The penultimate and ultimate Molts

[owax]

From what I understand, A males penultimate molt, is the molt before he is fully mature and ready to mate.
The Ultimate molt is the molt that, once it has happened, the MM has the desire to create a sperm web and is now the proud owner of tibial hoods and bulbous pedipalps.

Is there a way to determine if a male tarantula has had his penultimate molt? (Therefore, knowing ahead of time that his next molt will be his ultimate.)

As a follow up, I see many breeders looking for freshly molted MM T's. Is there a window to a MM's ability to mate after the ultimate molt?

 

[kormath]

Not that i've ever read about, but then i've yet to have an adult male so some of the others here can correct me if there is a way to tell if the penultimate molt has happened.

There's also a 3rd possible molt for the MM, the postultimate, but i read that most don't make it to this molt or through it if they do.

 

[Scoolman]

Cannot determine penultimate molt, until after the ultimate. It's just a best guess based on experience with a species.
A male is usually only good for a month or two. However, there are confirmed instances of one year old MMs still being able to fertilize a female.

 

[TabithasMom]

Cannot determine penultimate molt, until after the ultimate. It's just a best guess based on experience with a species.
A male is usually only good for a month or two. However, there are confirmed instances of one year old MMs still being able to fertilize a female.

Even if the MM is still actively spinning sperm webs? I've only had one MM, and while I know I've missed the window to ship him out, or find a mate, he still determinedly spins his sperm webs.

 

[MassExodus]

From what I understand, A males penultimate molt, is the molt before he is fully mature and ready to mate.
The Ultimate molt is the molt that, once it has happened, the MM has the desire to create a sperm web and is now the proud owner of tibial hoods and bulbous pedipalps.

Is there a way to determine if a male tarantula has had his penultimate molt? (Therefore, knowing ahead of time that his next molt will be his ultimate.)

As a follow up, I see many breeders looking for freshly molted MM T's. Is there a window to a MM's ability to mate after the ultimate molt?

Not really a window, just a rather short amount of time to get the spider and breed him successfully before he passes on. Sometimes you have to wait for a female's molt cycle, if they're close to a molt (some say within 6 months) they won't accept the male. So that takes even more time. (I'm waiting right now) Males commonly live more than a year after a ultimate molt, but sometimes they don't..so you don't know how much time you have, and you need to be as quick as possible and get as fresh a male as possible to raise your chances of a successful breeding. I've heard breeders say mm that were too old/close to passing were no good for breeding. I don't have enough experience at it to say if that's true or not. I figure if they make a sperm web and have bulbous palps, they're good to go. Oh and as to your first question, I have no idea. I think when people say penultimate male they're probably guessing? Maybe it's just a way of saying," fresh young male about to hook out soon."

 

[MassExodus]

Ah, Scoolman beat me to it..

 

[Scoolman]

If he is actively makng sperm webs he is still good to go.

 

[owax]

It sounds like you not only need to hit the timing right with a newly mature male, but you also need to have a somewhat freshly molted female.
Is there a way to determine when the females ultimate molt is?

 

[MassExodus]

It sounds like you not only need to hit the timing right with a newly mature male, but you also need to have a somewhat freshly molted female.
Is there a way to determine when the females ultimate molt is?

Females are generally confirmed as sexually mature by molt. I've seen some folks breed some small females..they are definitely ready to mate before they reach full size though, because these people are getting sacs. So no, not really, other than finding a well developed spermathecae after a molt, I don't think there's a way to tell on females. That I know of...I don't pretend to know it all though I've only had one successful pairing, I'm just a guy with big plans and very little experience

 

[Entity]

pretty crazy they can mate in the wild at all...trying to get the timing right on this stuff to get them to mate is hard enough. and we are suppose to be the superior species here.. lol