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Lasiodora striatipes

🔤 Taxonomy

GBIF lists Lasiodora striatipes as a species, but World Spider Catalog currently treats the name as nomen dubium. That means the name is historically available but taxonomically uncertain in modern revisionary work.

Hobby animals sold as Bahia grey birdeater should therefore be recorded carefully. Do not use this label for serious breeding claims without strong source and locality information.

Older names, trade labels, or important status notes:

  • World Spider Catalog status: nomen dubium
  • Hobby label: Bahia grey birdeater

English common names used in the hobby:

  • Bahia grey birdeater
  • Bahia gray birdeater
  • Brazilian grey birdeater

📌 Description

Lasiodora striatipes is kept in the hobby as a large Brazilian terrestrial birdeater, usually under the common name Bahia grey birdeater.

Adults are usually about 20-25 cm legspan. Females become heavy ground spiders with strong feeding responses; mature males are slimmer and shorter-lived.

Care is similar to other large Lasiodora: spacious floor area, a secure hide, moderate humidity, strong ventilation, and respect for urticating hairs. It is impressive, but not a handling spider.

☠️ Venom

The venom is not usually treated as medically significant, but a large Lasiodora bite can be mechanically painful.

The more common defensive issue is urticating hairs. Avoid rubbing exposed skin or eyes after maintenance, and wash hands and tools after disturbing the enclosure.

🌍 Distribution

World Spider Catalog lists the historical distribution as Brazil. The common hobby label Bahia grey birdeater points to northeastern Brazil, but the nomen-dubium status means locality claims should be handled conservatively.

In the enclosure, provide a low terrestrial setup with deep enough substrate to modify, a hide, water, and a humidity gradient. It should not be kept on bone-dry sand or in a sealed wet tank.

Range map

⚖️ Legal status

No current CITES listing was found for Lasiodora striatipes in the official CITES sources checked on 2026-06-03. No species-specific listing was found in Annexes A-D of the EU wildlife trade regulations. The species is not relevant to the Bern Convention because it is not native to Europe.

Local rules on ownership, import, sale, transport, exhibition, breeding, and proof of legal origin may still apply. Keep invoices, seller or breeder details, import or transfer paperwork where relevant, and photos or records that connect the animal to a lawful source.

🤌 Husbandry

Keep Lasiodora striatipes alone. Large terrestrial tarantulas are solitary outside controlled breeding introductions.

Spiderlings often burrow or hide more than adults. Start them in smaller containers where prey and hydration are easy to monitor, then increase floor space as the spider grows.

Adults need a low enclosure with stable substrate and a hide large enough for the whole spider. Keep fall distance low because a heavy abdomen can rupture after a fall.

Useful adult priorities:

  • low terrestrial enclosure
  • deep supportive substrate
  • large hide
  • water dish
  • good ventilation with a moist corner

💡 Lighting

No UVB or specialist basking lamp is required. Ambient room light is enough.

Avoid bright hot lamps over a low enclosure. They dry the surface and can make the spider sit exposed or defensive.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Aim for about 22-27°C by day, with nights around 20-23°C.

Room-level warmth is safer than a strong heat point. If heat is needed, use a thermostat-controlled source on one side, never a hot floor under the whole enclosure.

💧 Humidity and water

Aim for about 65-80% with ventilation. Keep a water dish available and maintain one slightly moist zone while allowing other surfaces to dry.

Large Lasiodora tolerate some drying, but spiderlings and premolt animals need reliable hydration. Avoid stale, wet substrate pressed against the walls.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Use 10-15 cm of substrate or more where practical. The spider may dig, push soil, or widen the hide entrance.

Decor should be light and stable. Avoid high climbing structures, sharp stones, and heavy water bowls placed where the spider can undermine them.

🪳 Feeding

Feed roaches, crickets, locusts where legal, and occasional worms. Large adults usually do well on suitable prey every 7-14 days.

Do not power-feed to chase size. A very heavy tarantula in a terrestrial enclosure is at higher risk if it climbs or falls.

🩺 Common problems

Common problems include overfeeding, excessive fall height, dry spiderling setups, stale wet substrate, hair irritation, and misidentification among large Lasiodora labels.

If identity matters for breeding or sale, keep the nomen-dubium note with the records and avoid mixing lines sold under different Brazilian birdeater labels.

📌 Conclusion

Lasiodora striatipes is best treated as a large display tarantula with uncertain modern taxonomy. It suits keepers who want a bold terrestrial spider and can keep records honest while providing safe, low, humid-but-ventilated housing.

📚 Sources and further reading