RezonantVoid
Hollow Knight
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2018
- Messages
- 1,370
I'm forever looking through GUMTREE ads and finding people advertising their Ts as either the incorrect species or genus, and sometimes people not knowing at all. I thought this might be a useful thread to some of you who are keen to get your spider's ID down to at least genus level.
NOTE: I will also be referencing some of Steve Nunn's work, he has a more detailed version of this on his website.
1. PHLOGIUS
These T's are probably the best for getting into the hobby, they grow pretty fast, have a nice build and have deep, chocolate browns and grey colouration with lots of shine. Like all Aussie Ts, each species has a pretty uniform appearance making it difficult to identify them on a species level until fully mature, but phlogius have a fairly recogniseable build. The heads are somewhat round, and the feet of the 4th pairs of legs have a "crack" and bend in them. This can be viewed on a fresh molt or maybe if the spider is resting on the sides of it's enclosure. Here is an example of a phlogius specimen
P.Rubiseta female ^
2.SELENOTYPUS
These are what i would call a "true Australian tarantula", as they have a unique appearance compared to many other species and are endemic to Australia unlike Phlogius, Selenocosmia and Coremiocnemis. They are commonly referred to as 'Featherlegs' due to their 3rd and 4th pairs of legs being covered in fuffy hairs, while the 1st and 2nd pairs only have a few. The 4th legs are also generally equal to or longer than the length of the 1st. The head and abdomen seem to appear more rectangular than Phlogius. They are slightly more docile than our other genus' and generally are obligate burrowers. Here is an example of a Selenotypus specimen
Selenotypus sp. female^
3. SELENOTHOLUS
These are a tiny bit tricky, they look like a fusion between Phlogius and Selenotypus with lots of fluff on all legs. They can be ID'd by the presence of whats called a "foveal groove". This is a small nook roughly in the middle of the top of the thorax. Here as an example of a Selenotholus specimen.
Selenotholus Kotzman female^
4.SELENOCOSMIA
These ones are a bit hard as some species tend to appear like other genus'. S.Stirlingi is the most widespread of all Australian tarantulas and looks a bit in shape like Selenotypus, however the 1st pair of legs is longer and thicker and the 4th and they lack any dense leg hair. I dont have any specimens to show as a reference but you can search them up.
5.COREMIOCNEMIS
These are probably the hardest to ID, they look alot like phlogius and have only been discovered in Australia pretty recently. I have a sling but it is hardly good comparison. Their adult size is a bit smaller than most Phlogius though so you may have to wait until they mature to disinguish them from a Phlogius specimen
Hope any Aussies reading this thread will benefit, but for more detailed information i strongly reccomend looking at Steve Nunn's website.
Fun Facts:
*All Aussie Ts are old world
*All Aussie Ts can hiss, some new species are even being nicknamed "rattlesnake tarantulas"
*No Aussie T species is known to kick urticating hairs
*Almost every species of theraphosid in Australia is brown in colour
*The biggest species, Phlogius Crassipes, grows to about 20-22cm (8") DLS
*The smallest known species, the pygmy rainforest tarantula, can be kept communally
*There is no truly arboreal species in Australia; some individuals may occupy tree hollows though
NOTE: I will also be referencing some of Steve Nunn's work, he has a more detailed version of this on his website.
1. PHLOGIUS
These T's are probably the best for getting into the hobby, they grow pretty fast, have a nice build and have deep, chocolate browns and grey colouration with lots of shine. Like all Aussie Ts, each species has a pretty uniform appearance making it difficult to identify them on a species level until fully mature, but phlogius have a fairly recogniseable build. The heads are somewhat round, and the feet of the 4th pairs of legs have a "crack" and bend in them. This can be viewed on a fresh molt or maybe if the spider is resting on the sides of it's enclosure. Here is an example of a phlogius specimen
P.Rubiseta female ^
2.SELENOTYPUS
These are what i would call a "true Australian tarantula", as they have a unique appearance compared to many other species and are endemic to Australia unlike Phlogius, Selenocosmia and Coremiocnemis. They are commonly referred to as 'Featherlegs' due to their 3rd and 4th pairs of legs being covered in fuffy hairs, while the 1st and 2nd pairs only have a few. The 4th legs are also generally equal to or longer than the length of the 1st. The head and abdomen seem to appear more rectangular than Phlogius. They are slightly more docile than our other genus' and generally are obligate burrowers. Here is an example of a Selenotypus specimen
Selenotypus sp. female^
3. SELENOTHOLUS
These are a tiny bit tricky, they look like a fusion between Phlogius and Selenotypus with lots of fluff on all legs. They can be ID'd by the presence of whats called a "foveal groove". This is a small nook roughly in the middle of the top of the thorax. Here as an example of a Selenotholus specimen.
Selenotholus Kotzman female^
4.SELENOCOSMIA
These ones are a bit hard as some species tend to appear like other genus'. S.Stirlingi is the most widespread of all Australian tarantulas and looks a bit in shape like Selenotypus, however the 1st pair of legs is longer and thicker and the 4th and they lack any dense leg hair. I dont have any specimens to show as a reference but you can search them up.
5.COREMIOCNEMIS
These are probably the hardest to ID, they look alot like phlogius and have only been discovered in Australia pretty recently. I have a sling but it is hardly good comparison. Their adult size is a bit smaller than most Phlogius though so you may have to wait until they mature to disinguish them from a Phlogius specimen
Hope any Aussies reading this thread will benefit, but for more detailed information i strongly reccomend looking at Steve Nunn's website.
Fun Facts:
*All Aussie Ts are old world
*All Aussie Ts can hiss, some new species are even being nicknamed "rattlesnake tarantulas"
*No Aussie T species is known to kick urticating hairs
*Almost every species of theraphosid in Australia is brown in colour
*The biggest species, Phlogius Crassipes, grows to about 20-22cm (8") DLS
*The smallest known species, the pygmy rainforest tarantula, can be kept communally
*There is no truly arboreal species in Australia; some individuals may occupy tree hollows though
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nice to have another Aussie here, there aren't many of us 
