Orphnaecus sp. "Panay Blue" - arboreal tendency change? Webbing Q

[edesign]

I bought mine locally a year ago as a small sling. It's now about 1.25"/3 cm but I have no idea when the last molt was. When I brought it home and rehouse it it created a burrow with a nice volcano sticking out of the ground and remained that way until maybe 2-3 weeks ago. I noticed that it has recently been expanding a sheet of web away from the mouth of the volcano using the lid and walls as an anchor point.

I have read that these can have some arboreal tendencies but I wasn't expecting it just yet. At what size do they tend to start webbing higher?

I want to rehouse it soon but am debating on exactly which enclosure type to put it in (I have a few go-to enclosures that I like to buy depending on the spider).

I'm considering trying it out in a Bugarium that I bought for a price too cheap to pass up with the supplies it came with. They are a 3G glass enclosure measuring 8" x 8" x 11" with access via the lid only. It's a bit big for it right now but I think it'll be fine with plenty of room to grow. I would fill it about 2/3 of the way with substrate and leave the rest as a buffer to the lid and to allow for above ground webbing.

Kinda rambling. Just looking for experiences from others with this particular member of the Orphnaecus genus about when/whether theirs went arboreal at all and at what stage and how much. Thanks!

Edit: Found this link that advan posted in an OW thread. I forgot that I own that copy of Arachne. Too bad i don't read the language Google Translator is gonna get a workout...and probably cause some head-scratching. It's not perfect lol

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/genus-orphnaecus.43849/page-3#post-1243108

 

[Andrea82]

I bought mine locally a year ago as a small sling. It's now about 1.25"/3 cm but I have no idea when the last molt was. When I brought it home and rehouse it it created a burrow with a nice volcano sticking out of the ground and remained that way until maybe 2-3 weeks ago. I noticed that it has recently been expanding a sheet of web away from the mouth of the volcano using the lid and walls as an anchor point.

I have read that these can have some arboreal tendencies but I wasn't expecting it just yet. At what size do they tend to start webbing higher?

I want to rehouse it soon but am debating on exactly which enclosure type to put it in (I have a few go-to enclosures that I like to buy depending on the spider).

I'm considering trying it out in a Bugarium that I bought for a price too cheap to pass up with the supplies it came with. They are a 3G glass enclosure measuring 8" x 8" x 11" with access via the lid only. It's a bit big for it right now but I think it'll be fine with plenty of room to grow. I would fill it about 2/3 of the way with substrate and leave the rest as a buffer to the lid and to allow for above ground webbing.

Kinda rambling. Just looking for experiences from others with this particular member of the Orphnaecus genus about when/whether theirs went arboreal at all and at what stage and how much. Thanks!

Edit: Found this link that advan posted in an OW thread. I forgot that I own that copy of Arachne. Too bad i don't read the language Google Translator is gonna get a workout...and probably cause some head-scratching. It's not perfect lol

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/genus-orphnaecus.43849/page-3#post-1243108

I love that thread. They were actually using the sales profits to help the species in its natural habitat
My sling is only two cm dls, but already has the volcano thing with webbing trails going on. It looks like a sea of mist around a volcano top. i have a potato cam, otherwise i would upload a picture.

 

[Venom1080]

well, usually you can tell just from looking at it whether its arboreal or not. id keep it like a burrower still.

 

[edesign]

I just spent the last couple of hours typing that entire 15,000+ character article in to Google Translate using the German keyboard to get all the words right. I could've culled it to about 1/3 of that to get the pertinent info lol. Long story short, Krehenwinkel says they resemble Psalmopoeus more-so than other Orphnaecus. The photo in one of the figures of an adult male does indeed give that impression but I can't tell with my sling, when I can see it anyway, nor with the one on the cover. He said they were found exclusively in trees with the tarsi and metatarsi "broadly scopulated" unlike the other known Orphnaecus species. Looking at photos of the various species in the Orphnaecus genus photo thread nothing about the supposed arboreal scream, "Arboreal!" to me like Avics, pokies, Psalmos, or Iridos do. They look similar to the other Orphnaecus which are terrestrial, maybe slightly less stout. I might be mostly blind though, it is my day off

