Buddha Bugs
Eresus walckenaeri (Walckenaer's ladybird spider) 0.125”
Eresus walckenaeri (Walckenaer's ladybird spider) 0.125”
Before ordering: Unless marked “exact animal pictured,” photos are representative; refer to the product title or selected option for the size or sex offered. Shipped live-animal orders require a $50 cart subtotal and are normally held for pickup at an authorized FedEx Ship Center. Please review our Shipping & Live Arrival and Refund & Cancellation policies before purchasing.
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Species Overview
Eresus walckenaeri, commonly known as Walckenaer’s ladybird spider, is a terrestrial velvet spider native to the eastern Mediterranean region. This species displays pronounced sexual dimorphism. Mature females are large and robust with a velvety dark gray to black body, sometimes developing a broad orange, yellow, or reddish ring around the abdomen. Mature males are substantially smaller and more slender, with a black carapace and legs marked by contrasting white setae and a vivid red abdomen bearing four large dark patches.
In captivity, E. walckenaeri readily constructs a dense silken retreat within loose sphagnum moss, crumbled paper towel, or similar dry material. Individuals incorporate the surrounding material into the retreat and extend additional silk across nearby surfaces, allowing them to detect approaching prey. They spend most of their time concealed but commonly wait near the entrance and emerge rapidly when insects contact the surrounding web. More naturalistic setups can also be used, but substantial substrate depth or elaborate décor is not required.
- Common Name: Walckenaer’s ladybird spider
- Native Range: Eastern Mediterranean basin
- Life Habit: Terrestrial retreat-builder
- Adult Size: 1.5–2.5 inches in diagonal leg span
- Lifespan: Males 1–2 years; females 4+ years under optimal conditions
- Temperament: Shy
- Care Difficulty: Easy
Eresus walckenaeri Care
Eresus walckenaeri does well in a dry, well-ventilated setup containing loose material that can be incorporated into its silken retreat. A simple enclosure with dry sphagnum moss or crumbled paper towel is sufficient, although cork bark, leaf litter, and other décor may be added for a more naturalistic appearance. The setup should remain predominantly dry, and established retreats should be disturbed as little as possible.
- Enclosure: 3.5-dram vial or equivalent for spiderlings, upgraded as needed with growth; 4” cube or larger for adults
- Substrate: Loose dry sphagnum moss, crumbled paper towel, or similar material that can be incorporated into the retreat; cork bark, leaf litter, or other décor may be added for a more naturalistic setup
- Temperature: 72–82°F
- Humidity: Moderate ambient humidity is generally sufficient. Keep the setup dry and avoid routine misting, condensation, or consistently damp conditions.
- Diet: Fruit flies, crickets, cockroaches, and other appropriately sized feeder insects
- Feeding: Spiderlings can be offered appropriately sized prey one to two times weekly, with smaller specimens often benefiting from more frequent offerings due to their hydration needs. Juveniles and adults are typically fed every 7–14 days, with feeding frequency adjusted based on prey size, growth rate, and the condition of the individual animal.
- Water: Most hydration is obtained from prey. However, larger animals may occasionally be offered small droplets of water on the enclosure wall or another surface near the retreat. Avoid saturating the web or surrounding material.
- Routine Maintenance: Remove uneaten prey, prevent excessive moisture buildup, and spot-clean as needed.
Natural History
Eresus walckenaeri was described by Brullé in 1832 and is currently recognized as a Mediterranean species. Its taxonomic history includes several names established from animals differing in coloration or appearance that were subsequently placed into synonymy with E. walckenaeri. A modern treatment of the velvet spiders redescribed both sexes and distinguished the species from related European Eresus primarily through reproductive morphology rather than coloration alone.
The species occurs in warm, dry, primarily non-forested habitats. Whereas some members of the genus excavate vertical silk-lined burrows, E. walckenaeri forms a silken tube beneath stones or directly on or near the ground. The retreat is concealed with surrounding material and connected to silk extending across nearby surfaces. Vibrations transmitted through this outer web alert the concealed spider to approaching prey, which is captured near the retreat entrance and drawn into the silk tube.
Genetic research across the eastern Mediterranean recovered E. walckenaeri as a monophyletic lineage distinct from related Eresus where their ranges overlapped. The same study found substantial geographic divergence within the species, including distinct Greek–Turkish and Syrian–Israeli lineages showing approximately 6.5% mitochondrial sequence divergence. These results demonstrate deep regional differentiation and indicate that eastern populations warrant continued study, although the research supported the overall integrity of E. walckenaeri rather than formally recognizing the divergent lineages as separate species.
Shipping
Shipping
Shipping method for live animal orders:
Orders containing live animals must have a subtotal of at least $50 to qualify for shipping.
For orders containing live animals, we ship throughout the continental U.S. (48 states) via FedEx Priority Overnight. Orders containing both live and non-live products may be shipped together or separately, depending on the items in the order, their sizes, and whether everything can fit safely in one shipment. When non-live products must be shipped separately by USPS, additional shipping charges will apply.
Live-animal packages are normally dropped off on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for next-day arrival. By default, packages are held for pickup at the nearest reasonably accessible FedEx Ship Center authorized to accept the shipment and must be collected in person.
Home delivery is available upon request. When a reasonably accessible authorized FedEx Ship Center is available, customer-requested home delivery is not eligible for our live arrival guarantee and is sent at the customer’s risk.
FedEx Ship Center availability varies by destination, and not every FedEx location is authorized to accept live-animal shipments. If no reasonably accessible authorized FedEx Ship Center is available, we will contact the customer and arrange home delivery. In this circumstance, home delivery remains eligible for LAG, provided all other LAG requirements are met.
