Who molted today?

[l4nsky]

0.1 P. met I was hoping for a double clutch from and 0.1 P. muticus which was actually a surprise.

 

[emartinm28]

Within the last couple weeks:
0.0.1 Acanthoscurria geniculata
0.0.1 Aphonopelma chalcodes
0.0.1 Aphonopelma moderatum
0.0.1 Aphonopelma sp. Bosque Primavera
0.0.1 Aphonopelma sp. Tamaulipas
0.0.1 Caribena laeta
0.0.1 Caribena versicolor
0.0.1 Dolicothele diamantinensis
0.0.1 Harpactira pulchripes
0.0.1 Pelinobius muticus
0.0.1 Poecilotheria metallica
0.0.1 Psalmopoeus pulcher
0.0.1 Tliltocatl albopilosus

 

[Craig73]

Within the last couple weeks:
0.0.1 Acanthoscurria geniculata
0.0.1 Aphonopelma chalcodes
0.0.1 Aphonopelma moderatum
0.0.1 Aphonopelma sp. Bosque Primavera
0.0.1 Aphonopelma sp. Tamaulipas
0.0.1 Caribena laeta
0.0.1 Caribena versicolor
0.0.1 Dolicothele diamantinensis
0.0.1 Harpactira pulchripes
0.0.1 Pelinobius muticus
0.0.1 Poecilotheria metallica
0.0.1 Psalmopoeus pulcher
0.0.1 Tliltocatl albopilosus

You’ve had quite the month, congrats!

 

[l4nsky]

Within the last couple weeks:
0.0.1 Acanthoscurria geniculata
0.0.1 Aphonopelma chalcodes
0.0.1 Aphonopelma moderatum
0.0.1 Aphonopelma sp. Bosque Primavera
0.0.1 Aphonopelma sp. Tamaulipas
0.0.1 Caribena laeta
0.0.1 Caribena versicolor
0.0.1 Dolicothele diamantinensis
0.0.1 Harpactira pulchripes
0.0.1 Pelinobius muticus
0.0.1 Poecilotheria metallica
0.0.1 Psalmopoeus pulcher
0.0.1 Tliltocatl albopilosus

Nice! Any sexable or are they still all slings?

 

[emartinm28]

Nice! Any sexable or are they still all slings?

The P. metallica and P. pulcher are suspect female. The A. moderatum, D. diamantinensis, H. pulchripes and T. albo are suspect male. I suck at softening molts though, I either rip or dissolve them every time...

 

[l4nsky]

The P. metallica and P. pulcher are suspect female. The A. moderatum, D. diamantinensis, H. pulchripes and T. albo are suspect male. I suck at softening molts though, I either rip or dissolve them every time...

How are you softening your molts? What I do is get a glass, put a drop of Dawn dish soap in (the soap really diminishes the water's surface tension, allowing the light molts to sink a bit to absorb more water and become pliable), fill with warm water, remove all the suds, place the molt in, gently dunk it a few times underwater, and then let them soak for 10 minutes or so. Afterwards, I'll pull them out and GENTLY sandwich them between some paper towels to remove a lot of the moisture, using small scrap pieces of paper towel to remove more moisture as I unroll them. I have a few tricks I use for sexing molts as well. I have a 2" foam board that I will pin the molt to (usually in the back two leg sockets as the tough exoskeleton makes it less likely to tear off the board). I use blunted needles to tease the molt open under magnification (usually my phone camera zoomed in TBH). When I'm doing this, I'll keep my hands steady on the table and just try to use small and fluid finger motions to work with the molt. I'll also cut a bit off the (wet and pliable) molt between the last pair of book lungs and the spinnerets to reduce the risk of the molt tearing under its own weight as I manipulate it. Hope that helps.

 

[emartinm28]

How are you softening your molts? What I do is get a glass, put a drop of Dawn dish soap in (the soap really diminishes the water's surface tension, allowing the light molts to sink a bit to absorb more water and become pliable), fill with warm water, remove all the suds, place the molt in, gently dunk it a few times underwater, and then let them soak for 10 minutes or so. Afterwards, I'll pull them out and GENTLY sandwich them between some paper towels to remove a lot of the moisture, using small scrap pieces of paper towel to remove more moisture as I unroll them. I have a few tricks I use for sexing molts as well. I have a 2" foam board that I will pin the molt to (usually in the back two leg sockets as the tough exoskeleton makes it less likely to tear off the board). I use blunted needles to tease the molt open under magnification (usually my phone camera zoomed in TBH). When I'm doing this, I'll keep my hands steady on the table and just try to use small and fluid finger motions to work with the molt. I'll also cut a bit off the (wet and pliable) molt between the last pair of book lungs and the spinnerets to reduce the risk of the molt tearing under its own weight as I manipulate it. Hope that helps.

Wow, thank you! I was using water and a bit of hand soap with q-tips. Guess maybe too much soap or not soaking long enough? I’ll definitely be trying your method next time.

 

[l4nsky]

Wow, thank you! I was using water and a bit of hand soap with q-tips. Guess maybe too much soap or not soaking long enough? I’ll definitely be trying your method next time.

Anytime. One other thing to pay attention to is the book lungs themselves and their orientation (they're readily visible on a molt as the thicker whitish pieces and the internal side is usually brighter as well). Try and figure out if they belong to the back pair or the front pair and if you're looking at the internal side or the external side as you're working so you can try and see what way you have to move/twist/untangle the molt to expose the spermatheca (or lack thereof).

 

[Adrinium]

my a avic lisalisa molted, she was an adult when i got her and also unsexed but i see no bulbous pedipalps sooooo i am very happy!

 

[Ungoliant]

Skyler, my mature female Avicularia avicularia, finally molted tonight. Unfortunately, I missed the actual molt, but I can see a bunch of extra legs through the webbing.

Wow, thank you! I was using water and a bit of hand soap with q-tips. Guess maybe too much soap or not soaking long enough? I’ll definitely be trying your method next time.

Some other techniques I have successfully used (some are easier with small molts than others).

 

[Arachnid Addicted]

Coremiocnemis hoggi


Proshapalopus multicuspidatus


Lasiodora subcanens



Avicularia taunayi



Grammostola sp.



Cyriocosmus perezmilesi



Tmesiphantes sp.

 

[ComputerDellLI]

C. sp. 'Hati Hati', H. devamatha, and P. crassipes all in the past few days.

 

[Craig73]

N. incei (gold color form) molted but burrowed still.

The P. murinus RCF sling molted and appears to be about 1” now from the glimpse I was able to get. Wants to be fed, but doesn’t want to make an appearance. The shenanigans is real, this is why it’s name is Weiner.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

G. pulchripes

 

[z32upgrader]

Pamphobeteus sp. “flammifera” male molted. Citharacanthus cyaneus sling and Psalmopoeus reduncus male molted.

 

[Sambro]

I came home last night to discover a gooey obt sling last night. And ofcourse it shredded it molt so no sexing this time. Any one know the best time to start sexing molts from slings?

 

[Edan bandoot]

Was able to get this nice molt from my phormingochilus sp rufus.
Also had these molt in the last week.
Pternapelma saizima
P. Cambridgei
T.albo X2
Viridasius sp

 

[Emi248]

That molt is very clean, Impressed.

 

[Penn]

My little LP had their first molt today!

 

[Tarantulafeets]

A aviclaria molted today