H.schmidti

Zibi

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How to distinguish Haplopelma schmidti and Selenocosmia huwena. Can You olso told me about those species (what people describe those, where, when etc.). Thanks for all answers.
 

Lopez

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I know very little about Selenocosmia huwena, but Haplopelma schmidti is a gorgoeus, strikingly coloured tarantula from Asia, described by Volker von Wirth quite recently.

I expect he or Martin Huber will be along to answer this topic soon :)
 

Theraphosid Research Team

Arachnoknight
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Hi,

here I am!;)
Haplopelma schmidti was described by by me in 1991. It is a huge tarantula from Vietnam and south-China. In the last Years there were some imports of this impressive but difficult to keep tarantulas to Europe and the US market.Here you can see some pictures of this Tarantula.
Ornithoctonus huwena was described in 1993 by Wang, Peng & Xie under the name "Selenocosmia huwena" from China. In 2000 it was transfered from "Selenocosmia" to "Ornithoctonus" by Zhu & Song (with the help of Dr. Raven). I possess the original description and the secondary literature and there are a lot of people, like Andrew Smith for example, which believe that Ornithoctonus huwena is identical to Haplopelma schmidti, because it's not possible to distinguish both Species by any relevant character. But this opinion wasn't published until today, because we hadn't the possibility to examine the Holotype of Ornithoctonus huwena until today and a synonymisation should always based on the Examination of the Type Material, but, because of the very good original descriptions, it is very obvious that both Species are identical.BTW, because of the priority-paragraph of the ICZN, the name of this Species will be - after a synonymisation of both Species- Haplopelma schmidti , because it was two years earlier described than Ornithoctonus huwena!

Cheers, Volker
 

Lopez

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Hi Volker,

A couple of questions regarding H schmidti, while we have your attention :)

So basically it would appear that the 2 species are synonymous?
Has this been officially published yet? I am glad people with your dedication and knowledge are working on the Asian species. Especially when the information is passed readily to us, the hobbyists.

Why is H schmidti hard to keep in captivity? Do they have any special needs?

Also, are these currently being bred in Europe? I only saw one for sale at the British Tarantula Society show, and that was a fully grown female being sold by Peter Grabowitz.

This is one of the Asian species that interests me most - I am rapidly moving away form New World tarantulas these days :)
 

Martin H.

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Hi,

Originally posted by Lopez

So basically it would appear that the 2 species are synonymous?
see:
Originally posted by VolkervonWirth

...like Andrew Smith for example, which believe that Ornithoctonus huwena is identical to Haplopelma schmidti, because it's not possible to distinguish both Species by any relevant character. But this opinion wasn't published until today [...] the name of this Species will be - after a synonymisation of both Species- Haplopelma schmidti , because it was two years earlier described than Ornithoctonus huwena!


Originally posted by Lopez

Has this been officially published yet? I
see:
Originally posted by VolkervonWirth

But this opinion wasn't published until today

all the best,
Martin

---------------------------
Wer lesen kann ist klar im Vorteil! =;-)
 

Lopez

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Originally posted by Martin H.

Wer lesen kann ist klar im Vorteil! =;-)
Cheek ;)

I wasn't sure if Volker meant that it had literally been published *today*, or just currently/recently :)
 

Zibi

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hmm

Hay, thanks, and another questions:

How much it takes before male and female will be mature? How long live female, and male after last molt? When the female makes eggsack (how much time it takes)?
 

Theraphosid Research Team

Arachnoknight
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Originally posted by Lopez

Why is H schmidti hard to keep in captivity? Do they have any special needs?
Hi,

I've made the experience that a lot of wild caught Haplopelma schmidti won't eat for a long time. Obviously they need colder temperatures during winter season and a high humidity.

Also, are these currently being bred in Europe? I only saw one for sale at the British Tarantula Society show, and that was a fully grown female being sold by Peter Grabowitz.
I've bred this Species before two Years ago,but they have very large but not so much eggs,so the whole Offsprings went to the "asian-club" (some european breeders which are specialized on asian tarantulas: Sören Rafn, Martin Huber, Jean Michel Verdez ...).Now we have some good breeding groups concerning this Species.

With best regards, Volker
 

LaRiz

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Hi,
I'd like to add that this species brings some buddies along with, when being imported. They are sometimes heavily parasite ridden. Ecto and endo.
Mine had no problem eating, it was just the slow destruction due to the internal parasites.
Also, in an effort for continuity, what are we calling the black Chinese Earth Tigers? Selenocosmia hainana, Haplopelma schmidti (black form)?
 

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Arachnoknight
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Hey John,

the Specimen on your picture seems to be very dark, so I would assume that it is Ornithoctonus hainana, but it is not easy to distinguish the Species Haplopelma schmidti and Ornithoctonus hainana only from coloration, because it seems to be that there are sometimes some dark Specimen of Haplopelma schmidti available. Martin Huber possesses a Specimen which was very dark when he received it, so I've expected that it was an Ornithoctonus hainana, but in the meantime and after some moults, it is a nice light colored Specimen and looks much more like Haplopelma schmidti. The only sure indication to distinguish both Species is the shape of the Spermathecae,which is much higher and not so broad in Ornithoctonus hainana than in Haplopelma schmidti!

Cheers, Volker
 

LaRiz

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Volker,
Thanks! Here's a pic of the spermatheca from the above specimen. I know, pretty crappy pic, but I have a pretty crappy camera. I think the spermatheca is visible though. For the size of this specimen, I was surprised to see a very small spermatheca.
john
 

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Arachnoknight
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John,

the mustach of white hairs above the Scopula of the Chelicerae is normal for both Species and for a lot of further Species from Vietnam. The Spermathecae resembles those from Ornithoctonus hainana. That is all I can say for the moment!

Cheers, Volker
 

Zibi

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hmm

Hey, another questions:

How long it takes before the female make cocoon?
How much spiders are in cocoon?
How long it takes before the spiderlings assume mature colors? How long male live after last molt?
How size have spiderlings before first molt?
And give me some photos (if you have) with spiderlings, and juveniles H.schmidti.
Please answer to those and previously questions :)
 

Zibi

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hmm

I need this informations not for my homesite. I write articles about some species (once H.minax, now h.schmidti) for the best polish site about terraristic (snakes, tarantulas, and other) - www.terrarystyka.pl, so please answer for my questions :)
 

Martin H.

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Re: hmm

Originally posted by Zibi

I write articles about some species (once H.minax, now h.schmidti)
Will these articles be pulished under your name or the name of the person who gave you all the informations = who answered all your question => since these "articles" are only tables with the answers of your question => => the person who almost wrote the "article"?

...why should others do all the work when you will get all the credit? *hmmm...*

all the best,
Martin
 

Lopez

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Agreed wholeheartedly Martin.

Zibi, without wishing to sound offensive, you seem to demand more and more information all the time.

If you go >here< you will find an interim list of people who have assisted or advised me regarding tarantulas over time.
My site isn't revenue-generating, and nor is it meant to be authoratitative, but all the same it will be read by a lot of people, and I think it is polite to at least give a mention to those who have helped out in some way rather than claiming all the information used was discovered first-hand by myself.

That's why I mentioned Martin in my "Haplopelma tank" thread just recently. It would be unfair of me to claim it was my idea when I had simply copied the technique used by Volker and Martin :)
 
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