Checkout shipping rates and free-shipping offers are based on FedEx Ship Center pickup. Any additional amount charged for home delivery is the customer’s responsibility and must be paid before shipment. For qualifying orders, free shipping covers standard Ship Center service but not any additional home-delivery cost. If no reasonably accessible authorized Ship Center is available and the customer declines the additional charge, the affected portion of the order—or the entire order when necessary—may be canceled without the standard cancellation fee.
We also offer expo pickup and a DFW local-meetup option. Please see our Expo Schedule for additional information.
Shipping method for non-live orders:
For shipments containing no live animals, shipping is available to all 50 states via USPS Ground Advantage or USPS Priority Mail. We will ship non-live orders directly to the address listed on the order, typically the day the order is placed or the following day.
What to expect after placing an order:
If your order contains live animals that will be shipped, we will contact you within 12 hours with a proposed delivery date and, when applicable, the FedEx Ship Center pickup location. If home delivery is requested or required, we will provide the delivery arrangements and any additional shipping charge. We will not ship the package until you confirm the arrangements and any outstanding shipping balance has been paid. Tracking information will be provided on the day of shipment.
Shipping may be delayed because of weather, carrier conditions, our schedule, or if an animal has recently molted or appears likely to molt. We will notify you if a delay is necessary and arrange another suitable date.
Carrier delays can occur. Customers remain responsible for meeting the applicable pickup or receipt requirements on the day the package actually arrives, even if it arrives later than originally scheduled.
Live Arrival Guarantee (LAG):
Buddha Bugs offers a live arrival guarantee only when all of the following conditions are met:
- Freebies are not covered by LAG.
- When a reasonably accessible FedEx Ship Center authorized to accept the shipment is available, the package must be held for pickup at that location.
- If no such location is available, we will arrange home delivery. In this circumstance, home delivery remains eligible for LAG, provided all other requirements are met.
- Packages held at a FedEx Ship Center must be picked up on the day they arrive. Pickup at any time during the location’s regular opening hours is acceptable. Please bring valid identification.
- In the unlikely event of a DOA, the customer must contact us and provide clear photographic or video evidence within three hours of FedEx Ship Center pickup—or within three hours of delivery when an LAG-eligible home delivery applies.
- Shipping costs are not refunded, and replacements may not always be available.
ANY DEVIATION FROM THESE REQUIREMENTS MAY VOID THE LAG.
Home delivery is available upon request. When a reasonably accessible FedEx Ship Center authorized to accept the shipment is available, customer-requested home delivery is not eligible for LAG and is sent at the customer’s risk. When no such location is available, home delivery arranged by Buddha Bugs is eligible for LAG, provided all other requirements are met.
For animal safety, we do not ship live animals for home delivery when temperatures are 90°F or higher or 35°F or lower, regardless of whether the shipment would otherwise qualify for LAG.
FedEx does not reimburse Buddha Bugs for lost packages or the loss of live animals. We take every reasonable precaution to give each shipment the best chance of arriving safely.
Returns & Refunds
Returns & Refunds
Returns & Refunds:
We DO NOT accept returns on live animals.
You may return non-live animal products for a refund within 14 days of delivery. The product must be unused and in its original packaging. After we receive your return, we will process refunds within 5-10 business days. Refunds will not include shipping costs. We will reject used products and, when possible, ship them back to the customer.
If an animal arrives deceased, contact us within the required three-hour period and provide clear photographic or video evidence. When all live arrival guarantee requirements are met, we will provide the applicable refund or arrange a replacement when available. Multi-count products are handled according to the number of live animals received. Shipping costs and freebies are not covered. Please review our Shipping & Live Arrival Policy for complete requirements.
For online purchases with local pickup, pickup at a show, or for purchases made at a show, the customer is responsible for inspecting the purchased items and verifying that they are to their satisfaction. If they are not, they must express any dissatisfaction before the sale is completed, as all sales are final. We are not liable for damages after the customer receives their items due to issues including but not limited to the customer mishandling transport and/or overheating animals.
Cancellations:
Customer-requested cancellations are subject to an approximately 3% cancellation fee. For card payments, the fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction; different payment methods may have slightly higher or lower fee amounts. This reflects the nonrecoverable payment-processing cost charged when the order is placed and not returned to us when a refund is issued. Canceling an order also creates additional labor and temporarily removes inventory from availability, so please make sure you are committed before placing an order.
If a product is unavailable because of an inventory error, we will contact the customer and offer to cancel the affected product or the complete order without a cancellation fee.
If we determine after an order is placed that no reasonably accessible FedEx Ship Center authorized to accept the shipment is available, we will contact the customer with any additional cost required for home delivery. If the customer declines that additional charge, the affected portion of the order—or the entire order when necessary—may be canceled without the standard cancellation fee.
Certain ESA-listed Poecilotheria species cannot be shipped across state lines and are clearly marked “TX SALES ONLY” in their product titles and descriptions. If a customer outside Texas purchases one of these animals, the restricted portion of the order—or the entire order when necessary—will be canceled. The approximately 3% cancellation fee will be deducted from the refund because the restriction was disclosed before purchase. Refunds will be issued to the original payment method, but the time required for the credit to appear depends on the payment provider.
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Great spider, we'll packaged, shipped super fast.
I honestly have nothing but amazing things to say, this was by far the best ordering experience hands down. Packaging was impeccable, I got some delicate little ones and they were absolutely pristine and healthy. Highly recommend 🫶🏻
- 5 stars: 2 (100%)
- 4 stars: 0 (0%)
- 3 stars: 0 (0%)
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- 1 star: 0 (0%)
Great spider, we'll packaged, shipped super fast.
I honestly have nothing but amazing things to say, this was by far the best ordering experience hands down. Packaging was impeccable, I got some delicate little ones and they were absolutely pristine and healthy. Highly recommend 🫶🏻