Says they live very scattered unlike other Orphnaecus species possibly due to location of hides, preferring bamboo pipes and hollow tree trunks (live and dead). I'll recreate that when I rehouse it and see how it goes. Doesn't mention slings specifically but I'll give it some substrate to burrow in if it prefers. I was just curious if the recent increase in webbing beyond its burrow was an indication of it maybe wanting to move upwards. It sits on it some nights.

I love that thread. They were actually using the sales profits to help the species in its natural habitat
My sling is only two cm dls, but already has the volcano thing with webbing trails going on. It looks like a sea of mist around a volcano top. i have a potato cam, otherwise i would upload a picture.

Yeah, Krehenwinkel mentions the P.E.S.C.P. (Philippine Endemic Species Conservation Project). All of the proceeds from the sales of slings from the spiders he exported were sent back to them as well. He also touches on the ecotourism available there and that the money spent goes towards protecting the remaining rainforests on Panay...doable for about 16 Euros a day as of publication date (Sept. 2008).

 

[Andrea82]

I just spent the last couple of hours typing that entire 15,000+ character article in to Google Translate using the German keyboard to get all the words right. I could've culled it to about 1/3 of that to get the pertinent info lol. Long story short, Krehenwinkel says they resemble Psalmopoeus more-so than other Orphnaecus. The photo in one of the figures of an adult male does indeed give that impression but I can't tell with my sling, when I can see it anyway, nor with the one on the cover. He said they were found exclusively in trees with the tarsi and metatarsi "broadly scopulated" unlike the other known Orphnaecus species. Looking at photos of the various species in the Orphnaecus genus photo thread nothing about the supposed arboreal scream, "Arboreal!" to me like Avics, pokies, Psalmos, or Iridos do. They look similar to the other Orphnaecus which are terrestrial, maybe slightly less stout. I might be mostly blind though, it is my day off

Says they live very scattered unlike other Orphnaecus species possibly due to location of hides, preferring bamboo pipes and hollow tree trunks (live and dead). I'll recreate that when I rehouse it and see how it goes. Doesn't mention slings specifically but I'll give it some substrate to burrow in if it prefers. I was just curious if the recent increase in webbing beyond its burrow was an indication of it maybe wanting to move upwards. It sits on it some nights.



Yeah, Krehenwinkel mentions the P.E.S.C.P. (Philippine Endemic Species Conservation Project). All of the proceeds from the sales of slings from the spiders he exported were sent back to them as well. He also touches on the ecotourism available there and that the money spent goes towards protecting the remaining rainforests on Panay...doable for about 16 Euros a day as of publication date (Sept. 2008).

Thank you for posting this info!

 

[awiec]

Mine has never webbed higher, she has piled dirt a little higher along side the cork but always stays in a burrow.

 

[cold blood]

Lol, I raised 2 that acted arboreal from the get go...now they had a web tube that went to the sub, but their exit holes and corresponding web mats were always elevated.

 

[KezyGLA]

I just got a couple a month or so ago. One went arboreal straight away and the other dug deep aha

 

[edesign]

Well, I rehoused it today and posted a photo. It was pretty obvious after someone mentioned that it's from Africa and not an Orphnaecus. I wasn't paying close attention to the photos I had taken. It had some orange-ish legs like some photos but the abdominal pattern is definitely African. Possibly P. lugardi...Africa, Philippines, easy to mix those up I bought it from a LPS that I buy my cork bark from. Otoh, I still want an Orphnaecus sp. "Panay Blue" or whatever they're calling them now so not a complete waste of a post lol. Thanks for the info everyone!

I'll add the following from what I translated regarding coloration for future reference.

