... There's no mixing those 2 species up with anything. Those are really green and blue!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Sana (Nov 11, 2015)

Pokie Master said:


> There are a few that have had the sp. purple name. So that one is kinda messed up. As far as green and blue... There's no mixing those 2 species up with anything. Those are really green and blue!


Gotta catch 'em all....

Reactions: Like 5


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## Tomoran (Nov 11, 2015)

That's good to hear, because of course I have to buy some of each.  I just wonder if they will turn out to be actual species or color variations. Either way, I absolutely love my cancerides specimens, so if I end up with bronze, purple, green, and blue variants, so be it!

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Sana said:


> Gotta catch 'em all....


Hahaha. Man...SO true.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Poec54 (Nov 11, 2015)

Phormictopus is a great genus, the Caribbean version of Pamphobeteus.  They're both big and leggy, always hungry, feisty, and males are very colorful.  Hard not to like them.

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 1


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## sjl197 (Nov 11, 2015)

Pokie Master said:


> There are a few that have had the sp. purple name. So that one is kinda messed up. As far as green and blue... There's no mixing those 2 species up with anything. Those are really green and blue!


^ Hmmm, In Europe some think there are several different ones going under "Phormictopus sp Green" ...

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Tomoran (Nov 11, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> Phormictopus is a great genus, the Caribbean version of Pamphobeteus.  They're both big and leggy, always hungry, feisty, and males are very colorful.  Hard not to like them.


I couldn't agree more. Hardy, big, and fiesty ... such a cool genus.

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sjl197 said:


> ^ Hmmm, In Europe some think there are several different ones going under "Phormictopus sp Green" ...


Very interesting; this is what I was wondering about. Any idea as to which species they think might have green forms?


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## EDED (Nov 11, 2015)

unless the original collector or whoever knows exact locale info can share it with a taxonomist you will never get it ID to a species level

so until then, breed or keep 'green' from one dealer's stock together and not mix with other 'green' from another dealer who may have gotten it from different line or etc etc. just in case.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## Tomoran (Nov 12, 2015)

EDED said:


> unless the original collector or whoever knows exact locale info can share it with a taxonomist you will never get it ID to a species level
> 
> so until then, breed or keep 'green' from one dealer's stock together and not mix with other 'green' from another dealer who may have gotten it from different line or etc etc. just in case.


I was just curious as to if they were thought to be forms of cautus, cancerides, etc. I know that I may never know exactly which species mine belong to, unfortunately.

And great point about keeping stock separate for breeding purposes.


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## obie (Feb 23, 2016)

Hey you guys with the Phormictopus sp.green do you have any pics. I have one and it doesn't really look like the few I've seen online. I'm wondering if it's something else. The first one is when it was a sling and the second is now as a 3.5in juvenile.


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## peterUK (Feb 24, 2016)

I have 5 Phormictopus sp 'green' (gold carapace) as small juvies they have a blue/purple tinge to their carapace, as medium sized juvies their carapace changes to a metallic pink and at some point it will change to it adult colouration

There are a few different types of Phormictopus pics on the BTS FB page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBTS/search/?query=phormictopus



This is a P sp green (gold carapace) . . .  ive got no idea where these names come from as this havent got the slight amount of gold on it

Reactions: Love 1


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## obie (Feb 27, 2016)

I don't have a Facebook so it won't let me see it


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## obie (Feb 28, 2016)

Just saw the pics very nice looking t's


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## Felidae (Feb 28, 2016)

Love them  If it helps here is one Full green 1. Instar sling (few hours after molt from N2) from Macilacispiders.


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## obie (Feb 29, 2016)

yeah mine kinda looked like that as a sling. i hope its a full green here is a pic of some color varations

Reactions: Like 1


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## Poec54 (Feb 29, 2016)

Those 3 'green's' (above) are adult males; females will look different, and probably have less color, making the distinctions more difficult to discern.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## Pokie Master (Feb 29, 2016)

I second that. Phormictopus are like pamphos as in the males are the colorful ones and the females usually very dull looking. Regardless though males don't start showing colors until they are larger.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Felidae (Mar 1, 2016)

Adult Full green female from the same breeder.







Here you can see some different Phormictopus males/females, also the three green phase : https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.496183590417462.1073741836.127957453906746&type=3

Reactions: Like 2 | Love 1


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## awiec (Mar 3, 2016)

I have sp "Purple" and I've heard rumblings that it's just a variant of cancerides. But to be safe, when my male matures ,I'm sending him back to the owner of his mother to keep whatever species/line he is as pure as possible. Mine has a bit of a reddish tinge on the abdomen and is kinda gold on the carapace and when he molts I'll try to get a picture of him to help with the catalog here.


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## obie (Mar 3, 2016)

Mines just molted last night, it's close to 4in. What color morph and sex do guys think it is

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## Felidae (Mar 4, 2016)

Congrats! You have a girl. About the spec, I have no idea, but I'm almost sure it's not the full green one.


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## obie (Mar 4, 2016)

yeah me too. i wanted the full green but the seller didn't specify and now i dont know if i should feel some type of way about it cause it wasn't cheap. and I've been looking for the full green and i dont think no one in the states have them.


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## obie (Apr 29, 2017)

Felidae said:


> Love them  If it helps here is one Full green 1. Instar sling (few hours after molt from N2) from Macilacispiders.


any recent pics


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