It molted -- now what is it?

Mojo Jojo

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I posted a pic of an unidentified anphonopelma that I got 3 or 4 weeks ago. At the time, it was various shades of brown. Nobody could definitively say what species it was.

Well, I found that it had molted today, and the colors are totally different. Its abdomen is black with red setae, jet black femurs, and greyish black tibia and tarsus. The caripace is beigish black.

Here is the before pic:
 
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Mojo Jojo

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Here is the after picture:

What species is it?

Thanks,

Jon
 
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Mojo Jojo

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Ok, I'm almost certain that this is A. anax. Does anyone keep this species? If so, do you find that the spider turns brown before a molt?

Have you ever known it to raise its abdomen to a 90 degree angle to its carapace in a threat posture?

What is this species like?

Jon
 

Immortal_sin

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looks exactly like my A anax as well...however, I have an A hentzi that was just like that after he molted too.
Those damn Aphonopelmas just confusticate me!
 

Weapon-X

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re

i had 2 of those that a guy sent me from california is that a male? my males had red hairs on the abdomoen and looked exactly like that?, all he told me was that they were A. chalcode males--Jeff who knows though...
 

pategirl

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Here's my A. anax. Her bald spot's getting darker, so she should molt in the next few months. She hasn't eaten in a while either.
 

Mojo Jojo

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@ pategirl: Yours still looks like a juvi. If its abdomen is darkening up, I would think that it would molt within the next week or two. Please post a pic, though, after it does.


@ Weapon-X: Still too early to be sure. Its abdomen had already curled up and dried before I could look at the epigastric furrow. I might have to keep my options open regarding chalcodes. When I get time, I will do a google image search, as the pics on rick west's site make the carapace look too clean and bright blonde, in comparison to mine.


@ Immortal_sin: How bright were the red hairs on the abdomen of the hentzii when it had just molted?

Jon
 

Doug H

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BD

I have a A.chalcodes that does the 90degree abdomen threat.Its really funny like :mad: :mad: uohhh watch out or my big fat ass will get you. T's gotta love um
Doug
 

Immortal_sin

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Originally posted by Big Dragonfly

@ Immortal_sin: How bright were the red hairs on the abdomen of the hentzii when it had just molted?

Jon
not quite as bright as the A anax if I recall correctly...more of a copper tone as opposed to true red too.
I'll have to hunt up pics and compare them.
 

MizM

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My unidentified aphonopelma from the Vegas pet store did that! I called it the "stink bug" stance as we have big black beetles out here that will do that. Anyway, she's a major flicker, so I think she's just aiming her ammunition at me, armed and ready to flick. A lot of the U.S. Aphonoplemas are really difficult to differentiate, aren't they?
 

Wade

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Originally posted by MizM
A lot of the U.S. Aphonoplemas are really difficult to differentiate, aren't they?
Oh yeah! Impossible is more like it, a number of taxonomists are still arguing/researching this very problem. We're just guessing and comparing spiders here, fun, but not conclusive. Big Dragonfliy's spider looks alot like some small T's I collected about 60 miles south of Tucson, AZ that I'm still not sure about. Mine appear to be adult at about 3" legspan. I also collected mature males of the same species, that were about half the size of the A. chalcodes common in the same area.

Admittedly, it also looks like A. anax as well!

Wade
 

MizM

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Rick West is about the only person that I can count on to accurately make an identification. And... as an added bonus... he's a really nice guy. Drop him a line and a copy of the photo;

rick@.birdspiders.com
 
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