"Their basic color is black, gray, or brown, and they often bear red long hair on the opisthoma and the legs. The dorsal shield is light brown, shimmers golden metallic, and the legs have a distinctly white-yellow transverse derision striation at the tip of the metatarsus, tibia, patella, and femur. Freshly molted animals have a pronounced blue, metallic shimmer. In some animals the latter fades back some time after the molt, but in others it remains until the next molt."
- Krehenwinkel, Arachne, Sept. 2008

 

[Andrea82]

O.sp. Blue Panay is blueish.....not brown with reddish hairs...

 

[edesign]

Ah, but that's not true/partially true based on the color description above The article is by the guy who "discovered" them (I'm sure locals knew them long before). I hope he got it right. He worked with Volker Von Wirth, I suspect he knows what he's describing Also, see the following photos, one is from the AB FB group with no blue at all, not all blue.

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/genus-orphnaecus.43849/page-3#post-1243108

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/genus-orphnaecus.43849/page-4#post-2153173

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...009110180739&set=p.1762397884073867&source=47

http://www.urizoo.com/Community/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=114

 

[Andrea82]

Are you sure the Orphnaecus in the second link is a Blue Panay? There are multiple species shown in that thread.
I'm by no means an expert on these, not even very knowledgeable, I got a sling of this species as a freebie some weeks ago and did some research since it is my first Asian OW, and was completely unexpected.

 

[edesign]

Are you sure the Orphnaecus in the second link is a Blue Panay? There are multiple species shown in that thread.
I'm by no means an expert on these, not even very knowledgeable, I got a sling of this species as a freebie some weeks ago and did some research since it is my first Asian OW, and was completely unexpected.

I would trust syndicate to post the right spider Brock's photo in the FB group link is almost orange. This species' common name appears to be misleading at times. Certainly not a ton of info on them and this species still has not been officially described so there's probably a bit more to learn about them.

Good luck with your freebie! Lucky!

 

[Andrea82]

The orange forms are another species, is it not?

I had mixed feelings about the freebie to be honest. I've only recently been getting into more feisty NW and OW species, with getting members of the Ephebopus genus, a P.muticus and a E.pachypus.
Not sure if i am ready for an OW
'sniper', but i can always sell it if it proves to be too much. It grows rapidly though! I've had it since february i think, and it already molted twice!
I love its work though, it looks quite beautiful with the fine webbing volcano thingy.

 

[edesign]

The orange forms are another species, is it not?

Correct, O. philippinus, and are burrowers.

I had mixed feelings about the freebie to be honest. I've only recently been getting into more feisty NW and OW species, with getting members of the Ephebopus genus, a P.muticus and a E.pachypus.
Not sure if i am ready for an OW
'sniper', but i can always sell it if it proves to be too much. It grows rapidly though! I've had it since february i think, and it already molted twice!
I love its work though, it looks quite beautiful with the fine webbing volcano thingy.

At least you were sent a small one but even the little ones are ridiculously fast. I received a Chilobrachys sp. "Electric Blue" as a freebie recently. I have OW arboreals and just the one terrestrial that was the subject of this thread. It was much more at home running across the floor than any arboreal and it took off running from the shipping vial with just the slightest touch. Even though I was ready it still managed to go a few feet before I could react. Saved by a random crumpled piece of floor clutter that it took refuge under lol (my T room floor is actually pretty clutter free but I've taken to putting such things down during rehouses for just that reason Towels, rags, anything a T might hide under).

 

[awiec]

Ah, but that's not true/partially true based on the color description above The article is by the guy who "discovered" them (I'm sure locals knew them long before). I hope he got it right. He worked with Volker Von Wirth, I suspect he knows what he's describing Also, see the following photos, one is from the AB FB group with no blue at all, not all blue.

