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Overview of Species Information for All Named Theraphosidae Divided by Subfamily This list is for better understanding the similarities, differences, and distribution of a broad range of tarantulas. It is by no means complete in terms of information provided.
The main aim is to foster ecological awareness via exploring systematic relationships with an arthropod that happens to be popular as a pet. The primary arrangement is a focus on subfamilial and generic arrangements. Bear in mind, the taxonomy of Theraphosidae is a complicated (and opinionated) thing; new species are discovered regularly, different relationships among tarantulas are studied, and the simple fact that there are so many variables known and waiting to be known about these silent arthropods renders any attempt at a static compendium futile. Only one thing is an absolute as of this date concerning theraphosids: the words always, all, and never seldom apply. In consideration of such, my approach will be casual; likewise, some taxonomic perspectives may not be present here (e.g., works published in non-peer-reviewed journals, etc. will be taken with the proverbial grain of salt and feature an asterisk, if listed at all).
With concern toward theraphosid species commonly kept as pets, the species in green are often easily kept by people who have some common sense, those in yellow could be difficult due to temperament or environmental needs, and those in red could easily pose problems due to unique needs or rarity. If the species is in gray or only genus is listed, it's likely uncommon in the US pet trade and/or I don't have first hand husbandry knowledge regarding it.
I certainly did not just wake up one morning and have all this info- it came from helpful sharing from the tarantula and ecological communities (thanks Mikhail Bagaturov, Robert Breene, G.B. Edwards, Richard Gallon, Martin Huber, Stan Schultz, Rick C. West, and Volker von Wirth!) and I must absolutely cite The World Spider Catalog by Norman I. Platnick as a primary source.The Subfamilies (click n' go):
| Acanthopelminae | Aviculariinae | Eumenophorinae | Harpactirinae |
| Ischnocolinae | Ornithoctoninae | Poecilotheriinae* | Selenocosmiinae |
| Selenogyrinae | Spelopeminae* | Stromatopelminae | Theraphosinae |
| Thrigmopoeinae |
A Simplified Listing of Just Subfamilies and their Genera is Located Here.
Subfamily: Acanthopelminae
South and Central American terrestrial
tarantulas.
Subfamily: Aviculariinae
Avicularia means "small bird" in
Latin due to an early misconception about a tarantula's preferred diet,
but it may as well mean "flat-footed-spider-with-something-odd-about-its-urticating-hair"
due to the characteristics of some members of this subfamily.
For example, take the members
of the Avicularia genus: They are tropical arboreal spiders
common from the Caribbean to South America and many are commonly sold as
"pinktoes," whether or not the tips of their tarsi are pink . Some,
such as Avicularia avicularia, can tolerate each other in
a group setting if given enough space, but will kill each other on occasion
if there's not enough room or food. They're fairly docile, but can
move quickly if need be. What's really special about most of them
and the genera Iridopelma and Pachistopelma is that not only
are they the only arboreals with urticating hair, they can't "flick" the
hair to make it float off into the air. The type of urticating bristles
they possess (Type II) must be pressed into its intended target (A.
versicolor may differ).
Also included are the bizzarre
Ephebopus tarantulas. They have flattened "feet" like arboreal spiders,
yet prefer to dig burrows. Those "platypus" tarantulas are the only
known genus with urticating hair on their pedipalps.
Some taxonomists include members
of the genera Psalmopoeus and Tapinauchenius, which
have no urticating hair, in this subfamily; along with some members of Holothele, they are some of the few New World tarantulas that lack
that trait.
What's really confusing is that many of the described species of the Avicularia genus are invalid. There are descriptions based on cast exoskeletons acquired from a "friend of a friend," descriptions of only one gender, descriptions without locality data (except to say they came from a friend's pet collection- in some cases, that's where the species name is derived), descriptions with no examinations of other types in the genus, etc. Unfortunately, systematics for theraphosids isn't a scrutinized, regulated thing. Snippets from a fanzine-style journal published without peer review is enough to get a "species" listed in the World Spider Catalog. This is fun, exciting, and often profitable for pet traders, but quite unfortunate for those wishing to understand faunal relationships and environmental impacts within ecosystems. Questionable species are marked with an asterisk.
Note: For the genus Psalmopoeus,
see here.
Note: For the genus Tapinauchnius,
see here.
| Avicularia | affinis*, alticeps, ancylochira, anthracina*, arabica | None | The brownish A.
ancylochira may be found along the Tapajoz river, living in in the
bark of trees high above flooded swampland (Charpentier 1992).
There is nothing about A. anthracina that would place it in this genus. Koch's drawing displays a terrestrially-oriented spider that is overall dark brown with pale spinnerets. A. affinis ranges as far south as Chile. However, Nicolet's description and drawing reveal nothing like other members of Avicularia. It would be more correctly placed in a different genus (Nicolet describes it as quite similar to P. scrofa). Its placement in Avicularia is perhaps simply a typo that originated with mass-movement of species in the genera "Mygale".
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Brazillian pinktoe, etc. |
These Peruvians are not one of the more colorful avics. They have an overall brownish coloring and are very similar in many respects to A. juruensis and may be the same species.  |
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| Avicularia | avicularia; avicularia variegata |
Pinktoe, Guyana Pinktoe |
Though most are collected in Guyana, they are a wide ranging species that lives in a broad portion of northern South America and has also been found on Trinidad. A. avicularia variegata, in its most extreme form, has gray/whitish tips on the longer hairs, and entirely lacks the reddish setae on the rear legs, though it retains some orangish tint on the abdomen. F.O.P. Cambridge hypothesized that perhaps the variant may evolve into another species. Oftentimes, A. avicularia variegata are sold as Avicularia metallica in the US pet trade, so striking is the difference in the most extreme specimens. Further information is located here. |
| Avicularia | aymara*, azuraklaasi* | None | There is nothing about Chamberlin's description of A. aymara that would
place it in this genus. It was likely a part of the big "Eurypelma"
move of 1985.
South to Central American. A. azuraklaasi may not be a valid species. Marc Tesmoingt wrote a description of A. azuraklaasi based on two molted exoskeletons supplied to him via Andre Braunshausen from specimens that supposedly originated from Peter Klaas; Tesmoignt claimed they came from Peru. Who collected them and exactly where they did so is a mystery. Both were female. Even by European "arthropod fanzine" standards, the description is exceptionally lacking in quality. |
| Avicularia | bicegoi | Brick Red Birdeater | A gorgeous pinktoe
from Brazil (sometimes found on dealer websites as being from Martinique)
with a red rump and greenish carapace. |
| Avicularia | borelli* | None | Hails from Paraguay,
near Colonia Risso, a popular tourist resort. Simon's description
is very brief; nothing is mentioned that would place it in this genus. |
| Avicularia | braunshauseni* | Goliath Pinktoe | These S. Americans
are very similar to A. avicularia in coloration, physical attributes,
and habitat, but supposedly attain a larger size. Sometimes specimens in the pet trade seem to have longer and denser red setae on legs IV. Most, however, are identical to A. avicularia except for the price, of course. Some doubt (obviously with well-founded reason) that it is actually an entirely different species from A. avicularia. It was described by Tesmoingt in 1999 as an aggressive species with a wide range along northern Brazil. He does mention the denser, longer red setae, but no comparisons to A. avicularia are made (a wise comparison would be made to Koch's A. hirsutissima (synonomized with A. avicularia), but of course the species was described by those who wish to sell spiders and magazines, not by those who wish to be accurate. The spermathecae and emboli of specimens I've seen in the US pet trade are identical to those of A. avicularia. The sternum of molted individuals is the same as FOP Cambridge's drawings of A. avicularia. HJ Peters redescribed it in 2000 along with the dubious species of A. geroldi and A. ulrichea in his pet trade fanzine, which was not peer-reviewed. |
| Avicularia | caesia*,cuminami*, detrita | None | A. detrita, like
several others in this genus, does not have pink "toes".
