Latrodectus and Loxosceles keepers

[NYAN]

I would like to know who here keeps these species, especially in the United States. I would particularly like to know who has rarer species of these genus’ to figure out how many have the rarer species. For latrodectus, there seems to be a lot of Hesperus, hasselti, Bishopi, Hesperus mexicanus and geometricus, but not many others. I’ve only seen deserta, simmilima, reclusa and laeta for Loxosceles.

In my own collection, I have no Loxosceles yet, but keep Hesperus, hasselti and geometricus.

 

[chanda]

I keep Latrodectus hesperus and I currently have a couple of wild-caught Loxosceles sp. from Tucson - possibly L. arizonica, but I'm not certain. I have previously kept Loxosceles reclusa but opted not to breed them and they eventually died on me. I also sometimes keep Latrodectus geometricus though I do not currently have any of those. (Both L. geometricus and L. hesperus are so common out here that I can go out and grab one pretty much whenever I want, so there's not a lot of incentive to keep them. When I finished teaching my last session of summer classes in July, I released a lot of my locally-caught spiders and insects, including my geometricus, just so my husband would have fewer things to take care of while I took the kids on a road trip through the national parks.)

 

[NYAN]

I keep Latrodectus hesperus and I currently have a couple of wild-caught Loxosceles sp. from Tucson - possibly L. arizonica, but I'm not certain. I have previously kept Loxosceles reclusa but opted not to breed them and they eventually died on me. I also sometimes keep Latrodectus geometricus though I do not currently have any of those. (Both L. geometricus and L. hesperus are so common out here that I can go out and grab one pretty much whenever I want, so there's not a lot of incentive to keep them. When I finished teaching my last session of summer classes in July, I released a lot of my locally-caught spiders and insects, including my geometricus, just so my husband would have fewer things to take care of while I took the kids on a road trip through the national parks.)

Loxosceles sabina is Found in Tucson. I remember you saying how you captured some on your trip. That’s cool that you still have them. You may be one of the only hobbyists who keep them. Do you know if you have a pair?

 

[chanda]

Loxosceles sabina is Found in Tucson. I remember you saying how you captured some on your trip. That’s cool that you still have them. You may be one of the only hobbyists who keep them. Do you know if you have a pair?

Yes, I believe one is male and the other female - but I'm keeping the in separate containers, because I don't really want a whole bunch of babies. (Of course, it's always possible that the female, being wild caught, is already gravid - but if so, she has not done anything about it in the past three months.)

I hadn't considered L. sabina, but it's certainly possible. (I'd forgotten about that one - was just guessing that L. arizonica seemed more likely than L. apachea or L. deserta based on location.) Do you know how to tell L. sabina apart from L. arizonica?

 

[NYAN]

Yes, I believe one is male and the other female - but I'm keeping the in separate containers, because I don't really want a whole bunch of babies. (Of course, it's always possible that the female, being wild caught, is already gravid - but if so, she has not done anything about it in the past three months.)

I hadn't considered L. sabina, but it's certainly possible. Do you know how to tell them apart from L. arizonica?

Since they are closely related, you would need to use a microscope to dissect and key out the reproductive organs to tell them apart, I believe. I’ll bet you could find people to buy the slings if you were to breed them.

 

[chanda]

Since they are closely related, you would need to use a microscope to dissect and key out the reproductive organs to tell them apart, I believe. I’ll bet you could find people to buy the slings if you were to breed them.

Possibly, but as you said, not too many people keep Loxosceles species in the first place. If I didn't have any takers, I'd have no choice but to just let the babies eat each other, because I'm not about to release anything that isn't local. For that matter, with something with a potentially significant venom, I'd be a little reluctant to sell the babies anyway, just in case the buyer was not so responsible and ended up accidentally (or intentionally) releasing them. If they can survive in Tucson, I'm sure they could also survive in SoCal - and I'd hate to be the one who was ultimately responsible for a population getting established out here.

 

[NYAN]

Possibly, but as you said, not too many people keep Loxosceles species in the first place. If I didn't have any takers, I'd have no choice but to just let the babies eat each other, because I'm not about to release anything that isn't local. For that matter, with something with a potentially significant venom, I'd be a little reluctant to sell the babies anyway, just in case the buyer was not so responsible and ended up accidentally (or intentionally) releasing them. If they can survive in Tucson, I'm sure they could also survive in SoCal - and I'd hate to be the one who was ultimately responsible for a population getting established out here.

You make some good points.

 

[pannaking22]

I find the occasional Loxosceles devia down here, but haven't collected enough to get a breeding group.

 

[Hardus nameous]

I have a few Loxosceles reclusa I caught in various rooms in my house. I figured why not keep a few even though I see them around the house daily.

 

[AngelDeVille]

I'm not even sure of the species I have, maybe hesperus?

There are some beautiful species but I just stick to the ones I can catch 3 feet from my front door.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I've collected an unfinished number of Loxosceles rufescens (basically endemic, here) in the past, waaaay back then, but eventually I always ended in releasing those. In my cellar/garages there's a lot of spiders, including those L.rufescens... but in all honesty I have absolutely no interest anyway into non Theraphosidae non Mygalomorphae spiders

Here in Italy we also have Latrodectus tredecimguttatus, the Mediterranean 'cousin' of L.mactans, living here in the northern part, mostly in Liguria region woods, but no one here in Italy can (legally) keep at home potentially lethal/lethal arachnids, after 2003.

 

[Joogvanhedel]

I have Latrodectus hasselti, geometricus, mactans mex, Loxosceles reclusa and laeta (simmilima is on the way to me )

 

[Widowman10]

I have seen many different Latro species in the trade over the years. They seem to come in waves (maybe from imports?) and then disappear. I also know of a few people that keep the exotic species, but don't post or check in very regularly here. If you can snag them when they pop up, and keep them going, you can end up with a pretty nice collection over time.

 

[NYAN]

I have seen many different Latro species in the trade over the years. They seem to come in waves (maybe from imports?) and then disappear. I also know of a few people that keep the exotic species, but don't post or check in very regularly here. If you can snag them when they pop up, and keep them going, you can end up with a pretty nice collection over time.

For sure. I hope to snatch some up soon