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/genus-orphnaecus.43849/page-3#post-1243108

http://arachnoboards.com/threads/genus-orphnaecus.43849/page-4#post-2153173

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...009110180739&set=p.1762397884073867&source=47

http://www.urizoo.com/Community/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=114

They are really only blue after molting and it varies between individuals how long they stay that way, otherwise they are a chocolatey color. Here is what my adult female looks like most of the time, whenever I see her out, though there is some minor blue highlights on her front legs:

 

[Andrea82]

Correct, O. philippinus, and are burrowers.



At least you were sent a small one but even the little ones are ridiculously fast. I received a Chilobrachys sp. "Electric Blue" as a freebie recently. I have OW arboreals and just the one terrestrial that was the subject of is thread. It was much more at home running across the floor than any arboreal and it took off running from the shipping vial with just the slightest touch. Even though I was ready it still managed to go a few feet before I could react. Saved by a random crumpled piece of floor clutter that it took refuge under lol (my T room floor is actually pretty clutter free but I've taken to putting such things down during rehouses for just that reason Towels, rags, anything a T might hide under).

You got a C.sp Electric Blue as a freebie??? Those slings go for like 250€ around here...what did you get that was worth that much to get a freebie of that species, an island?!

I housed the Orphnaecus in a bigger enclosure so i wouldn't have to deal with that for any time soon.
I put the vial it came in in the new enclosure, which i put in a bigger tub, which i put in a bigger tub of which i had the lid ready, and had it surrounded by catch cups.
And this for a cm DLS sling....
I've experienced an escape with a P.irminia, and that had me sweating, so i really really really don't want this one to do a runner on me. Fortunately it retreats in its burrow at the slightest disturbance, so i can do maintenance easily.

 

[edesign]

Thanks for the photo awiec! I think that's where people get confused, the color right after a molt and possible subsequent fading to the base colors. Looks to match the description from Arachne perfectly!

You got a C.sp Electric Blue as a freebie??? Those slings go for like 250€ around here...what did you get that was worth that much to get a freebie of that species, an island?!

I housed the Orphnaecus in a bigger enclosure so i wouldn't have to deal with that for any time soon.
I put the vial it came in in the new enclosure, which i put in a bigger tub, which i put in a bigger tub of which i had the lid ready, and had it surrounded by catch cups.
And this for a cm DLS sling....
I've experienced an escape with a P.irminia, and that had me sweating, so i really really really don't want this one to do a runner on me. Fortunately it retreats in its burrow at the slightest disturbance, so i can do maintenance easily.

Actually, it was less than half what I spent with them on the previous order which was $500 USD (got a couple freebies with that one too). I was just as surprised to see it as you were to read it lol. I am truly grateful for it. Certainly was unexpected.

I don't blame ya on the precautions lol. Nobody wants to lose a T in their home especially an OW or Psalmo. I got a 3" female irminia recently. Only rehousing I've had to give up on and just put the shipping tube in the new tank and wait overnight...she was still in it the next morning lol.

 

[awiec]

You got a C.sp Electric Blue as a freebie??? Those slings go for like 250€ around here...what did you get that was worth that much to get a freebie of that species, an island?!

I housed the Orphnaecus in a bigger enclosure so i wouldn't have to deal with that for any time soon.
I put the vial it came in in the new enclosure, which i put in a bigger tub, which i put in a bigger tub of which i had the lid ready, and had it surrounded by catch cups.
And this for a cm DLS sling....
I've experienced an escape with a P.irminia, and that had me sweating, so i really really really don't want this one to do a runner on me. Fortunately it retreats in its burrow at the slightest disturbance, so i can do maintenance easily.

From my own experience and what I've read from others, they are pretty laid back and are ideal asian burrower to start off with as their venom is not as strong as most other OW or they are just that reluctant to bite.

 

[Andrea82]

From my own experience and what I've read from others, they are pretty laid back and are ideal asian burrower to start off with as their venom is not as strong as most other OW or they are just that reluctant to bite.

Thank you for this, that's a comfort to know. Not that i'll get complacent with this species of course, but still good to know it is not the absolute spawn from hell i thought it was. I like the colour of the one in your picture. Very velvety, almost a purple brownish colour