A. caesia is likely the same animal as A. laeta. A. cuminami was also described from a juvenile by Mello-Leitao and there is not enough data to differentiate it from any other Avicularia species.
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| Avicularia | diversipes |
A. diversipes is a stunning spider with greenish
tones as a juvenile, and royal blue undertones highlighted with yellow-ish
orange as an adult. The males have no tibial spurs.
It was redescribed by Bertani and Fukushima in 2009, along with two new species. Their description, with wonderful photos, illustrations, and locality data, is available here. Of primary importance is the fact that Bertani and Fukushima found two more species unknown to science while studying A. diversipes in the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve. Sadly, it is likely just a glimpse, as only about 10% of that unique ecosystem still remains, and most of it is fragmented into hilltop "islands." More detailed information on the AFBR is located here: The Mata Atlantica Biosphere Reserve
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| Avicularia | doleschalli*, exilis* |
A. doleschalli probably isn't an Avicularia. Ausserer's description alludes to
no similarities whatsoever between doleschalli and A. vestaria,
velutina, etc. To put it mildly, the author knew an "Avic" when he
saw one, and he didn't describe A. doleschalli as such. Furthermore,
Keyserling makes comparative reference to A. doleschalli in his
description of Cyclosternum janierum (both were at the time Ishnocolus). A.
doleschalli simply got lumped here in the "mass movement" like A.
affinis. In addition, some scientists feel that Strand's description of A. exilis is greatly lacking in detail, including locality data, and therefore shouldn't be considered valid. (Charpentier 1992).
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| Avicularia | fasciculata, fasciculata clara* |
There is a species
currently in the pet trade being sold as A. fasciculata. It's actually
Avicularia diversipes. How one came to the conclusion that it's
A. fasciculata is is not clear. Strand's description has no illustrations,
there's no blue mentioned (both descriptions describe faded specimens,
one of which was a badly damaged A. fasciculata clara), locality
for A. fasciculata is listed as "S. Amerika" and for A. f. clara as "Suriname". In short, the descriptions are so vague that they could
be any number of Aviculariinae that don't have pink "toes".
Furthermore, the A. diversipes being sold as A. fasciculata are small spiders. Strand's description of A. fasciculata is descriptive on ONE thing: he liked to measure a lot. The female holotype is 54mm in bodylength, which is a decent size for an Avicularia (the type for Avicularia metallica from Suriname is 50mm in bodylength). In short, A. fasciculata isn't known to be in the pet trade, and it may or may not be synonymous with any number of spiders. There simply isn't any detailed description or type available. The only explanation for marketing A. diversipes as A. fasciculata is importers (in this case, smuggler) often attach any random species name to spiders with little knowledge about what it is they're selling and/or stealing in order to make a buck For those interested, A. f. clara is smaller and more brightly colored than A. fasciculata, according to Strand. |
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| Avicularia | gamba | None |
Recently described by Bertani and Fukushima here.
The name comes from GAMBA- Grupo Ambientalista da Bahia, in recognition of their efforts to preserve what little is left of the Atlantic rainforest (Bertani 32).
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| Avicularia | geroldi* | Brazilian Blue and Red Pinktoe | Pretty and pricey
(for possibly exploitive reasons) South American arboreals. Very
similar to A. avicularia and many suspect that they're the same
species. This one was also loosely "described" by Tesmoingt in a
1999 edition of a non-reviewed "fanzine". It was named after Andre Braunshausen's
grandfather. The obvious comparison to traits of A. avicularia-complex
species are ignored in the paper, and a distinction is made on the basis
of a minute "dog's head" shape of one of the spermathecae- a highly variable
feature. What's odd is that the title of the description mentions the Island
of Santana (which is by Rio), but then says it's found along the Amazon at the
equator. Santana (Fazendinha) is also the name of a popular tourist port
in northern Brazil, on an inland peninsula subject to tides (where one
my see the infamous Amazonian tidal bore and surf it), but it's not the
Island of Santana. These and other poorly-researched oddities make the description less than
credible. Furthermore, at least two different variations appear in the
pet trade. Some lack reddish pubescence (sometimes found in the European
and Canadian pet trade); others, which are most commonly found in the US pet trade, appear identical to Avicularia avicularia routinely imported from Guyana at a substantially lower price. |
| Avicularia | glauca*,
gracilis*, guyana*, hirschii*, hirsuta* holmbergi |
None | Central and South
American; A. glauca was described from a juvenile by Simon. Cambridge's entire entry is as follows:"The type specimen, kindly submitted to me for examination by M. Simon, is evidently an immature example, and it will always be difficult to decide exactly as to which particular species of Avicularia it belongs," (Cambridge 42). That sentiment could likely go for a good many species in the genus, including A. gracilis. Keyserling's specimen was very small (possibly a juvenile, but he asserts that it is female), and very worn. The colors had faded to yellowish-brown, and the abdomen was completely bald. There is nothing in the description that would lead one to believe that it belongs in Avicularia. It's likely a "typo" from the big "Eurypelma move", same with Avicularia guyana. A. hirsuta does not belong in this genus. Simon accidentally synonomized Iridopelma hirsutum (from Pernambuco, Brazil) into this genus. That mistake was cleared up, but the actual spider described by Ausserer is a terrestrial from Cuba and the Bahamas (Petrunkevitch asserts that it is likely a "Lasiodora or Eurypelma"). It is clearly not an Avicularia, nor an Iridopelma. |
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| Avicularia | laeta, leporina | None | A. laeta has
a light golden color overall as an adult. As youngsters, they are
bluish, like A. versicolor. They are a wide ranging species
in Puerto Rico, from Isla Culebra to the west coast. It is not uncommon in the Virgin Islands, and some say it exists in S. America as well. A. caesia is likely the same thing as A. laeta. A.
leporina is similar in appearance to A. avicularia, but does
not possess pink "toes". |
The only non-coloration differences Ausserer mentions to distinguish it from A. avicularia (he actually references A. vestaria) is that the tibia of legs IV are slightly longer and the tubercle is a bit more curved and slightly less wide. There is no difference whatsoever in the apophyses or emboli of the males, nor the spermathecae of the females from spiders sold as A. avicularia. The spider is readily available from Guyana exporters who collect them
from the back of reptile bins along with specimens sold as A. avicularia.
In fact, they have been more common at reptile shows in the southeast than
specimens sold as A. avicularia in 2009.
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| Avicularia | minatrix | Venezuelan Redslate | These brownish avics
tend to retain the black and red patterning on their abdomens as adults. They are from a drier region than most pinktoes (northern Venezuela, near hilly, semiarid Duaca) and don't attain a very large size. |
palmicola, panamensis* parva*, plantaris*, pulchra* |
Koch's description and drawing of A. plantaris does little to distinguish between it and A. avicularia. A. panamensis is probably a terrestrial member of Theraphosinae - there is nothing in its description that alludes to traits of Avicularia. Ausserer's type for A. obscura was a juvenile of indeterminate genus. Pocock hypothesized that the Columbian spider may be a Hapalopus. Unfortunately, the specimens Mello-Leitao used to describe A. pulchra were juveniles. Same with A. parva. Both are likely invalid species (Petrunkevitch described the type of A. parva as too small to make a detemrination of genus, but is probably terrestrial). |
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They are from Ecuador and are as adaptable to mankind's presence as its eastern cousin, A. avicularia. |
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| Avicularia | rapax,
recifiensis, rufa rutilans, soratae |
None | South American. A. recifiensis was newly described by Struchen and Brandle in 1996. A. A. soratae gets its moniker from its locality in Bolivia. |
| Avicularia | sooretama | None |
Goregeous. Males lack tibial apophyses. They obviously
share a distinct evolutionary lineage with A. diversipes and A.
gamba (Bertani 38).
