Eresus sp. 'Balcanius'
Sold under its hobby name. This guide covers the group or trade name this fella is sold as, so the ranges fit the whole group. Start in the middle and watch how your animal settles in.
Mediterranean Velvet Spider: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A velvety Mediterranean burrower that builds a silk tunnel with a debris sheet at the mouth. Keep it dry, give firm soil and stones, and watch it work.
Group: Spiders & Other InvertsDifficulty: Spice 2: BeginnerSetup: Dry burrower with silk tunnel and sheetHandling: Not recommended, will bite if pressed
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Snapshot
| Temperature | 68-76°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | Dry, under 50%: no misting, no wet corner |
| Setup Type | Dry burrower with silk tunnel and sheet |
| Substrate | Firm dry soil/sand 3-4 in, stones for cover |
| Feeding | Small prey weekly; beetles on the sheet |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 2: Beginner |
| Handling | Not recommended, will bite if pressed |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Enclosure Format / Size Class
- Spiderlings (about 1/8 in): Baby Buddy with fine dry soil, a tiny stone and fine vents.
- Juveniles and adults: Baby Buddy to Burrow Buddy footprint, dry soil 3-4 in, stones.
Warnings First
- Keep it dry. Humid conditions are reported to kill velvet spiders in captivity.
- Will bite if pressed. Catch cup and tongs for moves.
- Tiny spiderlings slip through gaps. Use fine vents.
Simple Care
- House it alone.
- Firm, dry soil with flat stones.
- Starter tunnel under a stone.
- No misting, no wet corner.
- Small prey dropped on the sheet web.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- It lines a vertical tunnel with silk and spreads a sheet with debris at the entrance. Leave room around the stones.
- Fill a third to a half of the enclosure so the fall from the lid is short.
- Strong ventilation; the substrate should stay dry to the touch.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Small crickets, roaches or beetles weekly while growing.
- Water: a few drops on a stone now and then, then let it dry.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Trade form 'Balcanius', presumably the Balkans. The genus ranges from Spain to China in warm, dry, open ground.
- Habitat translation: Warm, dry, open Mediterranean ground becomes firm dry soil with flat stones, a starter tunnel and good airflow, with no damp corner.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Males are the famous red-and-black 'ladybird' look; females stay dark and velvety.
- 'Balcanius' is a trade label; the species is not confirmed.