Big New World Tarantulas

[TheraMygale]

Aside of the classic Lasiodora para, i have been looking around to see what has weight/size.

my brachypelma emilia, that i got at around 2”, molted this night. I measured the molt and its around 4”. Now, i used to think 4” was big, but i find that small.

after keeping nhandu color and g pulchripes, i would like to add a bigger tarantula at some point.

i don’t really trust casual information, posted on seller websites.

id like to know what people here, have, and are at a large size. Larger then g pulchripes. i used to think my g pulchripes was big, but now i think its small.

i don’t want 1 hundred large tarantulas.

just one special large tarantula. I already have some ideas, but i want AB keeper experiences.

 

[Mike41793]

I've never kept Theraposa genus. I know they get the biggest and I know Tom morans ears will ring, but to me they're just big brown spiders. I don't really care for them. Not hating, just not my thing. I'd recommend Acanthoscurria, Nhandu and Phormictopus genus over them. I don't recall ever keeping Pamphobetus personally but they get a lot of love too. My short list to check out that i love the look of would be:
A. geniculata
N. carponensis
Phormictopus sp Dominican Purple

I've kept geniculata and they're awesome. I've not kept the other two species specifically but want to add them to the collection eventually. I think the 3 I listed all get to be decent sized for sure. The geniculata would be the largest

Edit: I didn't read closely enough. I think the only thing I mentioned that would get larger than the nhandu and chaco you mentioned would be geniculata. I think Pamphobetus get larger too. I'm not very familiar with that genus though

 

[Mustafa67]

Aside of the classic Lasiodora para, i have been looking around to see what has weight/size.

my brachypelma emilia, that i got at around 2”, molted this night. I measured the molt and its around 4”. Now, i used to think 4” was big, but i find that small.

after keeping nhandu color and g pulchripes, i would like to add a bigger tarantula at some point.

i don’t really trust casual information, posted on seller websites.

id like to know what people here, have, and are at a large size. Larger then g pulchripes. i used to think my g pulchripes was big, but now i think its small.

i don’t want 1 hundred large tarantulas.

just one special large tarantula. I already have some ideas, but i want AB keeper experiences.

Phormictopus sp. green it’s a really cool T that gets large and stunning it really stood out to me at the BTS show and I wanted to buy it lol. It looks stunning and its large, I don’t have one but I’d love it.

Other than that a Nhandu tripeii. LP is a classic and I love mine despite its reputation as “a boring, brown spider”. It really is an incredible tarantula if you give it a chance.

 

[TheraMygale]

Well, so far, phormictopus is coming up more then once.

thank you both for your shares. Its quite insightful.

 

[chanda]

A lot of it is going to depend on what you are looking for in a tarantula in terms of appearance and temperament as well as size.

If you are primarily looking for size, the Theraphosa such as T. stirmi or T. apophysis or T. blondi are huge. I have kept T. stirmi several times, and they never fail to impress for sheer bulk - but they are essentially plain brown spiders.

The Pamphobeteus and Xenesthis can also get really large. I recently acquired an AF P. antinous and she is huge (though not quite as big as my T. stirmi). The Pamphobeteus and Xenesthis are also more colorful and - imo - a bit prettier than the Theraphosa - but they're all impressive spiders. (The males are, sadly, the prettiest of the lot - but shorter lived.) I currently have a couple of Xenesthis (X. immanis and X. intermedia) and they're absolutely beautiful with that irridescent purplish coloring. They're are already pretty big - but they've got a ways to go.

On the other hand, if you want something more docile that you can actually handle - I'd suggest sticking with something like the G. pulchripes. While they may not get as big as some of the other spiders, they are beautiful - and a LOT calmer. Many of the larger spiders like the Pamphobeteus, the Xenesthis, and the Theraphosa can be extremely fast and are much more prone to bolting or kicking hairs. I would not recommend attempting to handle any of them. The Theraphosa in particular can also be a bit of a pet hole, if given deep enough substrate to dig a substantial burrow.

My G. pulchripes is one of my absolute favorites because she is so calm. I've had her for years and she never kicks hairs, is easy to handle for educational presentations, and is not prone to bolting. My G. pulchra is also impressively sized and a gorgeous velvety black. This one is recently acquired, so I have not yet had the opportunity to assess her temperament yet. She looks like she's due for a molt, so I'm holding off on attempting to handle her until after that happens.

I've also had Acanthoscurria geniculata and Lasiodora parahybana before, and both are impressively large spiders. The genic in particular was really pretty - but a bit bolty and more prone to kicking hairs than the pulchripes. (Both molted out male and were passed along for breeding purposes years ago.)

 

[Mustafa67]

Well, so far, phormictopus is coming up more then once.

thank you both for your shares. Its quite insightful.

I speak from my own experience, I have no doubts A genic, Pamphobeteus Ts, Xenesthis and the Theraphosa 3 will come up but I prefer to recommend from my personal experience of what I have found

 

[jennywallace]

Definitely Pamphos, mine are great, lovely purple colouration and one is huge. I have no doubt that the juv female will become huge too.