More information can be found in Bertani and Fukushima's excellent description here. |
| Avicularia | subvulpina* surinamensis*, taunayi tigrina*, ulrichea* |
None | A.
subvulpina and A. surinamensis were described by Strand in 1906
and 1907, respectively. However, he didn't inlcude much data
in his descriptions. A. tigrina, of Montevideo, is erroneously placed in this genus. It's obviously terrestrial- Pocock's closest reference when describing the species was Cyrtopholis. Some think A. ulrichea is a variant of A. urticans. It was loosely described in the flurry of poorly written papers by Tesmoingt in 1996.
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| Avicularia | urticans | Peruvian Pinktoe | Described by Schmidt
in 1994. Most specimens have a more drab carapace and the long setae
of legs IV are not as vibrant as some other Avicularia. |
| Avicularia | velutina* | None | Described from specimens
collected in San Esteban, Venezuela; however, some were also collected
on the island of Trinidad. Many suspect that A. velutina is
actually the same as A. avicularia. It would be interesting to study
variations between this spider and similar specimens collected in mainland
S. America. DNA testing could perhaps provide clues not only about the
spiders' evolutionary history, but environmental
and geological occurences as well. |
The tibial apohpyses are simply rows of spikes rather than pronounced spurs. They are from Martinique, Guadelupe, and other adjacent islands. Some (both in the European scientific community and locals of the island) have asserted that they enjoy a diet consisting of a fair portion of small treefrogs in the wild. The assumption is that this diet causes them to be more skittish and possibly more defensive with the fangs than some other Avicularia species. I have observed the prediliction for tree frogs, but not any marked defensiveness. Furthermore, some have seen them making a kicking motion to discharge urticating bristles (Bertani 1996). I haven't seen this either, but don't doubt it. |
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| Avicularia | walckenaeri | Brazil. A. walckenaeri is an incredibly hirsute spider with pink "toes", similar to A. huriana. |
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| Ephebopus | cyanognathus | French Guiana Blue Fang |
Gorgeous! They
have purplish legs and opisthosomas, blue chelicera that are stunning,
and yellow to orangish bands at the leg joints. They were described
by Rick West in 2000. They are becoming fairly regularly bred in captivity. |
| Ephebopus | foliatus, fossor* | None | E. foliatus,
recently described in 2008 from specimens collected in Guyana, is an interesting
member of this genus. While little is known about their natural history,
they appear to be arboreal. Furthermore, they differ from other Ephebopus species by having a slight pattern on the abdomen (West, et al., 2008).
The type specimens for E. fossor (collected near Rio Sapayo, Ecuador) were lost many years ago and it's possible that Pocock was describing an entirely different species. R. West declared this species as nomen dubium as a result. Those selling so-called "E. fossor" are actually selling Ephebopus "whoknowswhatus" (and come from nowhere near Ecuador). Pocock's original description describes a spider that is similar to E. murinus, but has less emphasized longitudinal stripes on the legs, and more obvious transverse markings near the joints. |
| Ephebopus | murinus, rufescans | Skeleton Tarantula (just Ephebopus murinus) Burgundy Skeleton (E. rufescans) |
Terrestrial tarantula.
These "bulldoggish" spiders are rarely arboreal (though sometimes found
in trees, in root structure near the ground); they prefer to burrow and
have their urticating hairs on their pedipalps (a type of urticating bristles
that can be airborne. The other members of this subfamily that possess
urticating bristles only have Type II, which must be pressed into an assailant
on contact).More
information on urticating bristles by Rogerio Bertani and Otavio Marques
can be found here. Most E. murinus are somewhat defensive (one of mine, however, is a doll). |
| Ephebopus | uatuman | Emerald Skeleton |
E. uatuman has yellow bands at the "knee" joints", lacks the striping of E. murinus and E. rufescans, and their carapaces and abdomens have a
greenish tint; overall, they're a tawny orange color when approaching a
molt and a drab olive after molting. There is a shiny blue-violet
tint on the ventral surface of legs I. Males are reddish-orange overall
at maturity. They can be found in the unique evergreen tropical
"moist" forest along the Rio Branco/Rio Negro river basin. More information
on their highly diverse habitat is located here.
More information and photos regarding the spider are located here.
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| Iridoplema | hirsutum | Yellow Lined Treespider | Fuzzy, tawny colored
arboreals that are very similar to members of the Avicularia genus.
They have Type II urticating bristles, and the males have spurs on legs
I and II. Contrary to some websites, it has nothing to do with the "Ischnocolus
hirsutus" described by Ausserer in 1875. The spider that is now known
(erroneously) as Avicularia hirsuta is a terrestrial from the Caribbean. |
| Iridoplema | seladonium | None | From Brazil. According to Koch's drawing, this spider is a real stunner. It has a green carapace, orange femora, bluish tibia and tarsi, blue chelicerae. . .essentially, a tree-dwelling C. cyaneopubescens. Note: This spider has been "rediscovered" and redescribed here. The redescription reveals a spider that is more hirsute than Koch's illustration, and with femora that are more pinkish than orange. It was also discovered that the males have no tibial apophysis, unlike I. hirsutum and I. zorodes, which have spurs on legs I and II . What is most important about the redescription is the authors' points about the spider's habitat. They were found in fragmented patches of lowland Atlantic rainforest, 95% of which no longer exists (L.M. Almeida-Silva, et al.) What else lives in there that hasn't been seen for 150 years, if at all? If there's a case for preservation of a spider, this beautiful jewel is it. |
| Iridoplema | zorodes | Brazilian Purple | Kept like most members
of
Avicularia. What was in the pet trade in the late 1990's
as I. zorodes resembled I. hirsutum more than anything "purple". |
| Pachistopelma | concolor, rufonigrum | None | From Guyana and Brazil
(Iguarassu), respectively. They have Type II urticating bristles,
and quite limited ranges. More
data on their habits and habitat compiled by Sidclay Calaça Dias,
et
al., are located here,
here, and here. |
Subfamily: Eumenophorinae
These are the big African "baboon"
spiders. They are normally very defensive and most like to dig deep
burrows. The majority of the members of this subfamily require a
good amount of humidity.
| Anoploscelus | celeripes, lesserti | None | Central African.
Neither are in the US pet trade, but A. celeripes, which is from
near Lake Tanganyika in
deep central Africa, makes a rare appearance in Europe. While the spider itself is unremarkable (average sized, burrowing, brownish),
its habitat is quite deserving of attention. There are huge swathes of
forest around the massive lake that are largely unexplored. How untouched,
you may ask? Che Guevarra used the huge rift valley as a training base
for revolutionaries due to its remoteness. The area plays host a myriad
of unique flora and fauna, much of which is likely unknown. Fortunately,
two large reserves border the lake in an effort to keep this jewel intact.
More on the biology and geology of the locale can be found here.
A. lesserti may be synonymous with A. celeripes (Smith 1990). types were found in Rwanda, and in Zaire, near the Tanzanian border. |
| Batesiella | crinita | None | The genus is named
after GL Bates, an explorer responsible for the collection of a great many
species of African fauna (not to be confused with Henry W. Bates)
This small, burrowing
spider can be found near Evouma (aka Efulen), western Cameroon. |
| Citharischius | crawshayi | King Baboon | The females may get
up to 7 or 8" in legspan.
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| Encyocrates | raffrayi | None | This medium-sized
tarantula is widely distributed throughout Madagascar |
| Eumenophorus | clementsi, murphyorum | Sierra Leone Mouse
Brown and Greater Sierra Leone Mouse Brown, respectively |
Both medium-sized brown spiders were found in Sierra Leone |
| Hysterocrates | affinis*,
affinis angusticeps*, apostolicus |
None (Something called "cricket-legged baboon" has been sold as H. apostolicusin the pet trade) |
Unfortunately,
many of the original descriptions of this genus aren't detailed, and west-central
Africa's political climate doesn't afford much opportunity for obtaining
further data currently. Therefore, this genus is a mess.
