Would really appreciate an accurate ID for this one

[Joe Bananas]

http://i.imgur.com/1CSAy.jpg

This is Sandra Bullock.

I thought she was a Hogna carolinensis but because her abdomen is blotted and not solid black I don't think that is correct. But also, I've got other information to rule out H. aspersa as well as H. Helluo but I'm not an expert.

By far the largest Wolf Spider I have ever seen. Her legspan is about 3.75 inches. Her body about 1.25 inches.

Anyways, r/spiders at reddit couldn't identify it to my satisfaction, so I came here. Also, I despise reddit.

Thanks and have a great day.

 

[Silberrücken]

Hogna helluo.

 

[Joe Bananas]

You 100% on that? From what I looked up Hogna Helluo shouldn't be this big. Can you give me more detail?

 

[Ciphor]

You 100% on that? From what I looked up Hogna Helluo shouldn't be this big. Can you give me more detail?

It's definitely Hogna (soon to be Tigrosa).

That is all I can say for certain. Many species in this group can look very similar. Size varies too.

 

[The Snark]

It's definitely Hogna (soon to be Tigrosa).

That is all I can say for certain. Many species in this group can look very similar. Size varies too.

Come on, Ciphor! That's like standing on the side of the road and seeing a classy car drive past and you ask the expert beside you what the car was and he mumbles Toyota. How about what to look for to ID it completely? Faring, chrome, exhaust pipes, front grill, aerodynamics? How about the headlight configuration?

 

[Joe Bananas]

For everyone responding, here are the rest of the images.

http://i.imgur.com/fxEf7.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/eGeWv.jpg

 

[Joe Bananas]

That's like standing on the side of the road and seeing a classy car drive past and you ask the expert beside you what the car was and he mumbles Toyota. How about what to look for to ID it completely?

I know without a doubt it is Hogna.

H. carolinensis has a solid black underside (abdomen and cephalothorax) and supposedly have white markings on their legs, similar to Phoneutria.

This appears to be too big to be H. hello or H. aspersa, but all in all I would say it is an unusually large specimen of H. helluo.

The other images are located in this album

http://imgur.com/a/u8bhz#6

 

[Ciphor]

Come on, Ciphor! That's like standing on the side of the road and seeing a classy car drive past and you ask the expert beside you what the car was and he mumbles Toyota. How about what to look for to ID it completely? Faring, chrome, exhaust pipes, front grill, aerodynamics? How about the headlight configuration?

Assuming it's a mature female, the species keys for all spiders in this Hogna group (Tigrosa) reported to localities in area along with magnification of epigynum should suffice.

Or you can take a guess.

 

[The Snark]

Okay, my guess is Monakribos Frikio Gigantos Gynaikokataktitis Arachni.

 

[buthus]

http://i.imgur.com/1CSAy.jpg

This is Sandra Bullock.

Nope. ..im fairly certain that's Jennifer Connelly.

 

[Joe Bananas]

Nope. ..im fairly certain that's Jennifer Connelly.

While Jennifer Connelly is beautiful as well, I love Sandra Bullock.

---------- Post added 12-09-2012 at 08:01 PM ----------

Assuming it's a mature female, the species keys for all spiders in this Hogna group (Tigrosa) reported to localities in area along with magnification of epigynum should suffice.

okay, I don't know it all, but I know this is a mature (has already molted for her last time) female. I've had her about 6 months and I don't think she is going to get any bigger. Also, if she was a male, she would have died by now as mating season is over and males die at the end of mating season.

She was not cooperative and I think I made her sad from mucking with her too much, but here are the best photos I could get of her underside so you can take a look at her epigynum.

http://i.imgur.com/sqXpi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/U73t6.jpg


Like I said, all in all I would say it is an unusually large specimen of H. helluo, but I want to be 100% on it.

here is another photo with a 6" graded stick (ruler) to give you a gauge on her size.

http://i.imgur.com/PHsN6.jpg

when she is in what I call "full spread" she is just at 3.75" legspan. Her Body is well over an inch, just under 1.5"

Also, would any local arachnologist or entomologist have an use for her?

I do not plan on keeping her indefinitely, in fact her and Shelly http://i.imgur.com/zkD18.jpg (my A. hentzi) I plan to care for through the winter and release in spring
. While I am fascinated and have great respect for these creatures, I feel its best to let them be in the wild. I just wanted to observe for a while. Like catch and release fishing...if you catch the biggest fish in the pond, you throw it back. They taste bad and you want those genes to stay in the ecosystem. Besides, when Spring comes I have a P. fera on the way, which I am very excited about.

Thanks for your help.

 

[The Snark]

. While I am fascinated and have great respect for these creatures, I feel its best to let them be in the wild. I just wanted to observe for a while. Like catch and release fishing...if you catch the biggest fish in the pond, you throw it back. They taste bad and you want those genes to stay in the ecosystem.

Very well put.
Along these exact same lines I inquired at Chiang Mai University about a Lyco we encountered that was about the same size as yours. I had no pictures but was told it didn't matter. It would be considered an anomaly. Talking to entomologists a couple of things were brought to my attention. One was the discovery of a unique Aedes mosquito. It may be recognized this year, but only after it being found repetitively in about 20 locations over a period of 2 years. 2 years+ and gads knows how many hours of work to identify a mossie! (The mossie expert here and his wife has expanded the known local mossies from around 80 to nearly 300 in the past 20 years)

Anyway, something that really went home which relates to your above comment. The specimen is irrelevant. The habitat and environment it was found in is of far greater importance. By all means, preserve the genes of that beautiful animal but also pay particular attention to the environment that was so conducive to it's health.

By the way, that's not Bullock or Connelly. One look in those eyes positively screams Bette Davis.

 

[Joe Bananas]

By the way, that's not Bullock or Connelly. One look in those eyes positively screams Bette Davis.

I'm too young for Bette Davis (I'm 28) but I looked her up. All I know her from is that song, "Bette Davis Eyes".

Anyways, yeah, I caught Sandra at work when I went out to smoke one night during a torrential downpour. Her eyes are actually what stood out, the glare from them. She was on the brick wall, about 7 feet off the ground, which is only explainable by the weather, because given her size, she would have more than likely died had she fallen.

There is a field behind my work where she undoubtedly came from. I actually caught a smaller female just like her about a week after inside the building.

but yeah, I remember when I found this incredible A. hentzi here in Oklahoma a few years back. She was huge. She died in captivity. I've never forgiven myself. Anymore I try to simply appreciate nature and stay out of its path. The human race collectively does enough to ruin it, so anymore I try to conserve, especially when I find something that stands out.

Also, I think we have those mosquitoes here, i didn't know they were different. But because it has been so dry here (Oklahoma) the past two years, we haven't had many mosquitoes (which is really kind of nice)

Thanks all for your input. Take care and see you around.

 

[loxoscelesfear]

if it is jet black underneath= aspersa. normally, aspersa has defined black leg rings, but there are exceptions. the orange dorsal stripe is characteristic of aspersa as well