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Species: Eresus ruficapillus
Common name: Ladybird spider
Native range: Southern Europe (Italy, Balkans) and Asia Minor
Temperature: 22–28°C; room temperature suits it well
Humidity: Low — never water; they take moisture from their prey (moisture is fatal to them)
Adult size: Females reach about 1.5 cm body length
Lifestyle: Terrestrial (silk-lined burrow)
Speed: Moderate
Venom potency: Mild
Temperament: Secretive
Recommended for: Intermediate keepers
Notes: Ladybird spider (Eresidae); no urticating hairs; not listed under CITES
Eresus ruficapillus
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Description
Eresus ruficapillus
Eresus ruficapillus is a Southern European ladybird spider, found in Italy, the Balkans and Asia Minor on sunny, dry sites. The male, as throughout the genus, dazzles with a red abdomen and black spots; the female is larger and dark.
Terrestrial and secretive — it digs a silk-lined burrow with a camouflaged entrance from which it ambush-hunts. It is one for the patient observer: it stays hidden most of the time, and its appearance is the reward.
Husbandry rests on one rule — **dry**. Dry substrate, no misting, good ventilation, room temperature. A small enclosure with enough substrate for a burrow is sufficient.
For the collector of European Eresidae — a spectacular male, minimal space needs, with a dry microclimate as the key.