The types for H. affinis and H. affinis angusticeps are missing; furthermore, Strand's description is vague. What can be reasonably assumed is that all Hysterocrates species are deep burrowers that enjoy high humidity. Something resembling both Pocock and Smith's descriptions of H. apostolicus has been imported from Sao Tome and sold as both H. ederi and H. scepticus in the US pet trade in the late 1990's and 2003-04. |
| Hysterocrates | crassipes | Cameroon Brown | Obviously from Cameroon. The species names attached to Hysterocrates spp. in the pet trade are somewhat subjective. What circulated in the pet trade as H. crassipes in the mid 1990s has "football" shaped swelling of the tibia, even as an adult.It could very well be H. greshoffi. They were often sold as H. gigas in the late 1990's and as recent as 2010 (in fact, my female H. crassipes/greshoffi was obtained when I accepted a supposed penultimate male H. gigas on breed loan from a US dealer). It grows smaller than H. gigas and doesn't get the pronounced rusty red coloration before a molt. The actual
H. crassipes inhabits a similar range as H. gigas along the
northwest border of Cameroon. It can be found in Korup National Park, a
striking preservation endeavor. Not only do big, brown, beautiful spiders
live there, but also a plant that may provide keys to helping slow the
spread of AIDS. More info on that is located here.
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the Guinea Goliath |
H. didymus is not large for this genus. |
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I haven't seen similar individuals offered for sale in the United States very often after 2003. Most of what circulates lately is cf H. crassipes. More information and photos of late 1990's H. gigas are located here. The species is found throughout western Cameroon. |
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H. greshoffi can be found along the borders
of Gabon and Congo. |
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It could be possible that H. hercules is simply a northern variant of H. gigas. It's
unlikely spiders are collected for the pet trade in the range of H.
hercules, (types were found well over 500 miles from the range of H.
gigas- mountains, rivers, and brutal feuds away from common pet trade
collection locales), but it was popular (and probably profitable) to sell
captive-hatched spiderlings of H. gigas as H. hercules in
the late 1990's. |
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robustus, robustus sulcifer*, scepticus, sjostedti, spellenbergi* . vosseleri*, weileri* |
(not to be confused with H. gigas) and H. scepticus is sometimes marketed as "Sao Tome Giant" or "Sao Tome Giant Olive Brown Baboon". |
Hysterocrates scepticus may or may not be in the pet trade. What some importers called H.
ederi in 1998-9 has been called H. scepticus in 2003-2004.
It has very thick and long rear legs. That spider resembles neither of
the descriptions of those species. Pocock's description remarks greatly
on how H. scepticus has short, thin legs. Likewise, Charpentier's
photos of H. ederi show a spider with normally proportioned legs.
In any case, H. scepticus is another island species, like H.
ederi.
The descriptions of maximus, robustus sulcifer, spellenbergi, vosseleri, and weileri are undetailed and the types are missing. They may or may not be valid species (Smith 1990).
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| Loxomphalia | rubida* | None | Zanzibar Island.
Simon's description shows a small, brownish spider and not much else. It's
very undetailed. |
| Loxoptygus | coturnatus ectypus erlangeri | None | Ethiopian. Descriptions
lack more specific locality. |
| Mascarenus | remotus | None | Found on the Mascarene
Islands, Mauritius. It has no stridulating organ, unlike all the
other members of this subfamily.
More information composed
by Richard Gallon can be found here. |
| Monocentropus | balfouri,
lambertoni, longimanus |
None | Socotra, Madagascar,
and Yemen, respectively. M. lambertoni is named after Col. Lamberton, an explorer of Madagascar. |
| Myostola | occidentalis | None | From Gabon. |
| Phoneyusa | antilope,
belandana, bettoni, bidentata, bidentata ituriensis, bouvieri, buettneri celerierae, chevalieri cultridens, efuliensis elephantiasis, gabonica giltayi, gracilipes gregori, lesserti |
None | Central to Southern
Africa.
P. bettoni is from southern Kenya, near Voi. P. bidentata was discovered on the border of Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo. P. elephantiasis was found in the swampy regions
of Bahr el Ghazal (southwest of Sudan). It has heavily swollen tibia.
P. bouvieri actually lives in Madagascar, in "Tana", the hilly region around Antananarivo. It's a central highland area with humid earth and mild temperatures. |
| Phoneyusa | manicata | Olive-black Baboon | Defensive, burrowing,
and from Principe. It is not as available in the pet trade as it
was in the 1990's. I don't know if anyone bred them in captivity. |
| Phoneyusa | minima mutica, nigroventris principium, rufa, rutilata, sp. westi |
None (an unknown Phoneyusa sp. was sold in the pet trade as "Wannabehercules") |
"Wannabehercules"
is similar to H. gigas , but grows smaller and doesn't have stocky
rear legs. |
Subfamily: Harpactirinae
These are also African "baboon"
spiders. Though smaller, they have unique habits and are still very
defensive on the whole. Some members of this subfamily will often
stridulate. Most are burrowers of dry scrubland habitat, but members
of Pterinochilus sometimes show semi-arboreal tendencies.
In 2002, Richard Gallon made major
revisions to this subfamily, including the removal of the genus Brachionopus to
another family of mygalomorph spiders entirely. More detailed information
can be found at Timo Raab and Ingo Wendt's fabulous baboonspiders.de
| Augacephalus | breyeri, junodi | None | Southern Africa.
A. breyeri is a former Pterinochilus species. What isnow
A.
junodi was Coelogenium nigrifemur and Pterinochilus junodi
(a description for C. nigrifemur was made using a shed skin
that lacked key details. C. nigrifemur turned out to actually be
P. junodi) (Gallon 19). Augacephalus is a new genus created
for both species in 2002 by Richard Gallon. |
| Ceratogyrus | bechuanicus | Curvedhorn | The young are very voracious feeders. |
Several variations exist, with some having a quite pronounced protuberance and others with only a slight plug reminiscent of C. sanderi. More information and photos of the US pet trade C. brachycephalus are located here. |
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| Ceratogyrus | dolichocephalus | None | Tarantulas of southeast
Africa. No "horn", just an extension of the caput. It's not in the pet trade. |
It has no "horn". |
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More information and photos are located here. |
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Coelogenium genus. No "horn". |
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| Ceratogyrus | sanderi | None | These have more of
a "plug" than a horn. |
| Eucratoscelus | constrictus | None | According
to Richard Gallon's 2002 revision of the Eucratosceles and Pterincohilus genera, E. longiceps and Pterinochilus spinifer are now known
as E. constrictus. Oddly enough, I have seen both a spider resembling E. pachypus and spiders that appeared to be tiny Pterincochilus species being sold as "P. spinifer from Tanzania" in the Florida pet trade. Sometimes E. pachypus is sold as E. longiceps under the name "Voi Red Rumped Baboon." In any case, E. constrictus is a plain brown tarantula of smallish to average size that prefers a dry habitat; the spider is not nearly as stout in legs IV as E. pachypus (i.e., almost all the photos I've seen from dealers claiming to sell E. longiceps are actually E. pachypus). |
R. Gallon published the first description of male E. pachypus in 2002. More information and photos of this species are locatedhere. |
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chrysogaster, curator,curvipes,dictator,gigas guttata, hamiltoni, lineata lyrata,marksi namaquensis, pulchripes tigrina |
Cape Pigmy Baboon Spider (H. atra) or Hanover Olive Baboon Spider (H. baviana). None are available in the US pet trade. |
Despite some unsubstantiated rumors, there has never been a death as a direct result of a Harpactira bite (nor the bite of any other Theraphosidae). However, their bite is apparently painful, and may induce nausea in some individuals (Dippenaar-Schoeman 2002). More information
by Dippenaar-Schoeman is located here. |
|
helenae, insidiosa . karrooica,lapidaria lightfooti,longipes, magna, schwarzi spinosa,treleaveni |
|
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| Idiothele | nigrofulva | None | This wide-ranging
southern African species used to be called Pterinochilus crassispinus until
this genus was reintroduced by Gallon in 2002. |
| alluaudi, chordatus,
leetzi* lugardi |
etc., sometimes with a town name and a color generality thrown in for good measure (i.e., "Mombassa starburst" or "Kilimanjaro Grey "). |
and sometimes they like to burrow. Other times, a formerly burrowing individual will desire to live in a tree. They grow fast and are easy to breed and care for, yet their speed and prediliction for snippitiness puts them in the yellow category. They're not in the red category because, well, they're just so easy to keep and control. Note:P. affinis, P. brunellii, P. carnivorus, P. raptor, P. sjostedti, P. widenmanni, and Coelogenium raveni were found to be the the same animal as Pterinochilus chordatus by Richard Gallon in 2002. P. leetzi may simply be another "species du jour" , loosely described by Schmidt in a non-peer reviewed publication using pet-trade material. Until a description with clear collection locale and comparisons to known Pterincohilus occurs in a peer-reviewed journal and type specimens are deposited for review. . .it is a non-species as far as eight is concerned. |
|
| Pterinochilus | murinus | Usambara orange starburst baboon, Usambara Red, True starburst, Orange Bitey Thing (OBT), etc. so forth, and so on. |
See above.
