Holconia insignis mating pix

[Irks]

I decided to breed my largest male and female Holconia insignis. The male's leg span is over 7 inches, and the female's leg span is just under 6, however she is still heavier. Both are very friendly, I introduced them to each other by hand. The block of wood they are on is 6 inches by 3 inches.
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/mating1web.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/mating2web.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/mating3web.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/mating4web.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/mating5web.JPG

[duncan27]

wow, thats just...... wow.

[RottweilExpress]

Yeah, holy £$€54¤#"....I got to get me some of the Holconia genus.

[cogmonkey17]

lovely captures, they look like their trying to get lucky with the wood block rather than each other lol, sweet spiders.

[Irks]

They stayed in the position shown (and the male on the opposite side of the female's abdomen as well, using his opposite palp in exactly the same manner) for 10 hours before I fell asleep. When I woke up they had parted with the female remaining in a hide and the male roaming. So their first mating lasted somewhere between 10 and 18 hours! :D

[cogmonkey17]

wow, thats impressive, congrats to all three of you:worship:

[proper_tea]

These are the giant crab spiders that people have for sale, right?

[RodG]

Fantastic photos:clap: Who has Holconia insignis for sale???:drool:

[Irks]

When I bought them a year ago, I couldn't find anyone in the states who had them. I eventually found a breeder on http://www.terraristik.com/ I don't speak German, but after enough messages found someone who spoke English. If you are local to SF bay area (or have a friend who is), I wouldn't mind giving some slings away after my female makes a viable sac and it hatches.

[Irks]

Mated 7/08/08, first egg sack laid 7/24/08.
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/eggsack.JPG

[spiders4life]

Congrats on the sack! Im considering to try to breed mine aswel, but my female are a little smaler than my mature male, anybody who knows if they keep the sperm when moulting?? Or do they loose it at T´s do?? :?

Regards Mikael

[crpy]

im thinkin they keep it because they do not shed the uterus like "T"s, I believe im correct

NICE sac btw

[spiders4life]

I thought so aswell, and why shouldnt i try, i dont know how long my male have to live anyway, thanks for the quick reply;)

Regards Mikael.

[RodG]

Congratulations and best of luck:D

[Irks]

So 4 1/2 weeks in and was getting a little nervous... the sack had plumped up around week 2-3 so I knew something was in there. Apparently helping them out of the sack (if the mom has been relocated) is not just recommended, it's required, because as soon as I did a dozen bolts of lightning took off across the terrarium. They started eating the fruit flies within minutes at most. I'd estimate there are 40-50 or so total, but it's really hard to get any kind of exact count.http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/babies1.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/babies2.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/babies3.JPG
My camera isn't so great at taking shots this small.

[Irks]

I checked out the eggsack, there were a ton of unfertilized eggs (probably over 100), along with a whole bunch of tiny exoskeletons... indicating the spiders went through an entire molt in the eggsack. I guess it's ok since they're out now...

[Irks]

sac #2 laid 8/29/08.
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/eggsack2.JPG
This one will be opened slightly around the end of week 3/beginning of week 4. Also, after this sac, I have no future plans for any of the sacs, so if you are a breeder and would like one when she lays another, please PM me and we'll try to figure something out.
Most of the slings have molted. If anyone local to the SF Bay Area, Ca (or is willing to drive) would like a few, please PM me. I don't have the experience or the desire to send them through the mail, sorry.

[Irks]

3 weeks, 1 day at around 80F (26C). This looks more typical :)
Got a decent shot of a little one too.
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/babies7.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/babies6.JPG

[8+)]

WOW, I missed this thread before, that's just fantastic!!! :clap: :D

[cjm1991]

Im so jealous:drool: Great job and great pics.:clap:

[syndicate]

Very nice!I'd love to raise some of these up.
-Chris

[spiders4life]

Congrats on the little cuties:clap:

My first attempt didnt work out that fine, the male actually ate the female.... Yes male ate female:wall: :confused: :?

Good thing i had two females.....

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p11/Spidaz4life/DSC02586.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p11/Spidaz4life/DSC02583.jpg

They were put together last night, and this was what met my eye (and the camera lens;) ) this morning.

Regards Mikael

[Irks]

My female eventually ate my male... they probably would have been fine for much longer if I didn't have to relocate them to a slightly smaller living situation to make room for babies.
That's really weird that your female was eaten, my male became completely complacent and only interested in mating as soon as he felt female web. Even when I "walked" him on surfaces where I had "walked" the female previously, his behavior changed completely when he felt her web. Absolutely no aggression, he didn't even run like normal when poked. Just interested in seeing where the web would lead him to :)
Good luck with your couple.

[Irks]

Some pics of my F1 generation male and female. First male, then female, then both with the male on left in all the pictures of both of them, female on the right. First female matured in roughly 5 months, first male in 6 months. Male has a 7 inch leg span, female has a 6 inch leg span.
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/f1male.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/f1female.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/f1femaleandmale2.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/f1femaleandmale3.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/f1femaleandmale4.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/daveirks/f1femaleandmale5.JPG

[MaartenSFS]

VERY IMPRESSIVE... :worship:

[syndicate]

Very nice!!Please send me some ;]