P. irminia

[Abyss]

Soooooooo im thinking of adding P. irminia to my list. The pattern and color has grown on me a bit.
Im not a beginner so the venom an speed is of no concern.
But outside of that, im looking for opinions and info on this species?
I read that they are arboreal which is rite up my alley anyway although i always thought they were terestrial for some reason lol.

In specific:
1) full arboreal setup or do they prefer more of a semi-arboreal setup?
2) How big do they get?
3) i read they have a medium growth rate bug hows their appetite?
4) are they active or will they stay hidden mostly?
5) hows their webbing Compare to GBB for example?

Thanks in advance for info from anyone experienced with this species

 

[Venom1080]

def semi arboreal. they build their web tunnels underground but always are climbing when not hiding. i read 5-6" for adults. medium growth rate i disagree on, probably one of the fastest growing spiders i own. mine went from 1/2" in september to 3" now. stay hidden mostly, they seem to come out more as they grow however. not crazy webbers but they do web quite a bit. their appetites great, very good eaters.

 

[Abyss]

def semi arboreal. they build their web tunnels underground but always are climbing when not hiding. i read 5-6" for adults. medium growth rate i disagree on, probably one of the fastest growing spiders i own. mine went from 1/2" in september to 3" now. stay hidden mostly, they seem to come out more as they grow however. not crazy webbers but they do web quite a bit. their appetites great, very good eaters.

Thanks, thats more what i wanted to hear vs what i have read so far haha

 

[EulersK]

They're arboreal, yes, but you'd be surprised how much time they spend on the ground. They like to make long web tubes along the cork bark and usually burrow just an inch or two under the substrate. It will spend most of its time there.

1) Full arboreal with 2-3 inches of substrate
2) Huge sexual dimorphism on this one, so it depends
3) Terrible appetite in my experience, worst for an arboreal I've seen
4) Hidden, always. They're a ghost usually.
5) Not even a comparison to a GBB. Expect something along the lines of an avic, probably less.

Disclaimer: I don't keep many arboreals, but I've kept two of these (sac mates, both male)

Here's a picture showing the sexual dimorphism in this species. Huge size difference.

 

[Blackout14]

Yep venom1080 hit it on the head. Mine has a half a cork tube that goes from the bottom to the top of its enclosure and it has dug all the way to the bottom and can be seen anywere from the bottom to the top to out in the open...mine isn't too skittish will casually walk back to its hide if it doesn't want to be seen. Definatly fast growers I got mine 6 months ago at half and inch and it is already 3 and probably getting ready to molt again. Cool species

 

[Blackout14]

They're arboreal, yes, but you'd be surprised how much time they spend on the ground. They like to make long web tubes along the cork bark and usually burrow just an inch or two under the substrate. It will spend most of its time there.

1) Full arboreal with 2-3 inches of substrate
2) Huge sexual dimorphism on this one, so it depends
3) Terrible appetite in my experience, worst for an arboreal I've seen
4) Hidden, always. They're a ghost usually.
5) Not even a comparison to a GBB. Expect something along the lines of an avic, probably less.

On the burrowing this is exactly what mine has done

 

[Abyss]

Thanks all

 

[Red Eunice]

Soooooooo im thinking of adding P. irminia to my list. The pattern and color has grown on me a bit.
Im not a beginner so the venom an speed is of no concern.
But outside of that, im looking for opinions and info on this species?
I read that they are arboreal which is rite up my alley anyway although i always thought they were terestrial for some reason lol.

In specific:
1) full arboreal setup or do they prefer more of a semi-arboreal setup?
2) How big do they get?
3) i read they have a medium growth rate bug hows their appetite?
4) are they active or will they stay hidden mostly?
5) hows their webbing Compare to GBB for example?

Thanks in advance for info from anyone experienced with this species

I've a pair, raised from sling to now approx. 4 1/2". Beautiful species, really impressive stripping on their abdomen.
1) mine are in full arboreal setups, lots of room, currently 8X8X16 size. I have 3" topsoil in the base that monthly I moisten and let dry out. Of course theres a water dish thats kept full. Large cork piece with plenty of anchor points for webbing. See 5). Moderate cross ventilation, not as much as an avic requires.
2) full size 6"
3) IMO, medium growth rate, are good eaters (crickets/roaches), feeding 3-4 crickets or 2-3 large roaches weekly. Seldom turns down food, except of course in pre molt.
4) Very active with little light exposure, will bolt to web tube if their enclosure is disturbed, think H. maculata. Very fast and can be very defensive at times.
5) No where close to a GBB webbing. They basically construct a web wall at the base of the cork bark, add substrate to their liking and call it home. Mine have been seen at the very top doing minor webbing among the foliage.
I will add they are much more defensive than cambridgei and reduncus.