The specimens commonly sold as "sp" or P. mammillatus that are a
shade of orange is just a color variation of P. murinus. Likewise,
P.
hindei is the same thing as P. murinus. They range in color from dark gray to tan, and some are quite yellowish, and even reddish-orange. It has also been reputed that the orange ones are more arboreal than the yellow ones, and I have observed many of the orange "usambaras" having equal prediliction for both climbing and burrowing. However, it is probably just pet trade "lore" that distinguishes betwixt the color variations as being separate and distinct in habits. Further information, mating and spiderling data, photos, etc., may be found here. |
| Pterinochilus | simoni | See above. These
spiders are inhabitants of the Congo, and not likely collected. |
|
| Pterinochilus | vorax | None, or variations of above | Tanzanian, but not
likely collected. Sometimes varying color forms of P. murinus or
P. chordatus are sold as P. vorax. |
| Trichognathella | schoenlandi | None | These South Africans
were formerly known as Pterinochilus shoenlandi until Richard Gallon's
2002 revision established the Trichognathella genus. Gallon also published the first description of the female of this species. |
Subfamily: Ischnocolinae
This is the most widely dispersed
subfamily of theraphosidae. Some species are native to the Middle East,
some to Asia, others to Southern Europe, and still more to the Americas.
For now, notice the global distribution of eighty separate species (there's
one near you!) of which the habits are little understood. They are grouped
together quite loosely by having divided scopulae. Basically,
the subfamily is a junk drawer for cladistics.
Clearly, this subfamily is a testament
to how little we know about tarantulas.
Genus: Proshapalopus
I've put this in its own genus category separate from the Ischnocolinae
table due to the fact that I think I'll end up moving it soon. It
seems that the subfamily Ischnocolonae continues to be a foster home in
systematics. Cyclosternum used to be in this subfamily,
as did Thrixopelma and a host of others. Recently (as of 2001),
spiders have been reclassified out of Theraphosinae (Pamphobeteus in specific) into this one. However, this genus was listed as being
in synonymy with Holothele by Raven in 1985 and that synonymy was
recognized by Platnick, but recent efforts by other arachnologists has
changed that.
One day, the evolutionary relationships (and so much more about their habitats) of all these spiders will be known.
| Proshapalopus | amazonicus | None | Formerly
known as Pamphobeteus anomalus |
| Proshapalopus | anomalus* | None | The first of this
genus that was described; may be synonymous with Holothele anomala |
| Proshapalopus | multicuspidatus | None | |
Subfamily: Ornithoctoninae
These are tarantulas revered for
their colorations and defensiveness. Most are native to southeastern
Asia, enjoy high humidity, and have a striped pattern on the opisthosoma.
Most are of quite similar external
appearance and some species may be removed sooner than later (and plenty
more new discoveries added) by Volker von Wirth once he completes his research
on this subfamily.
| Citharognathus | hosei, tongmianensis | None | C. hosei was found in Sarawak, Malaysia (island of Borneo). Sadly, the deforestation rate of the region is faster than anywhere else in the world. On top of that, China and Malaysia just agreed to turn C. hosei's habitat into a mining corridor. More information on that is located here. C. tongmianensis is named after Tongmian village, in Guangxi, China. It may also be found
in Malaysia. It is larger
than C. hosei and has no stripes on the opisthosoma. |
| Cyriopagopus | dromeus* | None | There's no dividing line in their metatarsal scopulae and they're a reddish/chestnut color overall.
|
More information and photos are located here. Odds are, the majority are a Haplopelma sp. (temporarily called "longipedum" or "Vietnam"). What's being sold resembles none of the other known Cyriopagopus in habits in terms of their prediliction for climbing, not burrowing. The type for C. paganus is missing and has been missing since the 1940's. The type of the real C. paganus was found near Dawaei (aka Tavoy), in what is now Tanintharyi state, Myanmar. What's often imported as C. paganus comes from Vietnam.
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| Cyriopagopus | schioedtei | Malaysian Giant Earth Tiger | Beautiful tropical
arboreals. They have a greenish-yellow carapace and the abdomen striping
common to this subfamily on a pale background. To my knowledge, most captive breeding attempts have resulted in failure and they therefore could become very rare in the wild. However, captive breeding efforts have recently been seeing more success and 4 eggsacs have hatched in the U.S. as of 2002. These spiders are sometimes mistakenly sold as C. thorelli. |
| Cyriopagopus | thorelli | None | See notes under C. schioedtei |
| Haplopelma | albostriatum | Thai
zebra (not to be confused with A.seemani), Thai tiger, Tigerrump (not to be confused with C. fasciatum), Thai Black (not to be confused with H. minax) |
|
| Haplopelma | sp. ("aureopilosum" "longipedum", and others) | Many variations on the word "tiger" and a seemingly random region or color | Due to difficulty
with locating original type specimens and locality data, many Haplopelma species are unidentified and sold under a variety of names. The most
common "mystery" introductions to the pet trade are spiders sold as H.
minax that aren't, and some sold as C. paganus that may be a
Haplopelma species. In addition, some Haplopelma spp. may not be different species, but just color variations. Also see notes
under C.
paganus |
| Haplopelma | doriae | None | Come from Borneo |
| Haplopelma | hainanum | Chinese Black Earth Tiger | Large and black.
H. hainanum is obviously from Hainan, in southeast China, near Tongza. The region is home to several very diverse cultural groups, and the province has taken care to preserve their individual heritages. However, the island is home to over 8 million people, and the primary industry is agricultural. It is difficult to protect the unique habitat in the area. More information is located here. H. hainanum serves a valuable role in venom research. |
| Haplopelma | huwenum* | Variations of the "earth tiger" theme | See Haplopelma
schmidti. |
H. albostriatum. They're quite tense and quirky and readily bite. These absolutely need the ability to burrow in captivity, as they are a very secretive species that thrives on privacy. They are one of two known types of Haplopelma that have longer legs IV than legs I (the other is called Haplopelma longipipes for obvious reasons). More information and photos are located here. It's found in eastern Myanmar, east of Mawlamyine and into northwestern Thailand. |
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| Haplopelma | longipes | A wild variety, to include: Thai tiger, Asian Black Birdeater, etc. | This spider was known
as Haplopelma sp. "longipedum" until Volker von Wirth formally described it in 2005. It is very similar to H. lividum, only with dark legs. Also like H. lividum, it has long legs IV. It has a broad range, from west of Bangkok to east
of Phnom Penh. |
The one sold in the pet trade in the 1990's looked like other Haplopelma, but with velvety black legs and a dark carapace. It is black. Pretty much all over. Plain black. Coal black. Darth Vader black. There are rings at the joints, and a vague tiger pattern on the opisthosoma is noted under light in some individuals, but these slight features do not overshadow its darkness, even approaching a molt. Another color variant of H. minax has a deep gray overall coloration, with a brownish opisthosoma. H. minax can be found in southeastern Myanmar and northwestern Thailand.
