Bearded tarantula

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Bearded tarantula
Bearded tarantula (Alopecosa accentuata), female

Bearded tarantula ( Alopecosa accentuata ), female

Systematics
Class : Arachnids (arachnida)
Order : Spiders (Araneae)
Subordination : Real spiders (Araneomorphae)
Family : Wolf spiders (Lycosidae)
Genre : Tarantulas ( Alopecosa )
Type : Bearded tarantula
Scientific name
Alopecosa accentuata
( Latreille , 1817)

The bearded tarantula or showy tarantula ( Alopecosa accentuata , synonym : Alopecosa barbipes ), also known as the gray-white-dark panther spider , is a spider from the family of wolf spiders (Lycosidae). The European species is one of the medium-sized and more common representatives of the pseudo-tarantulas (genus Alopecosa ).

features

The female of the bearded tarantula reaches a body length of six to twelve millimeters and the male one of 7.5 to nine millimeters. This makes the species a medium-sized wolf spider, whose physique corresponds to the bearded pseudo-tarantula.

Sexual dimorphism

Like many spiders, the bearded tarantula has a noticeable sexual dimorphism (difference between the two sexes), which in this case is particularly noticeable in the size and color of the male and the female of the species.

female

The prosoma (front body) of the female has a dark brown basic color. The head area of ​​the carapace (back shield of the prosoma) is laterally covered with white hair. The carapace has a yellowish-brown median band, lined with white hair. The sternum (breast shield of the prosoma) is dark brown to black in color and adorned with a lighter central stripe.

The legs of the female are brown in color and have darker ringlets. The chelicerae (jaw claws) are almost black and the front is covered with white hair.

The opisthosoma (abdomen) is dorsally brown in color. It has a bright band Media and preceded by the light brown for Scheintaranteln ( Aloepcosa ) typical Herzmal on. The latter is provided with black lines and angles and at the back with black transverse lines, some of which appear at an angle. Ventrally, the opisthosoma of the female is light yellowish-brown in color.

male

male

The male has a brownish prosoma, the carapace of which is crossed by a light median band. The male's sternum (breast shield) has a dark brown basic color.

The legs of the male are yellowish-gray in color. The ventral side of the femora and the tibiae of the legs and additionally and the metatatarses of the first and second pairs of legs appear blackish brown. The chelicerae of the male have a grayish-brown color.

The opisthosoma of the male is also dorsally with angled transverse lines in the rear area, which are, however, lighter in color than in females.

Structure of the sexual organs

The epigyne (female sex organ) of the bearded pseudo-tarantula is characterized by an approximately triangular and wide plate.

There is hardly any information about the species-specific structure of the bulbi (male sexual organs) of the species.

Similar species

Male of the closely related thick-footed panther spider ( A. cuneata ), which, like the male of the bearded pseudo-tarantula , also has dark and thickened tibiae on the first pair of legs.

A species very similar to the bearded tarantula is the Pentecostal tarantula ( A. farinosa ), which is seen as a sister species of the bearded tarantula. An essential distinguishing feature of the males of both species is that the Pentecostal pseudo-tarantula lacks the thickening and hairiness of the tibia of the first pair of legs. The female of the bearded tarantula is usually more contrasting in color than that of the Pentecostal tarantula and generally has a more brownish color. Furthermore, the two species differ in terms of their distribution, since the Pentecostal tantalum predominantly inhabits the south-east of Central Europe , while the bearded tantalum has been found almost exclusively in the north-west of this geographical area (see section " Occurrence "). The respective limit of distribution of both species lies in the Rhön , where there can be overlaps.

