Eresus sp. 'Balcanicus Orange Face' is a highly sought-after, striking variant of velvet spider prized for its vibrant coloration and heavy web-building behavior.

Fast Facts

• Origin: Native to the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe, inhabiting dry, sunny, and stony microhabitats.

• Adult Size:

• Females: Reach a robust body length of 0.60 to 0.80 inches.

• Males: Stay significantly smaller, maturing at a body length of 0.30 to 0.45 inches.

• Appearance:

• Females: Uniformly dark gray or jet-black with a dense, velvety coat.

• Males: Sexually dimorphic and brightly colored; they feature a striking bright orange or reddish face mask (prosoma) contrasted against a black and red patterned abdomen.

• Behavior: Highly reclusive and fossorial. They construction dense, wool-like silk tubes or tunnels mixed with substrate and debris, rarely leaving their web fortress once established.

• Enclosure Needs: A small enclosure measuring roughly 4 by 4 by 4 inches is perfect for adults. Provide a deep, dry substrate layer (about 1.5 to 2 inches) composed of sand, arid soil, or dry moss.

• Webbing Anchors: Must be provided with ample anchor points like small dry twigs, fake plants, or pieces of cork bark to support their heavy silk structures.

• Climate & Care: Must be kept completely dry. High humidity or wet substrate is fatal. They do not require a water dish and instead extract all necessary hydration from their prey. Feed small roaches or crickets every 1 to 2 weeks.