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| Haplopelma | None, or variations of "Earth Tiger" | Southeast Asia, to
include Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The type specimens for
H.
robustum are missing. There is a shaggy, bluish spider
sometimes sold as H. robustum in the pet trade. |
|
| Haplopelma | Golden Earth Tiger | These spiders from
Northern Vietnam are large growing, golden beasts that need ample soil
for digging. They're often sold as "Chinese Golden Earth Tiger", and their range does indeed extend north into China (they can be found from Pingxiang to Youyiguan). A female specimen was first described by Volker von Wirth in 1991. They're captive-bred by the thousands for venom research. The peptides contained in Huwentoxin-I and Huwentoxin-II (the name comes H. huwenum, a junior synonym of this species) provide clues to reactions in the human neurological system and therefore these spiders may well prove to be an aid to modern medicine.
|
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| Lampropelma | Borneo Giant Orange Fringed | There was a spider
from Borneo introduced to the US pet trade in 1999 under the monker of
L. nigerrimum; they are large, dark burrowers that aren't Lampropelma.
All other Lampropelma are arboreal spiders similar to Cyriopagopus. |
|
| Lampropelma | violaceopes | Singapore Violet; Malaysian Blue Femur, Singapore Blue |
A large, blue arboreal
species. It can be found in Singapore, southern Malaysia, and Indonesia. It
is now being imported in very large numbers. It's often sold as Cyriopagopus
sp. "blue", and perhaps righlty so, at least the Cyriopagopus part. They don't have a brush of setae on the backsides of the palpal femora,
which is the difference between Lampropelma and Cyriopagopus.
Pickiness aside, it's a gorgeous, leggy thing. What used to be sold as L. violaceopes (or sometimes L. violaceopedes) in the pet trade is a burrowing spider that looks somewhat similar to a shaggy H. lividum with slightly flattened tarsi.
|
| Ornithoctonus | andersoni | Asian Mustard | Long legged, tawny
tarantulas from Myanmar that like to web a lot |
| aureotibialis | None | Sometimes sold in
the pet trade as Haplopelma sp."aureopilosum" or Haplopelma minax. It is a gorgeous, "fluffy" spider with black legs that have a slight
orange tinge along the edges.
|
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| Ornithoctonus | costalis | None | O. costalis has black legs and yellowish rigs at the "knee joints". They are
small for this genus and were known as Haplopelma costale until
Volker von Wirth revised this subfamily in 2005. They are in the "red" category due to the sensitivity of their habitat. They are from the beautiful (and somewhat protected)
Erawan
National Park . |
tigrinus |
None | Indigenous to Sumatra
and Borneo. They're very similar to the beautiful Cyriopagopus species, with striped abdomens. Like Cyriopagopus, they are arboreal. |
Subfamily: Poecilotheriinae
These are the Indian "tree spiders"
native to India and Sri Lanka.
Their habitat in southern India
and Sri Lanka is rapidly dwindling due to deforestation. They
were under consideration for inclusion to CITES (Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species) in a proposal sponsored by the United States
and Sri Lanka, but that proposal was rejected in April, 2000. If
they are included in CITES, they can't be exported, yet a lot of where
they live will likely be destroyed (at least in the case of India).
Some scientists estimated that some Poecilotheria spp. would be
extinct by 2005 if human expansion into their habitat continued at its
present rate (Charpentier 1996). It hasn't happened yet, but, in
the seconds it took you to read that, another tree in India just went down.
For that reason, all are on the "red list", as captive breeding of this
genus needs to be a top priority.
| Poecilotheria | fasciata | Sri Lankan Ornamental | Found near Kandy,
Sri Lanka, these fast moving gray and black spiders require a well-ventilated
home and do well with a moderate amount of humidity. Similar in dorsal
coloration to P. formosa and P. regalis. Their habitat is moderate year-round (with temperatures seldomly exceeding 80F), yet gets quite dry in the summer and exceedingly rainy in the winter months from November to January. Sir James Tennent, in one of the first Western descriptions of a tarantula bite, describes how a man disturbed a P. fasciata in a wine cellar. The result was a fair amount of local pain and inflammation. |
| Salem Ornamental | |
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| Poecilotheria | metallica | Gooty Oramental | An extremely beautiful
"pokie" from India. Those in the pet trade have metallic blue appendages,
blue chelicerae, a blue fringe around the carapace, and a blue stripe down
the dorsal center of the opisthosoma. Pocock's original description
of an adult female from Gooty, however, portrays coloration similar to
a less-defined
P. subfusca, and the name is attributed to the bluish
sheen on the otherwise brown surfaces on ventral side of the anterior legs. They have recently been introduced to the US pet trade; hopefully, proper attention will be given to captive breeding in the U.S. instead of just selling as many as possible to whomever for a quick buck (note: Kelly Swift produced the first captive-bred P. metallica in the US in early 2005). The original exporters in Europe are indeed wise enough to have withheld breeding groups from sale. |
| Poecilotheria | miranda | None (Sometimes sold as "Four Spotted Ornamental") |
India. These
beautiful brownish arboreals have four prominent brown spots along the
dorsal abdominal stripe. They've only recently been introduced to
the US pet trade at exploitive prices without attention to establishing
a captive bred population in the country. Hopefully, those who have been
buying them will make an effort to breed them upon maturity. Europeans
have ensured a captive-bred population on "the other side of the pond". |
| From Sri Lanka.
These, along with P. rufilata, are the largest growing of the genus
and one of the most beautiful. They have the typical yellow
markings on the undersides of the forelegs as well as some yellow
patterning on the top side. While more prolific with reproduction
than some other members of this genus, they are not as socially tolerant. A medically documented bite of P. ornata describes immediate, local swelling at the finger, and pain extending to the armpit. After-effects included a mild allergic reaction as well as joint soreness, but nothing to suggest any effects of severe consequence (Dougherty 2004). |
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| Poecilotheria | pederseni | None | This is a newly discovered
species named after Nicolai Pedersen. It has white bands on the undersides of its forelegs instead of the typical yellow bands. |
| Poecilotheria | regalis | Indian Ornamental | From India.
These can be distinguished from the other "pokies" by a whiteish/cream
colored band on the underside of the opisthoma. P. regalis was accidentally classified in the Ornithoctoninae subfamily by Tikader, and was called "Ornithoctonus gadgili" for a brief time. This species is reputed to be socially tolerant in captivity. However, I have heard about and personally observed cases in which a male matured before his female siblings and was attacked under captive conditions. In the wild, several generations may inhabit the same tree. More information and photos are located here. |
| Poecilotheria | rufilata | Redslate Ornamental | India. These, along
with
P. ornata, are the largest arboreal tarantulas. They
have reddish hairs sprouting from the legs and beautiful yellowish markings.
They, like P. subfusca, enjoy milder temperatures. |
| Poecilotheria | smithi | None | Sri Lanka. These were mistaken for P. subfusca before the actual P. subfusca was introduced to the European pet trade 1989. Later, they were thought to be P. bara, but careful cross referencing and persistence by Philip Charpentier in 1996 showed them to be different, so he declared the new species P. pockocki. Later, it was synomized with P. smithi, which Peter Kirk described earlier the same year. They are not exceptionally colored, with dorsal patterns similar to P. regalis, but no yellow forelegs or transverse band on the ventral surface of the opisthosoma. They have proven exceedingly difficult to breed, and their habitat is dwindling rapidly. |
| Poecilotheria | striata | Mysore Ornamental | Southern India.
Some do not agree with Peter Kirk's 1996 assertion that the species Poecilotheria
vittata is the same thing as P. striata (however, P. vittata was described from a single male with no locality data).Hence, P. vittata may
be renewed as a species. P. striata has similar coloration to P. regalis without the ventral band, and the "caution bands" on the ventral sides of the forelegs may be more orange than yellow. |
| Highlands of Sri
Lanka. These are absolutely grand examples of a beautiful spider.
