Heterothele villosella

Heterothele villosella– the sociable beauty from Tanzania

This small but impressive dwarf tarantula originates from Tanzania and has long since secured a firm place in the hearts of many keepers. Heterothele villosella is not only beautifully marked, but also one of the few species that can be kept in groups – a real highlight for fans of social spiders.

With its silky golden hue, the fine, dark patterns on the abdomen and the contrasting legs, it almost looks like it has been drawn. Its intensive webbing behavior is particularly striking: This spider loves to line its habitat with fine funnel webs – whether between branches, plants or in cork tubes. If you provide a decorated terrarium with structure, you will quickly see how creative Heterothele villosella builds and expands its network.

When kept, it prefers a rather dry setup with locally increased humidity. This means that one area of the terrarium is regularly slightly humidified, while the rest is well ventilated and remains dry. This prevents both mold growth and drying out. In the wild, it also lives in fairly dry but structured habitats.

A terrarium measuring 20 × 20 × 20 cm already offers enough space for a single animal – larger if kept in groups. It is important to provide enough places to retreat to, plenty of structure, sufficient food and close observation of social behavior. Although aggression is rare, it can occur – especially if the food supply is not right. Anyone who has experience with group keeping will be rewarded with fascinating insights into the social behavior of this species.

In our store you will find both individual animals and well-established groups of 5 that already live together harmoniously. These groups have been raised together and display a remarkably social behavior that can only be observed in a few tarantula species. The animals often sit close together in their finely spun funnel webs, share hiding places and appear surprisingly tolerant of each other. So if you want to try keeping them in groups, you will find ideal conditions here – with animals that are already used to each other. Of course, we also offer solitary animals for individual keeping, which are ideal for observers who appreciate the fascinating netting behavior and elegance of this small species.

In terms of food Heterothele villosella uncomplicated: Crickets, cockroaches and small flies are at the top of their menu. Thanks to its active net structure, it catches prey reliably – and often even together with conspecifics.

Suitable for beginners with a bit of flair, a must for the more advanced. This species is perfect for anyone who wants to observe the behavior and structure of spiders in a lovingly furnished habitat.