Poecilotheria metallica

[stonemantis]

Successful ???/ Unsuccessful ???

4:45 pm. (CST) - Introduced Botar's male with my female
4:55 pm. (CST) - Male went into the female's burrow and started drumming.
4:59 pm. (CST) - Thumping heard in burrow area and male comes running out.
5:00 pm. (CST) - One of male's pedipalps looked discharged.

I'll try again later and keep you all posted.

[Varden]

Unsuccessful

My computer crashed so I lost a lot of data, but I'll try and reconstruct it.

My male and female were introduced on 07/10/06 and left to cohabitate for 1 month. No aggression was ever witnessed. She was kept in the gravid mamas room, with day temps at 80 and night temps at 78. Humidity is locked on 65%, but her container was spritzed twice a week in addition. She enclosed herself the beginning of December and on 12/28/06 she laid her sac. Sadly, nymphs never developed and after 50 days the eggs began to decay. Male infertile?

[Tunedbeat]

Received male from Varden on 5/17/07.
Breeding took place on 5/25/07.
Male cohabited with female for a whole month.
Results pending....

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w88/tunedbeat/bmt2.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w88/tunedbeat/IMG_2007.jpg

[Tunedbeat]

Update: Failed

Sorry, Varden,
I had a feeling she was going to molt, which she did today.
Female molted 11/25/07. :8o

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/8413/img8207kx1.jpg

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/548/img8219om8.jpg

I'll try again here in a few weeks. :}

[Michael Jacobi]

Three days ago I opened a sac of about 80-90 Poecilotheria metallica postembryos. These Indian spiders, born to a bred-in-Denmark female and male, which was mated in Nashville and produced the sac in Seattle, should be ready in about 30 days.

The female was mated April to June with one of my own males while I was still in Nashville. She moved across the country with me when I relocated from Nashville to north of Seattle in mid-August. After arriving at the new facility at Northwest Zoological Supply [aka tarantulas.com] on August 18, she was put into the cool room at 67F on August 22. She was warmed to the upper 70s on October 5, produced a sac on November 8, and I removed it December 4 after 26 days. The postembryos are incubating at approximately 79F.

By the way, I should mention that the 3rd and 4th sacs ever produced in the US (after Swifty's first US breeding success and the 2nd sac from Florida) were hatched here at Northwest Zoological Supply, albeit before my employment, much less involvement. And we have another NWZoo bred sac still with the female and several other females we expect sacs from. There will be plenty of blue tiger spiders in the US in 2008.

Also, please don't PM or email about reserving any... They will be advertised here when the time is right. I don't count my tarantulas before they are 2nd - or in the case of P. metallica - 3rd instar ;)

[David Burns]

Successful; yes

Special care or preliminary care; Lots of food and water, temps 20c-23c and humidity 40%(dry)

How they were paired; I had 3 adult females and one mature male. Nov.-Dec .2006 I let the male cohabitate with each of the female for 2 weeks and then he went thru the rotation with all the females again.

No observed hook ups but I did see the females chasing him around at night.

Post mating Care; the females were cooled to 15c-17c for 6 weeks then soaked well and warmed to 23c feeding all the time.

Egg sac observed; 1st sac noticed april 15 2007
2nd sac Oct.17 2007

Sac care and opening; 1st sac left with female 32 days the female carried the sac and it was not attached. Most eggs are bad, 7 eggs with legs.
2nd sac left with the female 22 days the female held the sac continually but it was attached and hung by a thick length of web. I had to cut the sac out of the container while taking it from the female. 93 eggs w/legs some unhatched.

Final results; 1st sac 5 slings survived
2nd sac 94 slings survived
3rd female molted Nov.12 2007

[tarantulas.com]

Our second P. metallica sac of the year has resulted in 81 2nd instars that have been separated out. With this species not attaining "spiderling" until 3rd instar, it will be another 10-14 days before these guys are feeding and ready. Our 3rd sac was laid on January 19 and will be pulled on or about Feb 13.

Cheers, MJ

[Swifty]

Hi Folks, This female is one of my offspring from my first breeding of P. metallica. She was bred on and off within the last 5 months. Currently, I have two other females that I have been breeding along with this one, with one looking very gravid too. :D
She layed this sac 12-23-08, and I decided to pull it today, and rotate it by hand, until they molt into post embryos.....Wish me luck!

[Jeff_C]

Discussion thread here: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=143227

[Swifty]

I'm sure this is real boring for most of you folks, but the P. metallica are doing good....Here is a snapshot of a cluster of 1st instar. :}

[r2r]

Hi,
I proudly presents my succesful breeding of Poecilotheria metallica. Happy is more because 2 of my females gave eggsacs. Photos presents both of females with eggsacs and 2nd instar nymph from 2nd female.
Short decription of breeding process below:

--------------------------------------FEMALE NO 1-----FEMALE NO 2

BODY LENGHT ------------------------- 5,5cm--------------6cm
MOULTING BEFORE MATING--------06/04/2008-------24/03/2008
MATING-----------------------------04-06/05/2008----06-25/05/2008
EGGSAC-------------------------------11/12/2008-------25/12/2008
OPENNING EGGSAC-------------------07/01/2009-------17/02/2009
STADIUM---------------------------------EGGS-----------NYMPH 1
QUANTITY---------------------------------80---------------100

Unfortunately, 1st eggsac had "no good quality eggs" and 15 slings live only! Rest of eggs was no develope.
Any other information - please e-mail me: artur@poecilotheria.pl,
best regards from Poland,
r2r

[Tunedbeat]

My first and one of my largest female molted in October 2008. I had a male that matured back in September 2007 and was still kicking. After two failed attempts at breeding this specie, I figured it couldn't hurt to try. In September 08, the pair was introduced. First pairing took place in the females (12x12x18 exo terra) enclosure and on the second pairing I decided to take the female out of her element and place her in the male's enclosure. Female was very receptive during the first two pairings, but no insertion was witnessed. In Oct. 08, I placed the male in the female's enclosure for a duration of one month. Again no successful paring was ever witnessed. Both were quite active at nights. Fourth week in, I've noticed that the female became aggressive and less tolerant of the male's presence. After he was removed, he was never reintroduced to that female again.

