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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. Bear in mind, the taxonomy of Theraphosidae can become a complicated thing as new species are discovered, different relationships among tarantulas are studied, and the simple fact that there are so many variations known and waiting to be known. 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 tarantulas 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 housing needs, and those in red could easily pose problems due to unique needs, rarity, or typical temperament. If the species is in gray or only genus is listed, it's likely uncommon in the US pet trade and I really don't have a clue about it.
I certainly did not just wake up one morning and have all this info- it came from helpful sharing from the tarantula-keeping community (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 Lucky 13 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," no matter what species they are.
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 probably 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 holotypes 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 sometimes 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.
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Avicularia | affinis*, alticeps, ancylochira, anthracina* | 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 little 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 may be more correctly placed in a different genus (Nicolet describes it as quite similar to P. scrofa). Its placement in the World Spider Catalog 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. |
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. Sometimes A. avicularia variegata are sold as Avicularia metallica in the pet trade, so striking is the difference in the most extreme specimens. Further information is located here. |
Avicularia | aymara, azuraklaasi* | None | 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 unscientific in quality. Unfortunately, all published descriptions stand in Platnick's catalog, so here it is (for now) on this list and many others. |
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. 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.
Specimens in the pet trade also seem to have longer and denser red setae on legs IV. Some doubt that it is actually an entirely different species from A. avicularia. It was described by Tesmoingt in 1999 as a "large, docile spider from the 'island' (sic) of Santana that feeds primarily on roaches". HJ Peters redescribed it in 2000 along with the dubious species of A. geroldi and A. ulrichea. |
Avicularia | caesia*,cuminami*,
detrita, diversipes, doleschalli*,
exilis*, fasciculata clara* |
None | A. detrita and
A. diversipes, like several others in this genus, do not have pink
"toes".
A. caesia is likely
the same animal as A. laeta. A. cuminami and A. doleschalli
were also described from juveniles by Mello-Leitao and Ausserer, respectively.
Furthermore, Keyserling makes reference to A. doleschalli in his
description of Cyclosternum janierum (both were at the time Ishnocolus).
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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 1999 and 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. |
Avicularia | glauca*,
gracilis*,
guyana, 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". 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 posses pink "toes". |
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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. |
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. |
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palmicola, panamensis* parva*, plantaris, pulchra* |
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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. |
Avicularia | rapax,
recifiensis, rufa
rutilans, soratae subvulpina* surinamensis*, taunayi tigrina*, ulrichea* |
None | South American.
A. recifiensis was newly described by Struchen and Brandle in 1996. 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 likely terrestrial. Some think A. ulrichea is a variant of A. urticans. It was loosely described in the flurry of papers by Tesmoingt in 1996. A. soratae gets its moniker from its locality in Bolivia. |
Avicularia | urticans | Peruvian Pinktoe | Recently 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. |
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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. |
Avicularia | violacea*, walckenaeri |
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Brazil. A. violacea
was described as Ephebopus from a juvenile by Mello-Leitão;
it's clearly an Avicularia, but which one?
A. walckenaeri is an incredibly hirsute spider with pinks "toes", similar to A. huriana. |
Ephebopus | cyanognathus | None
(Tentatively called French Guiana Blue Fang in the pet trade) |
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 | murinus, rufescans | Skeleton Tarantula
(just Ephebopus murinus) Burgundy Skeleton (E. rufescans)
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It is odd that a terrestrial
tarantula has been placed in the subfamily Aviculariinae,
but that's where it resides. 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).
Supposedly, they're somewhat defensive (one of mine, however, is a doll). Their reputed temperament and rarity place them in the yellow category. Further information and photos of E. murinus are located here. |
Ephebopus | uatuman, fossor* | None
(Sometimes E. uatuman are marketed as "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. More information and photos are located here.
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. Those selling so-called "E. fossor" are actually selling Ephebopus "whoknowswhatus" (and usually come from nowhere near Ecuador). |
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. |
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. |
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.
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Anoploscelus | celeripes, lesserti | None | Central African and rare |
Batesiella | crinita | None | Cameroon |
Citharischius | crawshayi | King Baboon |
Their defensiveness and size can make them difficult to keep in captivity (though they do have lots of young). Supposedly, they are extremely difficult to breed. Those issues and their high cost and slow growth rate put them in the red category. In addition, this species prefers a drier climate than most members of this subfamily. |
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Encyocrates | raffrayi | None | Madagascar |
Eumenophorus | clementsi, murphyorum | Sierra Leone Mouse Brown and Greater Sierra Leone Mouse Brown, respectively | Sierra Leone |
Hysterocrates | affinis,
angusticeps
apostolicus |
None
(H. apostolicus is sometimes called "cricket-legged baboon" in the pet trade) |
Like all the Hysterocrates species, these are deep burrowers that need plenty of substrate. They also enjoy high humidity. |
Hysterocrates | crassipes | Cameroon Brown | Obviously from Cameroon.