 

[Storm76]

CLICKY - pretty much everything you need to know to raise and keep them.

 

[mistertim]

I have a P. irminia sling and it's very reclusive, but that seems to be par for the course for that species.

 

[viper69]

Read Storm's excellent info

I don't consider them arboreal. Semi-at best. The ones I have owned are all SUPER photosensitive, MORE than any other T I've owned.

I own P. pulcher as well. I will say this now that I have owned 2 members of this genus. Irminia seem to prefer smaller prey than you would expect. IME. I had another one and despite its size, would never eat crix that it could easily take down. Once I gave it smaller prey, it ate OFTEN. They grow very fast IMO. My pulcher doesn't have issues w/prey size.

If you get a female, the colors will be amazing.

It's almost a pet hole too.

 

[Vezon]

Read Storm's excellent info

I don't consider them arboreal. Semi-at best. The ones I have owned are all SUPER photosensitive, MORE than any other T I've owned.

I own P. pulcher as well. I will say this now that I have owned 2 members of this genus. Irminia seem to prefer smaller prey than you would expect. IME. I had another one and despite its size, would never eat crix that it could easily take down. Once I gave it smaller prey, it ate OFTEN. They grow very fast IMO. My pulcher doesn't have issues w/prey size.

If you get a female, the colors will be amazing.

It's almost a pet hole too.

How reclusive is your P. pulcher? Mine is always out of its hide, and it doesn't really run until you tap the sides of the enclosure or something of that sort.

 

[Abyss]

Read Storm's excellent info

I don't consider them arboreal. Semi-at best. The ones I have owned are all SUPER photosensitive, MORE than any other T I've owned.

I own P. pulcher as well. I will say this now that I have owned 2 members of this genus. Irminia seem to prefer smaller prey than you would expect. IME. I had another one and despite its size, would never eat crix that it could easily take down. Once I gave it smaller prey, it ate OFTEN. They grow very fast IMO. My pulcher doesn't have issues w/prey size.

If you get a female, the colors will be amazing.

It's almost a pet hole too.

Thanks an Yea i read the link, it was a great read for sure

 

[Poec54]

i read 5-6" for adults.

From what I've seen 4 1/2" to 5" is more the norm.

 

[cold blood]

My advice, get a P. cam instead, they're bigger, out a ton more and grow even faster....and in person, they're pretty stunning IMO.

Psalms have pretty ridiculous feeding response, so expect a good eater out of an irminia (but P. cam is even more voracious).

I have both P. cam and irminia...I maybe see the irminia once or twice a month if I'm lucky now that she's an adult and a young male that's also as equally reclusive. I have 4 P. cams and I can see every single one any time I want...even when they hide I can see them.

0607152344

• cold blood
• Mar 24, 2016
• 3

irminia feet

1209142016

• cold blood
• Dec 12, 2014
• 1

This is "seeing" irminia...this is what I always see for a P. cam.

 

[Abyss]

My advice, get a P. cam instead, they're bigger, out a ton more and grow even faster....and in person, they're pretty stunning IMO.

Psalms have pretty ridiculous feeding response, so expect a good eater out of an irminia (but P. cam is even more voracious).

I have both P. cam and irminia...I maybe see the irminia once or twice a month if I'm lucky now that she's an adult and a young male that's also as equally reclusive. I have 4 P. cams and I can see every single one any time I want...even when they hide I can see them.

Will check then out too then thanks!

 

[EulersK]

Oh man, I wish I had gotten that advice when I was a beginner. P. irminia was such a dull spider to raise. Follow what @cold blood said, get a P. cambridgei.

 

[Trenor]

Oh man, I wish I had gotten that advice when I was a beginner. P. irminia was such a dull spider to raise. Follow what @cold blood said, get a P. cambridgei.

Was it really that bad? my little sling has been webbing and is out often. It is a lot more skittish then some of my other Ts but so far as a sling it's not been too dull.

 

[Poec54]

Was it really that bad? my little sling has been webbing and is out often. It is a lot more skittish then some of my other Ts but so far as a sling it's not been too dull.

Can you really evaluate a species by a sling?

 

[EulersK]

Was it really that bad? my little sling has been webbing and is out often. It is a lot more skittish then some of my other Ts but so far as a sling it's not been too dull.

The slings acted like just about any other sling. Once they became juvies, I never saw the darn things again. It wouldn't matter so much now, but at the time, I only had three tarantulas. That's really my main gripe. Oh, but I'll tell you, it sure taught me patience in this hobby.