 

[TheraMygale]

@chanda thanks. I know t stirmi get large, but its mostly their needs that seem more specific. Or perhaps i read wrong.

i know most large new worlds have some strong UrS. I already have plenty of kicking UrS tarantulas, brachypelmas and nhandu.

which is one of the factors that is keeping LP and T stirmi out of my list for now. I don’t need more UrS clouds.

color isnt something that bothers me as much as different features in the overall appearance. I like to have a variety of different looking tarantulas.

i know they are different, but i find the nhandu color and A genic have similar color features.

If it was not for slow growth, i was considering Lasiodorides polycuspulatus.

 

[Brewser]

Psalmopoeus cambridgei - Big New World Arboreal

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Aside of the classic Lasiodora para, i have been looking around to see what has weight/size.

my brachypelma emilia, that i got at around 2”, molted this night. I measured the molt and its around 4”. Now, i used to think 4” was big, but i find that small.

I am always amused at how the tarantula keeping community can skew one’s perspective on what a big spider is. When one lives in a part of the world where spider encounters are a regular occurrence, one finds the vast majority of them are no more than an inch long. Those that exceed an inch would typically have spindly legs and low body mass. A 4 inch tarantula by comparison is a giant spider, and anything exceeding 6 inches long is truly gargantuan and seemingly unnatural. But since the tarantula keeping community prefers the biggest and the most colorful, the appreciation of what constitutes a true giant is lost.

Regardless, if you want a truly giant tarantula in terms of leg span and mass, you can't go wrong with a Theraphosa stirmi or Hysterocrates gigas. If arboreal tarantulas are your jam, then a Phormingochilus or Omothymus species is the way to go.

 

[HoneyOilers]

M. Robustum? Pretty crazy looking T. Like a giant B. Boheimei and lots of attitude?

 

[TheraMygale]

But since the tarantula keeping community prefers the biggest and the most colorful, the appreciation of what constitutes a true giant is lost.

i don’t see myself reflected in this.

 

[cold blood]

Xenesthis, phmphobetus, phormictipus, and A. geniculata.....Theraphosa obviously.

 

[WolfieKate]

I immediately thought of my Phormictopus Atrichomatus. But also Nhandu Carapoensis, both young and big. Only these 2 spiders have shocked me by their size versus advertised age on arrival. I also have a Blondi bit she’s still young though pretty big already. The Phormictopus has such pretty colours and the Nhandu has the fluff.

 

[HooahArmy]

I'm guessing that 'big' for a T would be considered as 'above the average size of the average T in a given region'.
I second the great suggestions being listed! Nice work, AB folks!

This reminds me of a quote from a friend regarding perspective: "If you ain't afraid of spiders, you haven't seen the right type of spider."

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

My Pamphobeteus sp. platyomma is 8” and I’d still say it doesn’t look giant. Only Theraphosa are true giants . Many come close though I’ve heard of a genic getting 9”. Too me any tarantulas over 6” are big. Check my pictures most my Ts are over 5” except slings ofc.

 

[Cmac2111]

Phormictopus sp. Dominican purple. Huge, feisty, vibrant.

Phormictopus sp. “Dominican purple”

• Cmac2111
• Feb 25, 2025
• 6
• adult female dominican purple tarantula new world phormictopus phormictopus sp. "dominican purple" tarantula pictures

‘Heather’, p sp. dom purple large adult female. Truly a spectacular species, the size and...

Phormictopus sp. 'Dominican purple'

• Cmac2111
• Dec 13, 2024
• 4
• adult female dominican purple tarantula feeding new world phormictopus phormictopus sp. "dominican purple" tarantula pictures

'Heather', p. sp. Dom purple adult female. Always hungry!

 

[TheraMygale]

This reminds me of a quote from a friend regarding perspective: "If you ain't afraid of spiders, you haven't seen the right type of spider."

that made me laugh. Its so true. I definitely dont appreciate the yellow house spiders. They are small, and can go into orifices. now that, is scary 🫣

 

[inquisitivechemist]

Phormictopus and Xenesthis are my favorite of the new world giants. My 8 inch male Xenethsis sp Bright is the most beautiful tarantula I've ever seen.

 

[sparticus]

Gonna echo what's already been said in regards to phormictopus, xenesthesis and pamphobeteus. In addition my G. Iheringi is a really gorgeous spider that put on size really quickly. She has a crazy feeding reaponse and is quite formidable. Just bought second one recently, and they are really gorgoeus, large, out on display spiders.

G. Iheringi- Arson

• sparticus
• Jul 21, 2024
• 4
• grammostola iheringi

Happy dancing with a roach she just caught.

Arson 0.1 G. Iheringi

• sparticus
• Jul 1, 2024
• 1
• grammostola iheringi

Just another pic of my favorite girl being fabulous.

Also love my P. Cam.