Watched my first moult

[Dangergirl]

Awesome ... just watched my pulchra moult ... never seen it in real life so pretty exciting

Just thought I'd share

Now I can hopefully sex it too

 

[NikiP]

Congrats! I just caught my first one earlier in the week. My P. cambridgei was molting upright Was nice to see more then a skin kicked out of a hide.

 

[Dangergirl]

Managed to get these pics of Shaun moulting in his coconut ...

OK, here it is ... can anyone advise on sex still a newbie at this

 

[KoriTamashii]

Why does it look to me like you dissected the molt?

Congrats on seeing it, though. Turns me into a curious little kid every time I catch one of mine molting.

 

[AmbushArachnids]

You need to flip over the molt. We cant tell from those photos.

 

[Titandan]

It's a frowning face... So I guess it's a girl!

I'm kidding! LOL! What does frowning face mean?

 

[Dangergirl]

Thats the way I found the moult LOL. No dissecting !!
Yup, Tommy told me I had to turn it over so here it is again ...

 

[2oCHEVYo0]

idk, a way closer shot maybe between the first set of book lungs. like get all up in there n wat not ;P lol

 

[Ictinike]

I've sexed all mine from molts just as you have them and based on what I see, which isn't much, I would say male.

I see no evidence of Spermathecae which indicates a female. It also may be just too young to see them so keep checking each molt and there will be a point you'll know 100%

 

[Hentzi]

Probably a little under developed to tell accurately yet just have to be patient and wit for another molt

 

[AmbushArachnids]

I have looked at molts under a microscope. That looks just like my G. pulchipes male. IMO i say 80% male. The small patch of hairs is a big give away. Along with the overall ventral shape. You cant really see the spermathecae. But i doubt you could with the naked eye even if it is a female. On small molts at 3/4" I have found spermathecae(GBB, B. emilia, G. pulchripes). It is 2 flaps (or one thats not yet fully shaped in some younger specimens) instead of one complete flap because they have not developed.

EDIT: I was just peeking on my 1" G. pulchripes molt via microscope. I know its not the same sp. But its spermathecae is totally invisible to the naked eye. Its about 4 to 5 hair widths long!! Wow thats small. And looking closer at the venteral hair in comparison between my male and female. (Both 1" molts) There is not a a visible difference even under a scope. Just not enough development.. So my final take on this: Im eating my own words. YOU CANNOT SEX YOUR T FROM THOSE PHOTOS. Fact is.. Its as good as flipping a coin. You need a microscope.

 

[Ictinike]

YOU CANNOT SEX YOUR T FROM THOSE PHOTOS. Fact is.. Its as good as flipping a coin. You need a microscope.

I agree.. It's either male of non visible female so just nurture it and once it's big enough you'll know for sure. In adult females it becomes a point where you don't even need a scope to see it and they just "stick out" literally.

My B. smithi was known to be a female but I like to scope them anyways just for confirmation and something to do but when I pulled it from the glass it was soaking in the way the exuvia folded over on itself kinda stuck those "shrek ears" straight up and I kinda chuckled "no need for a scope this time". She's now about 3-4" DLS.

Dangergirl,

Read this thread about G. pulchra spermathecae and as you can see even with a 100x scope it's very hard at that size.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=165314