Found this in my yard. Been told it's to light to be hentzi as hentzi has more black in it. As far as I know hentzi is the only wild T in my area(southern Arkansas). Maybe just a large spider? I am very new to the T world so any help would be appreciated.
I'm no expert on Aphonopelma, and you have so many species who are not fully described, but my Aphonopelma hentzi have dark legs and abdomen, with a lighter carapace. This is a species who tends to get really dull looking between moults, though. @AphonopelmaTX has experience with your native species and could probably be of help.
This is Aphonopelma hentzi. It is best to not try to ID based on color; especially when it comes to small immatures since as @VanessaS mentions, they can get dull coloration between molts. As this one grows, it will gain the contrasting black/ grey legs and light tan carapace.
@AphonopelmaTX I got my two when they were larger, around 2.5-3", so I don't have any experience with smaller individuals like this one. I will have to keep that in mind, because I assume that it might also apply to other species.
@VanessaS Even in adult A. hentzi the coloration can vary from the high contrast coloration to a dull uniform brown. Color changes occur in other species of Aphonopelma as well. I have an adult female A. anax from Somerville, Texas which over the past few years has changed from the brown/ black/ tan coloration typical for the species to all black then back to brown. I also have a large Aphonopelma sp. "Diamondback" female that recently molted and lost that cool diamond mark on the carapace due to it turning dark.
@AphonopelmaTX I guess that applies to a lot of species. I have a Brachypelma verdezi, which might be some sort of hybrid, who always had a black carapace except directly after moulting. Since her last moult, which put her at 5"+, her carapace has been a very light beige and has stayed that way... except for a black mask around her ocular tubercle.
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