T from Laguna Canyon

What · T from Laguna Canyon

Found this little guy today on my way home from taking some pics at the beach. He was in a shallow scrape under some concrete right next to a couple of the largest alligator lizards I have ever seen(like the one Robert has, but a M/F pair).

Anyone have theories on the ID? Josh, any papers for Laguna Beach Ts?

cacoseraph

is it really that greyish black color irl?

Celeste

How *beautiful*! Is it really that docile?

-- C

cacoseraph

aaahahahaaa!!!

i just talked to josh on the phone and he has an idea of what it could be based on my description

i want to wait until he actually sees the pic... but he did start describing the spider to me w/o seeing it based on previously seeing the species

all i have to say now is that you might consider naming it Happy... or maybe Bailin

cacoseraph

also, castiac and laguna beach are only 90 miles apart as the google flies

What

Yes it is that greyish/black velvety color in real life. The pics make it look lighter than it really is.

I sent off a PM to Brent Hendrixon about it and he says it is most likely A. reversum. I think I am going to send this off to him as I have no need for an immature male of this species.

josh_r

or you can send it to me as i will need a male when i get a female. that befinitely looks like the dwarf spider ive been looking for. looks like either the 'cryptethum' or A. radinum. if its a male, i bet it will moult out ultimate this summer.

i had info on cryptethum years ago saying it is a dwarf species from castaic. a friend of mine has an old old old tarantula book with lots of aphonopelma stuff in it and it says cryptethum is a large species that is brown and is from claremont. i read a bunch of other stuff in there that i think is bunk as well. it was written by a european hobbyist. i am thinking he got his info all mixed up.

definitely a nice find by the way. you should go back and try to find a few more and see what you turn up with...mature females, mature males, subadults, etc. i really hope these are the dwarf i am looking for.

-josh

What

Josh, I have seen MM of these in the area. They arent dwarfs but rather the males mature at around 4" - 4.5" and the females at the same size. The males mature late spring/early summer and then later in the year, mid September - November, the 'eutylenum' complex males start to mature. The eutylenum complex from this area also get to 4"-4.5" and I have seen a couple males pushing 5" while out night driving for herps.

josh_r

interesting, doent mean there isnt a dwarf found in the area. i know many ares here where i know dwarfs live, but i never see the males wandering, but i will se large species wandering. could be that it is a small reversum type. it is hard to tell with just a pic. you know more about it than i do at this point. i do know that a dwarf species live through that area tho. its worth looking into.

-josh

josh_r

so im even more positive that is a dwarf. brent h. just sent me a pic of his dwarf from laguna beach. he said he has had it for years and it has never grown any bigger than a couple inches. it looks identicle to your spider and even shares the same heart shaped urticating patch just as my dwarf did. i am going to ask brent if he doesnt mind me posting his pic or if he can post it here for you to see.

-josh

What

Josh, can you pm me the pics please?

After taking it out yesterday the coloration and such are making me think it is the same 'eutylenum' complex sp. as a T I collected from the other side of the canyon(another canyon further south).

josh_r

brent said the dwarf he has is very similar to the reversum type dna wise. he doesnt quite understand why, but his individual is mature and he has had it for years and it has not gotten any bigger.

also, you must realize that many dwarf species are found right next to the burrows of larger species...... its quite common actually. there may be several species in that canyon. this has me very interested to find out what it is. i am hoping it is a dwarf, but i am no expert. i have not done anything with reversum so you have a better idea than i.

-josh

Brent

Here is my spider:

I have had her for a number of years and she has maybe a 2.5" legspan... she has molted once or twice and has not grown. The DNA is strangely similar to reversum material I have from San Diego Co., but who knows what that means. This is perhaps A. radinum, but I really need a lot more material before I can make any conclusive decisions.

Help me out, folks! Send me some spiders! Laughing

josh_r

nice to see u joined the forum brent! this one is very interesting to me. cant wait to see the results.

-josh

John Apple · man another dwarf

Well when I get down there in a month...Josh ...that T is a must

josh_r

john, that T is found along the cali coast. thats a helluva drive man! your gonna have to take more time off if u want to go find this spider, joshua, mojave, and cochisei. thats ALOT of driving and ALOT of money.

T from Laguna Canyon

man another dwarf