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, the species names attached to Hysterocrates spp. in the pet trade is somewhat subjective. What circulates in the pet trade as H. crassipes currently has "football" shaped swelling of the tibia, even as an adult. They were often sold as H. gigas in the late 1990's (in fact, my female H. crassipes was obtained when I accepted a supposed penultimate male H. gigas on breed loan from a US dealer). |
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the Guinea Goliath |
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shy and aggressively sought out by collectors. The difference between H. gigas and H. hercules is subtle and therefore the two are often confused in the pet trade. In fact, it could be likely that H. hercules is simply a varient of H. gigas. |
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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's another island species, like H. ederi. |
Loxomphalia | rubida | None | Zanzibar |
Loxoptygus | coturnatus ectypus erlangeri | None | Ethiopian |
Mascarenus | remotus | None | Found on the Mascarene Islands, Mauritius. Apparently, it has no stridulating organ, unlike all the other members of this subfamily. |
Monocentropus | balfouri,
lambertoni,
longimanus |
None | Socotra, Madagascar,
and
Yemen, respectively. M. lambertoni is named after Col. Lamberton, an explorer of Madagascar. |
Myostola | occidentalis | None | Central Africa |
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. bouvieri actually lives in Madagascar, in "Tana", the hilly region around Antananrivo. 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
(Phoneyusa sp. was sold in the pet trade as "Wannabehercules") |
"Wannabehercules" is similar to H. hercules, 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; species of Pterinochilus will rear up upon the slightest
disturbance. 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.
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Augacephalus | breyeri, junodi | None | Southern Africa. A. breyeri is a former Pterinochilus species. What is now 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. |
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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 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. |
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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 that 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). |
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R. Gallon published the first description of male E. pachypus in 2002. More information and photos of this species are located here. |
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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). |
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 (Schoeman 2002). |
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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. |
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alluaudi,
chordatus,
leetzi*
lugardi
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etc., sometimes with a town name and a color generality thrown in for good measure (i.e., "Mombassa starburst" or "Kilimanjaro Mustard"). Second to the petshop name games that include the words "tiger" or "birdeater" in a tarantula's name, this genus probably has the most temporary and variable "common" names. |
and sometimes they like to burrow and 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" , loosley 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, Usambara Red, True starburst, etc. so forth, and so on. |
See above. The species
commonly sold as "sp" or P. mammillatus that is 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 sometimes the redder 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 |
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See above. These spiders are inhabitants of the Congo, and not likely collected. |
PterinochilusPhlogiellus | 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. Also, what
is the relationship of all the members of such a widespread subfamily?!
What is/are the determining factor(s)? Why do so many species move
in and out of here on a yearly basis?
Clearly, this subfamily is a testament to how
little we know about tarantulas.
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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 |
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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.
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Citharognathus | hosei, tongmianensis | None | Borneo and China, respectively. |
Cyriopagopus | dromeus | None |
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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. Volker von Wirth of Germany is revising this subfamily and hopes to work out such quandries. |
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) |
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Haplopelma | sp. ("aureopilosum" "longipedum", and others) | Many variations on the word "tiger" and a seemingly random region or color | Like most others in this subfamily, these southeast Asians have a chevron pattern on their abdomens. 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. They are in the "red" category due to the value of their venom. They need to be captive bred! |
Haplopelma | huwenum | Variations of the "earth tiger" theme | A golden Chinese spider originally called "Selenocosmia huwena" by Wang, Peng, and Xie in 1993; it was a member of the genus Selenocosmia until 2000, then it became Ornithoctinus huwena. It is very similar to Haplopelma schmidti. |
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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. |
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 is more common in the European pet trade than the US. In the United States, many keepers inadvertently confuse a similar looking spider with H. longipes, though it has smaller legs IV. More information on that spider can be found here. |
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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. What is likely a color variant of H. minax is often sold in the US as Cyriopagopus paganus, Haplopelma sp. "longipedum", and other names has a deep gray overall coloration, with a brownish opisthosoma. More information on that spider is located here |
Haplopelma |
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None, or variations of "Earth Tiger" | Southeast Asia, to include
Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The type specimens for H. robustum
are missing. What's sometimes sold as H. robustum may be the
as the pet-trade L. violaceopes. (or L. violaceopedes)
See also L. violaceopedes |
Haplopelma |
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Golden Earth Tiger | These Vietnamese spiders
are large growing (8" females by some accounts), 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. 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 from confusion with H. huwenum) provide clues to reactions in the human neurological system and therefore these spiders may well prove to be an aid to modern medicine. |
Lampropelma |
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Borneo Giant Orange Fringed | Only very recently introduced to the US pet trade in 1999, these southeast Asians are large dark burrowers that may be L. nigerrimum, or another Lampropelma species entirely. |
Lampropelma | violaceopes | Singapore Violet;
Malaysian Blue Femur |
Found in Malaysia.
