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Species: Eresus sandaliatus
Common name: Ladybird spider
Native range: Europe (Northern to Central; the famed British "ladybird spider")
Temperature: 20–26°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 sandaliatus
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Description
Eresus sandaliatus
Eresus sandaliatus is the best known of the ladybird spiders — it is the spider behind the famous British name, where it was once considered nearly extinct and given protected status. The male is a tiny living ladybird: a red abdomen with four black spots and a black, velvety body. The female is larger and uniformly dark.
It is a terrestrial species that tolerates a cooler climate better than its Mediterranean relatives. It builds a silk-lined burrow with a camouflaged entrance and hunts from ambush. Secretive and calm, it spends most of its life underground.
In the terrarium — **dry**. Dry substrate, no misting, good ventilation; room temperature, tolerating slightly cooler. A small enclosure with enough substrate for a burrow is enough.
For the keeper who wants an icon of European arachnofauna in their collection — small, cult-status, with a spectacular male.