Phormictopus cancerides juvie, looks a bit different than a normal one?

[antinous]

Question, my 2" (or so) Phormictopus cancerides juvie molted recently and I was wondering if it looks like a normal one, opposed to a 'unique' looking one. It's sibling just looks a bit more brown that it currently and this one is giving off more a greenish coloration (still hanging onto it's sling coloration?). Thought it looked pretty cool anyways, just wanted to get some opinions. Post photos of your P. cancerides juvies as well if you have them! Also, care to guess the size of it? It's standing next to a half buried bottle cap for size reference.

(This one will be bumped up to a larger enclosure once it's done feeding for the first time after the molt)

 

[EulersK]

Slings are nortotriously difficult to guess the species. Yours should start showing at least a little purple within a molt or two, and these things grow very fast as slings and young juvies. They only slow down at roughly 3", at which point they're clearly purple.

I'll try and remember to post a couple pictures of mine when I get home. Tag me if I forget In the meantime, here is one when it was about that size. Note the lateral stripes on the rear legs - yours appears to have that, and it's a unique characteristic. That being said, I think you're good.

 

[viper69]

I'm not saying they don't look different in person, I cannot tell that obviously.

Giving that T setae is naturally iridescent, and your images appear (maybe not the case??) to have different lightning, one could make the case that the one on the left is only brighter due to bright light and perhaps the camera was at a different angle (which can make 1 T look like a totally different specimen, I've seen that w/other images, and my own).

Was the camera at the exact same angle between shots? If it wasn't on a tripod, ie fixed mount, then there's no way of knowing that.

Also, as you may know, freshly molted Ts typically have brighter colors, not so dull. Has the one on the right molted right along w/the other one?

The one on the left only looks brighter green to me because the image itself is brighter.

 

[antinous]

I apologize for not saying this before, but they're both the same T, one pic with flash the other without. It's molted approx. two weeks ago. I don't have a photo of the other one in hand.

 

[antinous]

Also, I do know it's 100% a P. cancerides, I was just curious if you could tell if it'll be more 'greenish', 'brownish', or 'purpleish' when it's a juvie. Thanks for the posts!

 

[antinous]

Also, if I may ask, what size would you say it is if you had to guess?

 

[Poec54]

Giving that T setae is naturally iridescent, and your images appear (maybe not the case??) to have different lightning, one could make the case that the one on the left is only brighter due to bright light and perhaps the camera was at a different angle (which can make 1 T look like a totally different specimen, I've seen that w/other images, and my own).

Also, as you may know, freshly molted Ts typically have brighter colors, not so dull. Has the one on the right molted right along w/the other one?

The one on the left only looks brighter green to me because the image itself is brighter.

They vary for the above reasons. I suspect that immature males tend to have a little more coloring too. Relax.

 

[EulersK]

Going along with @viper69's point on iridescence, these pictures turned out almost amber. The spider is very much purple, I promise you.

 

[antinous]

Going along with @viper69's point on iridescence, these pictures turned out almost amber. The spider is very much purple, I promise you.

View attachment 218754

View attachment 218755

Is that a P. cancerides? It's beautiful!

 

[EulersK]

Indeed it is a cancerides. I'm actually disappointed at how it's photographing - even on my phone, it comes out that brown/amber color. Strange.

 

[antinous]

Indeed it is a cancerides. I'm actually disappointed at how it's photographing - even on my phone, it comes out that brown/amber color. Strange.

You should breed it when it's larger, I wouldn't mind having a few of the offspring haha

 

[Blue Jaye]

My P.canceridies went from a dark blue sling to a dark brown juve, to a rust/orange/ light brown adult. Now she looks like this . They go through a few color stages.