Another somewhat distant similar type is the also the Scheintaranteln ( Alopecosa ) scoring Dickfußpantherspinne ( A. cuneata comprehensive), the preferred sometimes the same habitats as the Bearded Scheintarantel and because of their and the Northwest Europe distribution area otherwise occasionally as the Pentecostal-Scheintarantel also can be found sympatric with the bearded tarantula. A common feature of both species is the thickening of the tibiae in males. This thickening is, however, much more pronounced in the thick-footed panther spider, so that these appear club-shaped here. In addition, the tibia of the first pair of legs is much less hairy than in the male of the bearded pseudo-tarantula. In general, the two types can be distinguished by the strongly differing drawing of the opisthosoam.

Occurrence

Males in the Norwegian town of Tonsberg

The bearded pseudo-tarantula is only found in Europe and is particularly common in Central , Northern and Western Europe . The distribution area of ​​the species stretches north to Scandinavia (excluding Iceland ), while it extends over a large area over Central Europe, but excluding Austria and Switzerland , and ends west on the Iberian Peninsula and also includes the British Isles . Evidence also exists from Corsica , but not from Sardinia . In Germany , the species is primarily found in the north. The bearded tarantula can also be found in Poland . In 2008 an occurrence of the bearded tarantula (listed here as A. barbipes ) was confirmed for the first time in North Rhine-Westphalia in the Westruper Heide near Haltern am See in the Recklinghausen district . The species is comparatively rare in the British Isles and inhabits predominantly agricultural areas in England , e.g. B. Leicestershire . Towards the north it becomes even rarer there.

The bearded tarantula seems to be missing in many parts of southern and eastern Europe , where only finds of the species have been found from Slovenia , Croatia , Serbia and Montenegro . In the Baltic States , occurrences of the bearded tarantula were suspected in Lithuania and Estonia . However, this evidence is now considered questionable. Finds of the bearded tarantula from Luxembourg are probably based on a confusion with the very similar Pentecostal tarantula ( Alopecosa farinosa ) (see section " Similar species "), so that a possible occurrence of the species there is not considered certain. Evidence of the species from Bulgaria also turned out to be incorrect.

Habitats

The bearded pseudo-tarantula can be found in dry and open habitats such as the Lüneburg Heath .

The bearded pseudo-tarantula is, like all pseudo-tarantulas ( Alopecosa ), xerothermophilic (prefers open and warm habitats) and inhabits forest edges , heaths , dry grass or other grassy areas .

In general, the species prefers biotopes with sparse vegetation that have hardly been influenced by human hands.

Threat and protection

Unlike some other species of the genus, the bearded pseudo-tarantula is often found in areas with suitable habitats and is therefore not threatened, although a moderate decline in the species can be noted. In the Red List of Threatened Species of Animals, Plants and Mushrooms in Germany , the species is classified as "not endangered " and therefore enjoys no legal protection.

The general population of the bearded tarantula is not rated by the IUCN .

Way of life

Free running male

The bearded pseudo-tarantula is both diurnal and nocturnal and, in terms of its way of life, corresponds to that of other pseudo-tarantulas ( Alopecosa ), with which the adult female and young of both sexes of this species build self-dug and web- lined living tubes and use them as shelter, while the adult Males no longer build living tubes, but go free-roaming hiding places of their own females.

Hunting behavior and catch of prey

Like the majority of wolf spiders, the bearded pseudo-tarantula hunts without a safety net and searches freely on the ground for prey. These are perceived with the well-developed sense of sight, with which the spider can perceive prey animals up to a distance of 40 cm. The prey animals are then grabbed in a surprise jump and immediately afterwards made unable to escape or fight by a poisonous bite administered with the help of the chelicerae (jaw claws) and then consumed.

Other arthropods that do not exceed the size of the spider fall into the prey pattern of the bearded tarantula .

Life cycle

As with many spider species found in temperate climates, the life cycle of the bearded tantalum is divided into several phases and also depends on the seasons.

Phenology

The activity time of the adult spiders of both sexes of the Bearded Tarantula is usually extensive and is only interrupted in August for males and in December for females. In general, males of the species can be found more often in spring, and females also more frequently in autumn. Both sexes together are particularly active in spring between mid-April and May.