Early Jan. 09, I begin to noticed she has gained some weight. Her abdomen was getting large. I didn't think any of it till I pressed a flashlight against the under side of her abdomen. It glowed yellow! From reading other breeding reports, I know this could possible mean that the female is gravid and holding egg. But, I've also learned from experience that this varies between species. From that point on, I begin to feed the female heavily. Every 2-3days, I would throw in a large B. dubia roach. By the end of Jan. she stopped feeding and spent most of her time within her hide. During that time, I begin to soak the substrate with 16fl oz of water every week of so. The humidity begin to climb from 50% to 70-80%. Temps were kept at 75f during the day, nights at 70-68F. First week of March, she begin reconstruction. Moving dirt and webbing, I knew she was in preparation for something big. Usually with her, it's a molt. On March 6, I woke up to a nice surprise. She was holding onto a lovely sac. I begin to lightly mist her enclosure 2-3days with a fine mist spray to maintain humidity levels at 70-80%. On the 12th, I lured her to top of her hide while the sac was left unguarded. I snatched the sac quickly to examine it without opening and noticed a few bad eggs. The egg sac was then promptly given back to the female. On March 26, I removed the egg sac into a incubator, which comprised of two separate containers, coffee filter, and 1/4 water. The incubator was placed in the female's enclosure and left there till opening of the sac (March 30).

Photos,
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/3089/img21401.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/7076/img0598k.jpg

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/9052/img0653g.jpg

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7365/egg1x.jpg

I don't count eggs, but I had a total of 16 bad ones. :)

[Swifty]

Hi Folks, I've been quiet about this sac because I'm a bit supersticious when it comes to P. metallica :)
I mentioned earlier this year when I produced my 3rd eggsac that I had another that looked like it could possibly produce. Well, now I'm saying that again because I have a third female bred and waiting, so maybe more about that later.
This 4th eggsac was produced on 2-18-09 and this time I let the female have it for 50 days (can you imagine how I had no fingernails at this time) :D
Took it at 50 days on 4-9-09 and opened it to find 100% fertile 1st instar spiderlings, no bad eggs! :D I continued to incubate them and on 4-22-09 they molted into 2nd instar. At this time two spiderlings met their demise from siblings that couldn't wait for 3rd instar to eat. Total number in the sac was 109, so I saved 107 :D
These should be ready to molt and feed within the next two weeks!!

Swifty

[robc]

Poeclotheria Metallica breeding report

I believe one of the key factors in this breeding was the 90 gal shark tank set-up, it allows the MM to lure female out of enclose to pair up with. Another key factor is to use at least a 10 gal tank to allow MM to get away from female and to also alow the MM to lay a sperm web with out being chased by female. I also believe a more natural tank setting is essential for this Sp (but not toyally required). This Sp seems to be very tolerable of eachother...I wittness the female puuting down a bolus and MM picked up the same bolus and completely ate it inches away from the female, I still do not know if the female left the Bolus there for the MM intentionaly. It seems she did because she went out of her way to put it there and it was not her usual spot for remains.

Time line

Temps: 79-81 degrees during the night and slowly climbs to 82-84 degrees morning to afternoon.

Humidity: 80%-85% (My T room is humidified thru the air not by misting)

Misting: I do not get my humidity from misting, but I still like to mist a small (very small) amount in Morning/evening 3X aweek

8/13/09 - Shark tank

Put females enclosure inside the 90 gal shark tank set-up from 8/13/09 - 8/18/09, noticed a some drumming and female & male stayed by each-other most of the time. I also noticed the MM had made multiple sperm webs in females enclosure.

8/22/09 - 9/7/09 - Both in females enclosure

Female & MM have been in the females enclosure from 8/22/09 - 9/7/09, noticed some drumming and female & male stayed by each-other most of the time. I also noticed the MM had made multiple sperm webs in females enclosure. I have also noticed female has been eating while MM has ben in there, no aggression towards MM.

8/29/09:

MM made sperm web in female's enclosure.

11/12/09:

Female has not gone in hide for about 1 month but is now webbing hide up....I think a sac is in the future.

11/17/09:

Laid sac!!!


Pics:

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww339/robc1976/Female%20P%20metallica/Sac%201/Pmetallicasac1_01.jpg

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww339/robc1976/Female%20P%20metallica/Sac%201/Pmetallicasac1_03.jpg

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww339/robc1976/Female%20P%20metallica/Sac%201/Pmetallicasac1_06.jpg

Her & the eggs:

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww339/robc1976/Female%20P%20metallica/Sac%201/Pmetallicasac1_07.jpg

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww339/robc1976/Female%20P%20metallica/Sac%201/Pmetallicasac1_09.jpg

Her & the sac:

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww339/robc1976/Female%20P%20metallica/Sac%201/Pmetallicasac1_13.jpg