It's unknown if this spider actually lives in Singapore, and it's further
unclear exactly what species Abraham attributed to the genus Lampropelma.
He may have jumbled two different species into his description.
What's being 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. There is also a large, blue Cyriopagopus species sometimes confused with L. violaceopes (it's arboreal). |
Ornithoctonus | andersoni | Asian Mustard | Long legged, tawny tarantulas
from Myanmar
that like to web a lot |
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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. |
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 H. costale until Volker von Wirth revised
this subfamily in 2005.
They are in the "red" category due to their rarity in the pet trade. |
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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 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 full of Poecilotheria just went down. For
that reason, all are on the "red list", as captive breeding of this genus
needs to be a top priority!
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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 descriptions of a tarantula bite, describes how a man disturbed a P. fasciata in a wine cellar. The result was swelling and local inflammation. |
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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.
Rick West's site at Birdspiders reveals several color variations. 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 if non-cogeners become available. Europeans have insured a captive-bred population on "the other side of the pond". |
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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). |
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. |
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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 yellow/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 the most socially tolerant Theraphosid (Striffler 2003). This is good thing, as their broods are small in number and they are not easy to breed. |
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.
Others, such as Poecilotheria and Psalmopoeus,
are arboreal.
Note: For the genus Psalmopoeus, see here
For the genus Poecilotheria, see here
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andersoni,
annandalei, assamensis, bicolor, brevipes,
dyscolus femoralis,fimbriatus flavopilosus,fumosus hardwicki,huahini,hubei nitelinus ,oculatus,paviei pococki, sericeus, soricinus, stridulans thorelli, tschankoensis |
Thai brown, Asian Giant
Fawn, Malaysian Red-Brown, Burmese Black, 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 sometimes marketed as "Indian Violet" |
This genus has a range west
to India, east to Vietnam, north to China, and south to Sri Lanka.
They are members of a recent Asian importation to the US. 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. femoralis is found northeast of Goa, near Nasik. C. fimbriatus is found around Khandala and Satara (north of Goa), India. C. flavopilosus
is found east of the Irrawaddy River, near Tharrawaddy, a rice and teak
farming lowland in central Myanmar.
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 sepcies 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 himself.
Further details can be found in the journal Zootaxa |
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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. 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. |
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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.
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philippinus | None | A very newly described species (Schmidt, 1999) that lives in the Phillipines. |
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 (similar to the coloring of the king baboon), 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, himalayana,hirtipes, honesta, imbellis,insignis, insulana javanensis
kovariki
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Sometimes members of this
genus from New Guinea are sold as
New Guinea Grey Velvet and S. javanesis varieties are sold as Javan Yellowknee. S. lanipes are called New Guinea Browns. S. obscura is marketed as Borneo Walnut-brown. |
Members of this genus range
from India to southeast Asia, and north to China and south to Australia
(S. strenua, S. subvulpina and others).
Like all members of this subfamily, they supposedly have venom of stronger potency than most tarantulas. *Note: For S. hainana see the Ornithoctoninae subfamily. 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. |
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None | From northern Australia |
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None | Another Australian variety |
Yamia | muta, watasei | None | Small, uniformly colored tarantulas from the Philipines (Y. muta) and Orchid Island (Y. watasei). For Y. bundokalbo, see Phlogiellus. |
Genera:Psalmopoeus
and
Tapinauchenius
These genera are unique in terms of their relationship
to other Theraphosidae. They stridulate via structures somewhat
similar to that of the Selenocosmiinae, yet they are native to the
Americas. Unlike other genera of Aviculariinae, they have no 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. Ontogenetically, the color pattern
development of young Tapinauchenius (and to some extent,
Psalmopoeus)
reinforce their long-term evolution in their niche, in similar fashion
to Aviculariinae.
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 |
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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 |
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None | These are seldom available in the pet trade. |
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.
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Common Name |
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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. |
Heteroscodra | pachypoda | None | From the Congo |
Stromatopelma | batesi | None | Cameroon, Congo, Zaire, etc. |
Stromatopelma | calceatum
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Medium sized arboreals
that 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. |
Stromatopelma | calceatum griseipes | None | These have tufts of hair on the rear legs. 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 | fumigatum, satanas | None |
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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
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