Their color patterns are more bold than some other members of this genus,
and the contrast of cream/black/gray on their dorsal sides (along with
Sri Lanka's closure to exports) make them command a high price. They live in the mild climates of the coffee and tea plantations near Pundaloya, where elevations are above 5,000 feet and temperatures seldom exceed 75 degrees F. Unlike many other Poecilotheria species, these aren't accustomed to heat and an extremely dry season followed by monsoons- their habitat remains about a comfortable 70% humidity year-round, with very nice, cool temps. They were found to be the same as P. bara by Peter Kirk's extensive work with this genus in the late 1980's/early 1990's. They are reportedly a socially tolerant theraphosid (Striffler 2003). This is a good thing, as their broods are small in number and they are not easy to breed. |
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| Poecilotheria | tigrinawesseli | Wessel's Tiger Spider | This Indian species
was described by Andrew Smith in 2006. It somewhat resembles P. formosa, and is fortunately being captive bred in Europe. |
| Poecilotheria | uniformis | None | Sri Lanka |
Subfamily: Selenocosmiinae
Eastern hemisphere tarantulas,
including some Australian ones. Some are profuse web dwellers and many
enjoy burrowing. For detailed information on Australian varities,
I recommend checking out Steve
Nunn's Australian Tarantulas
Others, such as Poecilotheria and
Psalmopoeus, are arboreal.
Note: For the genus Psalmopoeus,
see here
For the genus Poecilotheria,
see here
| andersoni, annandalei,
assamensis, bicolor, brevipes, dyscolus femoralis,fimbriatus flavopilosus,fumosus |
Thai brown, Asian
Giant Fawn, Malaysian Red-Brown, many other assorted variations of a region
and a color (it is unsure which specific species these pet trade names belong to, and even more unlikely that the correct species name has been attributed to the spiders sold); C. fimbriatus is usually marketed as "Indian Violet". |
This genus has a
range west to India, east to Vietnam, north to China, and south to Sri
Lanka. Most spiders of this genus attain typical "tarantula"
size. However, a few, such as C. nitelinus (of Sri Lanka) and C.
flavopilosus (from the lowland in north-central Myanmar), are
a bit small. All tend to have long spinnerets, which they definitely use!
C. andersoni can be found near Tenasserim, and probably up through the central valley of upper Myanmar, into India. C. assamensis can be found in Sibsagar in Assam. Fortunately, management of the unique region has helped preserve this spider's habitat (and saved rhinos on the brink of extinction). C. brevipes can't stridulate, unlike most other members fo this subfamily. C. femoralis is found northeast of Goa, near Nasik. C. fimbriatus is found around Khandala and Satara (north of Goa), India. However, it has a wide range. It is sometimes stolen by smugglers from Sanjay Gandhi National Park. and often (over) collected from Castle Rock in Karnataka. Though it is wide-ranging and adaptable, the pressure on this species makes it advisable to avoid wild-caught specimens. C. flavopilosus is found east of the Irrawaddy River, near Tharrawaddy, a rice and teak
farming lowland in central Myanmar. C. fumosus can be found in the pleasantly mild climate of Kurseong. |
|
| Chilobrachys | guangxiensis | See above notes |
This medium-sized brown spider is from Hainan in southeast
China, not Guangxi.
|
| Chilobrachys | hardwicki,huahini,hubei* liboensis, nitelinus ,oculatus,paviei pococki, sericeus, soricinus, stridulans thorelli, tschankoensis |
See above notes. C. huahini is often marketed as "Asian Fawn." |
C. hubei is China's northernmost tarantula,
from Badong County, in Hubei Province, China. It's very similar to C.
andersoni; unfortunately, the type specimens were lost, so it is difficult
to know if it is a valid species because the only differences noted are
some variable size factors. It would be interesting to know if any more
have been seen that far north since, or if the collection data was erroneous.
C. huahini is often exported from Thailand. It is found east of Tanintharyi, Mayanmar, in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. C. liboensis is one of China's more northern tarantulas (if the collection data for C. hubei is incorrect), from Libo County. It is also very much like C. andersoni in appearance. C. pococki is found at higher elevations (about 1300m) in the hills east of Toungoo in Kayin State, Myanmar and along the Thai border. C. sericeus is found in northeastern Myanmar, by the upper Ayeyarwady River. Thorell also recorded the species from the lowland deltas around Palon. It probably has a pretty wide range all slong the rivers through the middle of Myanmar. C. soricinus was discovered in Myanmar, but Thorell lists it as from Vietnam as well (Cochinchina). |
| Coremiocnemis | cunicularia |
None, possibly marketed
as Malaysian Reddish Brown
|
These southeast Asians
are reputed to have strong venom |
| Coremiocnemis | tropix | None | This Australian was
recently described Dr. Robert Raven. Further details can be found in
the journal Zootaxa
|
| valida | Singapore Brown | C. valida has black femurs with a brown carapace, a purplish opisthosoma, and brownish
to purplish ends on their legs. |
|
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| crotalus,pugnax,robustus saltator |
None | Range from India
to Malaysia. L. crotalus is from the Khasi
Hills, in Meghalaya, India. The very similar L. pugnax is
from the nearby Garo Hills. L. robustus is similar in build to members
of the Eucratosceles genus with its thickened rear legs, but is
very similar to members of Coremiocnemis otherwise. |
|
| Orphnaecus | pellitus | None | Found in the Philippines.
A spider bearing this moniker has recently been imported from the Philipines.
It bears a similar red/black constrasting coloration to S. dichromata. |
brevipes, bundokalbo, inermis,insularis, mutus,nebulosus, ornatus subarmatus, subinermis |
None | This genus has a
very wide range, from southeast Asia to Indian and Pacific ocean islands
and Australia.
Phlogiellus brevipes (not to be confused with Chilobrachys brevipes) lives in the steep
Dawna Mountains of Myanmar at about 1300 m. in elevation. |
|
| philippinus | None | A newly described
species (Schmidt, 1999) that lives in the Philippines. |
|
| Selenocosmia | arndsti | New Guinea Black Femur | Formerly a member
of the
Chilocosmia, but placed in this genus by Raven in 2000.
A defensive/reclusive tarantula with rusty colored legs and opisthosoma,
a mustard colored carapace, and black femurs. |
| Selenocosmia | aruana, compta, crassipes, deliana | None | These terrestrials
range from Sumatra to New Guinea to Australia. |
| Selenocosmia | dichromata | New Guinea Rust-Orange | From New Guinea.
S. dichromata has a salmon colored carapace and velvety black legs
and opisthosoma. It used to be part of the Chilocosmia genus.
Like members of the Haplopelma genus, these burrowers are very secretive
and need privacy to thrive. More information and photos are located here. |
| Selenocosmia | effera,
fuliginea,hasselti
,
|
None . |
Members of this genus
range from India to southeast Asia, and north to China and south to Australia
(S. strenua, S. subvulpina and others).
*Note: For S. hainana see the Ornithoctoninaesubfamily. |
| Selenocosmia | himalayana | None |
Found up to 7,00 feet in elevation, perhaps more, in
the Kumaon Hills of Dehra Dun, Almora, and the "Aspen of India" Naini Tal
(Uttarakhand, India), and Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh, India).
