Psalmopoeus victori – Darth Maul tarantula

Adult females have a dark grey-green to brown carapace and legs and a bright orange-red abdomen. The colour change is sharp, giving the “half and half” look behind the trade names “Darth Maul” and “Mexican half and half”. The legs show paler orange accents at the joints.

Females usually reach a leg span of 15–17 cm. Males are clearly slimmer, less contrasting and have greenish legs. Juveniles are brown with an abdominal pattern, and the adult colours develop gradually.

Jorge Mendoza described the species in 2014 from specimens from the San Andrés Tuxtla area in Veracruz. Exact localities are not published to protect the population from illegal collection. In their 2022 revision of Psalmopoeinae, Cifuentes and Bertani synonymised Psalmopoeus copanensis and others with it, so the World Spider Catalog now lists Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

Older listings may spell it “Psalmopoeus victorii”. It is the same species; the correct name is Psalmopoeus victori.

As an arboreal species it needs height more than floor space. An enclosure of about 30 × 30 × 45 cm works well for an adult female. Vertical cork bark against the back wall, a cork tube or dense plants give space for the silk retreat, which the spider usually builds high up or behind the cork.

Front-opening doors make feeding and cleaning easier without destroying the retreat. The enclosure must be escape-proof, because Psalmopoeus moves very fast and uses any gap.

A temperature of 22–27°C is enough. The species comes from humid forest, so the lower substrate can be slightly moist, and an occasional misting of the cork or a wall helps. Keep a water dish available at all times.

Humidity must not mean stale air. Vents low at the front and high at the back keep air moving. A steamy enclosure without ventilation encourages mould and moulting problems.

Juveniles eat small crickets or roaches every 4–6 days, adult females every 7–14 days. The spider usually catches prey near its retreat, so climbing insects or tong feeding work well.

The species grows fast. Males usually mature in 1.5–2 years, females later. Based on keepers’ experience, females live well over ten years, mature males several years less.

Psalmopoeus victori is very fast and skittish. It usually flees into its retreat, but if surprised it may rear up or bite. The genus has no urticating hairs, and bites from Psalmopoeus species are described as notably unpleasant: strong pain, sometimes muscle cramps and general malaise.

Do maintenance with long tongs, in a closed room and with a catch cup ready. Rehousing is best done inside a larger clear container in which you open the enclosure. This species is not suitable for handling.