09/16/2026
⚠️ Announcement time!
🏆 I present the first USA breeding of Theraphosinae sp. "Monte Carmelo".
In 2014 a friend from Germany collected this spider in Peru. He said he found it under some rotting wood. The one that he collected laid an eggsac, and I was able to get two of them back in 2015. Only 6 were imported to the USA at the time, and all I could afford was two of them. Unfortunately mine were both males and matured and died without ever meeting a female. Things didn’t work out for the other 4 that were imported, and the species was gone from the USA.
However in Europe they were breed, and in early April 2023 I was able to get my hands on 4 more for a hefty price. I did lose 1 of them as I raised this new batch, and then one matured male and died just days after maturing. It was a small miracle that the 2 that survived were a male and female pair. My last chance to breed this species as these two spiders were the only 2 in the USA.
In Late January 2026 the final male matured, and now I just needed the female to molt to be on my way of having the first USA breeding project of this incredible species. In Early April I discovered the female did indeed molt, and was eager to get the male in as quickly as possible as he was starting to show signs of old age catching up to him. On April 17th I placed the male in and they successfully mated one time, before the male was removed and then also died just a few days later. This species has a unique method of breeding as the male completely bends the female in half while he insert his palps in an almost painful looking position. Since the male had died shortly after, this one mating session was either going to be a success, or another wasted breeding project and heart break. The female was fed a few times but it didn’t take long for her to burrow under her cork bark and completely seal herself in. I kind of forget about her, not thinking there could be an eggsac so soon. However on June 30th curiosity got the best of me, and I took a quick peak under the cork and saw her clinging on to a beautiful white, grape sized eggsac. Now the question was, how long has she had it ? There was no way for me to know how old the sac was or when would be a good time to pull it. The female seemed content so I gave it until August 1st when I decided to pull it. Literally with my hands shaking from nerves, I carefully lifted the cork bark, and removed the eggsac from the female. Have you ever seen a grown ass man so nervous over a spider eggsac that his hands were shaking like a leaf? 😂
I’ve bred tons of “USA first” species over the years, but this is likely the most rare and exciting species by far. I’m not just saying that to justify the ridiculous price tag 🤣. But for over a decade I’ve been waiting to see a cup full of 2nd instar slings sitting in front of me. And today is the day. 🏆
Only 10-12 slings will be available on the site in a week or so after they eat their first meal👍. Thank for reading and never forget where you were when you heard about the first USA breeding of Theraphosinae sp. "Monte Carmelo". !!!