The environment is unique, with its chilly winters, rapid shifts in elevation, and incredible rainfall. |
| Selenocosmia | hirtipes,honesta,
imbellis,insignis, insulana |
||
| Selenocosmia | jiafu | None |
Dull colored tarantulas from Menghai County, a prime
tea growing region in south-central China.
|
| Selenocosmia | javanensis (to include ssp. brachyplectra javanensis, dolichoplectra, javanensis, fulva, javanensis, and sumatrana) |
S. javanesis varieties are sometimes sold as Javan Yellowknee. | Brown diggers from one of the most populated areas on Earth. |
| Selenocosmia | kovariki kulluensis,lanceolata lanipes, lyra, mittmannae*, obscura orophila,papuana peerboomi, pritami, raciborskii, samarae,similis, stirlingi strenua, strubelli subvulpina sutherlandi,tahanensis valida, xinhuaensis |
S. lanipes are called New Guinea Browns. S. obscura is marketed as Borneo Walnut-brown. |
S. kulluensis is from the Kullu Valley of India, and similar to S. himalayana with its gray/brown coloration. The description of S. mittmannae was published in a non-peer reviewed magazine, so its validity is questionable. S. xinhuaensis are small, ruddy-brown spiders from Xinhua village in Yunnan, China. S. xingping is similar, smaller, and from Hong Kong. |
| None | From northern Australia |
||
| None | Another Australian
variety |
||
| Yamia | muta, watasei | None | Y.
muta is a small, uniformly colored tarantula from the Philippines.
Y. watasei is from Yami district, Orchid (Lanyu) Island, Taiwan. Of note is the fact that Y. watesi's habitat is very sparsely populated by simple people who fish for sustenance. On the downside, that sparse, simple population has made Orchid Island a dumping ground for Taiwan's low to mid level nuclear waste.Read how the Yami people (and thus the spiders too) were tricked here For
Y. bundokalbo, see Phlogiellus. |
Genera:Psalmopoeus and Tapinauchenius
These genera are unique in terms
of their relationship to other Theraphosidae. Psalmopoeus stridulate via structures somewhat similar to that of the Selenocosmiinae, yet they are native to the Americas. Unlike other genera of Aviculariinae,
neither genus has urticating bristles. Some taxonomists assert that they
are an evolutionary relative of the Selenocosmiinae, like Poecilotheria (Pocock
1899). In captivity, I've observed the mating behavior of P. irminia to be more reminiscent of P. regalis than A. avicularia,
and have seen both males and females of P. regalis make drumming
overtures to P. irminia, which responded in kind!
However, the mature males do have
spurs (much like those of Ephebopus spp.); Poecilotheria and the Selenocosmiinae do not. Like other members of Aviculariinae,
the male's emboli are simple in both Psalmopoeus and Tapinauchenius.
Those of Poecilotheria are more complex.
Truly, these genera are a testament
to scientific hypotheses about biological evolution- there doesn't see
to be an agreeable home for them right now, but figuring out where they
fit in an evolutionary fashion could be revealing about more than just
the spiders themselves. Their placement is an important consideration,
as it could provide clues as to how other animals are evolving, and how
our planet is changing.
| Genus | Species | Common Name | Odds n' ends |
| Psalmopoeus | affinis* | None | A Caribbean spider
that may or may not exist. Strand's description gives little detail that
would separate it from other species. |
| Psalmopoeus | cambridgei | Trinidad Chevron | Native to Trinidad.
Like the others in this subfamily, this arboreal can be zippy. Most
are somewhat defensive. |
| Psalmopoeus | ecclesiasticus,
emeraldus intermedius, maya* plantaris |
None | P. ecclesiasticus may
be found in Ecuador, near Rio Sapayo and Carondelet. P. maya was
described in 1996. There are reports of a similar spider ranging
even farther north, perhaps into Mexico. The type specimens of
P. maya were not deposited at the museum mentioned in Witt's description, and it
is possible that the species is a darker version of P. reduncas (Reichling 2003). P. plantaris may be found near Cauca, Columbia. |
| Psalmopoeus | irminia | Suntiger; Venezuelan Suntiger |
|
| Psalmopoeus | pulcher | Panama Blonde | Climbing Panamanians
that are blonde overall, with a dark patch on the posterior as juveniles/
young adults. |
| Psalmopoeus | reduncus | Costa Rican Orangemouth | Brownish spiders
with orange hairs around their "mouths". They range all over Costa
Rica, from the east to the west, at varying altitudes. They have
also been found in Panama and as far south as Venezuela, and as far
north as Belize. |
| Psalmopoeus | rufus | None | Found in Central America |
| Tapinauchenius | brunneus, cupreus, elenae | None | T. cupreus is absolutely stunning with its metallic tones (its name is derived from
its coppery appearance). It is reputed to be the smallest growing
of this genus. |
| Tapinauchenius | gigas | Orange Chevron | Fast, light colored
arboreals from Venezuela and Guyana. Somewhat defensive. Unlike most other members of this genus, T. gigas lacks the metallic overtones in coloration. |
| Tapinauchenius | latipes | None | Discovered near Puerto
Cabello, Venezuela. Quite similar to T. cupreus, but larger. |
| Tapinauchenius | plumipes | Trinidad Mahogany | Brownish, fast, somewhat
defensive. This species ranges much farther than the island of Trinidad.
They are not uncommon in Surinam and they have a broader range in northern
Guyana and northeastern Venezuela as well. (Some have supposed that
T.
plumipes may range as far west as Peru!) |
| Tapinauchenius | None | These are seldom
available in the pet trade. |
|
| Tapinauchenius | violaceus | None | Formerly known as T. purpurea until West, et al. found them to be the same species as A. violaceus. |
Subfamily: Spelopelminae
See the genus Hemirrhagus under subfamily Theraphosinae
Subfamily: Stromatopelminae
West African Arboreals. Philip
Charpentier's travels to Africa and persistent work have greatly clarified
mysteries about the life cycles and habitats of these species. Of great
interest is their evolutionary relationship with the Eumenphorinae.
| Common Name | |||
| Encyocratella | olivacea | None | A species newly described
by Richard Gallon in 2003 as Xenodendrophila gabrieli. The
males have no tibial spurs. The females lack spermathecae. Gallon recently found out this Tanzanian matched Strand's 1907 description of Encyocratella. A fascinating fact about this highland African arboreal is that it can still lay fertile eggs after a post-coitial molt ( as can Sickius). |
| Heteroscodra | crassipes crassipes latithorax |
None | The members of this
genus are quick moving arboreals. |
| Heteroscodra | maculata | Togo Starburst, Oranmental Baboon |
Fuzzy grayish-golden
arboreals that prefer low-lying palms and scrub for homes. They may
spend a good amount of time on, in, or near the ground as youngsters. More information and photos are located here. |
| Stromatopelma
|
batesi | None | Collected in Cameroon, near Evouma (Efluen) by GL Bates. Very similar in appearance to S. calceatum. |
| Stromatopelma | calceatum | Medium sized arboreals that
have tufts of hair on the rear legs.
They inhabit a wide range in west-central Africa. These inhabit the crown of tall palms, but have also migrated to fruit trees when palms are not available. They are easily distinguished from Heteroscodra maculata due to the thinner legs IV.They supposedly have a nasty bite. In fact, Philip Charpentier has written about the effects of Stromatopelma spp. bites, and says they include traveling pain of an electric magnitude (he compares it to being shocked and feeling a current rush through one's body) that can persist for hours, and he describes swelling at the site of the bite. In his personal experience, he has endured mild cramping in a punctured finger for some weeks afterward. While they do not have an LD50 that comes anywhere near approaching medically significant (significant being Latrodectus spp. spiders, Buthid scorpions, etc.), they and other members of this subfamily do demand caution due to the potential pain. |
|
| Stromatopelma | calceatum griseipes | None | Same thing as S.
calceatum, but localized near Pepeh, Sierra Leone, and slightly different
in coloration. |
| Stromatopelma | fumigatum | None | S. fumigatum is found near Rio Muni in Gabon, and perhaps extends into Cameroon. |
| Stromatopelma | pachypoda | None | Arboreal West African recently resored to this genus by Richard Gallon. |
| Stromatopelma | satanas | None | |
| See Encyocratella |
Subfamily: Theraphosinae
There are so many genera in this
subfamily that it got its own page, which is sorted by genus.
Click below:
The Theraphosinae
Page