Aphonopelma

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Aphonopelma
Aphonopelma chalcodes

Aphonopelma chalcodes

Systematics
Class : Arachnids (arachnida)
Order : Spiders (Araneae)
Subordination : Tarantulas (Mygalomorphae)
Family : Tarantulas (Theraphosidae)
Subfamily : Theraphosinae
Genre : Aphonopelma
Scientific name
Aphonopelma
Pocock , 1901

Aphonopelma is a genus ofthe tarantula family (Theraphosidae). The genus is placed in the subfamily Theraphosinae and currently includes 61 species . (As of March 2016)

distribution

The range of the genus is limited to the American continent. Most of the species are found in the United States ; but there are also some species in Central America and a few in South America .

features

The largest spiders in the USA belong to this genus. The North American Aphonopelma helluo , Aphonopelma crinitum and Aphonopelma iodius ( Syn .: A. chamberlini ) reach body lengths of up to 7.0 centimeters. Aphonopelma marxi is one of the smallest members of the genus . The males of this species are only 19 to 20 millimeters long. Most species reach an average body length of five centimeters and therefore belong to the medium-sized tarantula species.

The genus is very heterogeneous in appearance and behavior. The classification of the South American species is therefore questioned by some arachnologists. A common feature among the Aphonopelmaarten is that the scopula (dense tufts of hair) in the tarsi of the fourth leg are not separated by a band of bristles. Another thing they have in common is that they all have the same hair type.

Most Aphonoplema species have a brown basic color and are difficult to distinguish from the outside. The North American species in particular are very similar. The southern species sometimes have very distinctive and characteristic markings, such as the striped Guatemala tarantula ( Aphonopelma seemanni ) with a blue basic color and white stripes or Aphonopelma bicoloratum with intensely orange-colored legs from patella to metatarsus as well as carapace and bite claws.

behavior

The species of this genus belong to the terrestrial tarantulas. They dig holes and tubes in the ground; mostly on a slope protected from flooding. Sometimes they also inhabit abandoned rodent holes. They paper the living tubes with spider silk and live there during the molting phases, the breeding season and the cold months. This time can be up to five months a year. The rest of the time they hide under stones, roots, pieces of bark or fallen leaves. Adult females of many species often no longer leave the tube and feed on the prey that pass near their tube.

Some species are considered to be cultural followers that inhabit human-made meadows (such as soccer fields ). Under favorable conditions there can be a colony-like accumulation of the animals. Otherwise they are widely spread. Most species of aphonopelma are calm in character and rarely use their irritable hair for defense.

habitat

Approximate distribution area

Most species come from low altitudes no higher than 700 meters above sea level. Few, however, come from altitudes up to 1000 meters above sea level. Some Aphonopelma species (for example Aphonopelma bicoloratum ) specialized in landscapes with volcanic rock, such as the volcanic area in the state of Veracruz in Mexico (500 meters above sea level). Some prefer easy-to-work loess soils .

Keeping in the terrarium

Some species are kept in terrariums. The striped Guatemala tarantula deserves a special mention here, as it was one of the first tarantulas to be kept by fans.

species

According to the “ World Spider Catalog ”, 61 species are assigned to the genus Aphonopelma (as of March 2016). Until the revision by Hamilton et al. in 2016 the genus comprised up to 87 species.

Female of Aphonopelma catalina Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond , 2016
Female of Aphonopelma chalcodes Chamberlin , 1940
Female of Aphonopelma johnnycashi Hamilton , 2016
Female of Aphonopelma saguaro Hamilton , 2016
Female of Aphonopelma seemanni ( FO Pickard-Cambridge , 1897)
Male of Aphonopelma xwalxwal Hamilton , 2016

literature

  • Klaas, P. (2003): Tarantulas: Origin, Care, Species. Eugen Ulmer Verlag , Stuttgart. ISBN 3-8001-3696-1
  • Schmidt, Dr. Günther (1993): tarantulas, way of life - identification key - husbandry - breeding: 77-82.

Web links

Commons : Aphonopelma  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Natural History Museum of the Burgergemeinde Bern: World Spider Catalog Version 17.0 - Aphonopelma . Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  2. ^ A b c Günther Schmidt: The tarantulas , Westarp Wissenschaften-Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Hohenwarsleben 2003, ISBN 3-89432-899-1 , pp. 122-150
  3. ↑ a b c d e Peter Klaas: tarantulas / origin, care, species , Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2003, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8001-4660-4 , pp. 61–63
  4. ↑ Hamilton, CA; Hendrixson, BE & Bond, JE: Taxonomic revision of the tarantula genus Aphonopelma Pocock, 1901 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae) within the United States. ZooKeys 560, 2016, pp. 1–340 ( publication )