Linothele sp. 'Black'
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.
Black Funnel Web Spider: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A fast funnel-web tarantula relative that turns its whole enclosure into silk. Give it anchors to web from, keep it mostly dry with a light mist on the web, and use tongs only.
Group: Spiders & Other InvertsDifficulty: Spice 3: IntermediateSetup: Heavy sheet-and-funnel webber, ground levelHandling: No handling, very fast funnel-web
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 | 72-80°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 40-60%: mostly dry, light mist on the web |
| Setup Type | Heavy sheet-and-funnel webber, ground level |
| Substrate | 2-3 in soil/coco, cork and plants as web anchors |
| Feeding | Prey on the web weekly; strong eater |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 3: Intermediate |
| Handling | No handling, very fast funnel-web |
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
- Juveniles (about 0.75 in on arrival): Burrow Buddy-size setup with many web anchors.
- Adults: larger custom build with floor space and anchors.
Warnings First
- Very fast. Open the lid slowly, catch cup and tongs ready.
- Bite strength isn't well studied for this genus. No hand contact.
- It will web over everything, including the dish. Plan access before you set it up.
Simple Care
- House it alone.
- Lots of anchor points for sheet and funnel webs.
- Mostly dry; mist a little onto the web now and then.
- Small dish or water droplets on the silk.
- Feed on the web.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Keepers report it webs the whole tank. Put the water dish somewhere you can reach through the silk.
- Front-opening or side access makes upkeep easier than reaching down through the web.
- Good ventilation keeps a webbed-up build from going musty.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Keepers call the genus great eaters. Drop prey onto the sheet web weekly.
- Pull dead prey out of the web with long tongs.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Trade form; collecting locality not confirmed.
- Habitat translation: Ground cover becomes a low setup packed with cork and anchors, a funnel retreat, mostly dry substrate and a light mist on the web now and then.
Advanced Keeper Details
- 'Black' is a trade name; the species is not identified. Lifespan figures come from a related Bolivian form.