Reproduction

The reproductive behavior of the bearded tarantula as such does not differ significantly from that of other wolf spiders. Here, too, the male performs a courtship dance typical of this family and produces noises that are weakly audible to the human ear.

From May onwards, the female begins to make the egg cocoon , which, as is customary for wolf spiders, is permanently attached to the spinneret and carried around with her. Unusual for the genus, the female does not guard her egg cocoon in its living tube, but instead creates a new place of retreat for this purpose from rolled leaves or on the shoots of conifers. As is customary with wolf spiders, the young climb onto their mother's back and let them carry them for a few days before they become independent. They reach sexual maturity in the following year.

Systematics

The bearded tarantula received the name Lycosa accentuata when it was first described in 1817 and was therefore incorporated into the genus Lycosa by its first description, Pierre André Latreille, like all wolf spiders back then . In 1959 Jacobus Theodorus Wiebes first used the name Alopecosa accentuata, which is common today . The species was incorporated into the genus of the pseudo-tarantulas ( Alopecosa ) four years earlier by Carl Friedrich Roewer , but at that time under the name A. barbipes , which is now a synonym . Both A. accentuata and A. barbipes were increasingly used as the name for the bearded pseudo-tarantula . In 1987 A. accentuata and A. barbipes were again separated from each other by B. Dahlem, C. Gack and J. Martens and viewed as separate species, while in 2019 they were again synonymous with the bearded tarantula under Alain Canard and M. Cruveillier A. barbipes .

The species name accentuata is a modification of the Latin verb accentuare , which translated means accentuated or strongly emphasized and probably indicates the distinctive appearance of the species. The species name of the synonym ( barbipes ) means "beard foot" and is derived from the hairiness of the tibia of the first pair of legs in the male of the bearded pseudo-tarantula.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Alopecosa accentuata (Latreille, 1817) at Naturspaziergang, accessed on June 22, 2016.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Heiko Bellmann: The cosmos spider leader. Over 400 species in Europe. Kosmos Naturführer, Kosmos (Franckh-Kosmos), 2nd edition, 2016, p. 178, ISBN 978-3-440-14895-2 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Alopecosa accentuata (Latreille, 1817) from araneae - Spiders of Europe, accessed on June 22, 2016.
  4. ↑ a b c d e Alopecosa accentuata (Latreille, 1817) at the Wiki der Arachnologische Gesellschaft e. V., accessed on June 22, 2016.
  5. ↑ Marcus Schmitt: First record of the wolf spider Alopecosa barbipes (Araneae: Lycosidae) in North Rhine-Westphalia , Arachnologische Mitteilungen 36, 2008, pp. 1-3, accessed on June 22, 2016.
  6. ↑ a b c Alopecosa accentuata (Latreille, 1817) at the British Arachnological Society, accessed June 22, 2016.
  7. ↑ a b Alopecosa accentuata (Latreille, 1817) at the Red List Center, accessed on June 22, 2016.
  8. ^ Alopecosa accentuata (Latreille, 1817) at Global Biodiversity Information Facility , accessed June 22, 2016.
  9. ^ I. Hofmann & J. Haupt: Spatial and temporal distribution of .five syntopic species of the genus Alopecosa (Araneae, Lycosidae) and some remarks on their ecology , Institute for Biology, Technische Universität Berlin, accessed on June 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ a b Alopecosa accentuata (Latreille, 1817) from Danish Spiders, accessed on June 22, 2016.
  11. ^ Alopecosa accentuata (Latreille, 1817) in the WSC World Spider Catalog , accessed June 22, 2016.
  12. ↑ The taxonomic status of Alopecosa accentuata , A. barbipes & A. farinosa on the Wiki der Arachnologische Gesellschaft e. V., accessed on June 22, 2016.

literature

Web links

Commons : Bearded Tarantula  - Collection of images, videos and audio files