P. irminia

[Python]

I have searched for this several times and come up with a ton of price lists and photos, but no answers to my questions. I would like to know how you can tell if an irminia is mature. I have one that is about 4 inches or so at the moment and as skinny and lanky it is, I would guess it's a male (I know I know, the exuvium was destroyed during the last molt and I have nothing else to go on.) Do the males have hooks? I notice it doesn't hide anymore since it molted unless I spook it. I have kept these before but I don't know much about the differences in the sexes, sizes, ages, stuff like that. Any input would be great. Like I say, the keeping aspect I already have a good idea about. I'm just wondering about the ultimate molts and the growth rates and stuff. Thanks for the help up front.

 

[Talkenlate04]

I dont think P. irminia have hooks. I have never seen a mature male though, but even if they dont have hooks you will see the end of his palps change dramatically. When mature the last segment will fold back the palps will seem shorter because he now is carrying his sexual organs. The bulb like structure is hard to miss on a mature T.
You should take a picture........

 

[secular]

i have what i believe to be a mature male P. irminia. i might be crazy but i'm pretty sure he has some very visible hooks like other males i have around. he's probably about 5" or perhaps a little larger when stretching out. at this point he spends most of his time endlessly wandering the inside of his exo-terra. it makes me kinda tired just watching him. doesn't eat much anymore either. prior to that he spent all of his time inside his tube web. never been sexed via exuvium since i never managed to get one that wasn't wrecked either (as well as he has only molted twice in my care). at any rate it seems to me all signs point to male and as i mentioned.. i think i can see some hooks.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Look for his sexual organs at the end of the palps those are hard to miss cause I have no idea if they have hooks or not.
And get a picture!

 

[SpiderZone2]

If you can get a pic and post it ..........just maybe someone here on the boards can sex it for you

 

[Bob Bohnet]

Yes, P. irminia does have tibial apophyses, "hooks", when mature. The embolus on the end of the pedipalp will also be visable at this time.

 

[julesaussies]

Helpful Pictures??

Okay, i definitely don't know enough to answer this question but i found some pics that may be helpful. There are several pics of male and females in the Breeding Reports.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=58231

i didn't look close enough to see if any hooks were visible on the male but he definitely had the typical palps of a mature male. The most obvious difference i noticed was color, amount of hair, body sturcture. Not sure if this is actually a difference or caused by the flash of the camera or anything. i also suppose individual spiders could vary... i really don't know. Anyway, i thought the males and females looked very different. i just thought the pics in the post might help.

i've got six slings so i will be curious to learn more myself so i will know when they grow up! Hope this helps a little.

jules

 

[Python]

Thanks for the great replies. I was't looking to sex it or a anything like that. There's plenty of time for that later. I was just surprised at the lack of serious information there way available here. I noticed there was no shortage of photos, and even people posting to say that they were selling one, just no one actually telling how to keep them, size, housing requirments, etc. I know they are fairly popular so why do you suppose there is such a lack of info on them? My own personal theory is that, due to the nature of the beast so to speak, anyone keeping them already knows most of what they need to know about these little speed freaks before they get them so there's no need to ask.?. Anyway, I'm still not 100% on the whole hooks issue since even the photos dont really show anything conclussive. Oh well, Maybe we can find out for sure and lay th issue to rest. Well, thnks again.

 

[syndicate]

you'll know when he matuers if it is a male.they become a very nice charcoil color and loose that jetblack look

 

[Gesticulator]

P irminia are sexually dimorphic. As Syndicate said, the mature males are a faded grey color as opposed to thier vividly colored female counterparts. As far as I know, Psalmopoeus males do not posess tibial hooks. Or perhaps they just too small to be noticeable? Note the stubbiness of the palps on the male.

 

[Talkenlate04]

I did not think they had hooks ether but someone sent me a picture up close showing they did...... I deleted it though..... Now I have to verify cause I still dont know if I am wrong or right.

I stand corrected they do have them.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=28967&highlight=tibial+hooks

 

[Python]

Well, judging from that picture, mine might be female. It looks just like the one on the left in that pic. At what stage do the males turn that grey color? Or maybe they always have that grey color? I don't know. I was just curious about them. How hard are they to breed and raise the young? I don't have any plans on doing that I am just curious. I want to know everything! LOL.