Black blue-ray giant tarantula

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Black blue-ray giant tarantula
Black Giant Tarantula (Pamphobeteus nigricolor), female

Black Giant Tarantula ( Pamphobeteus nigricolor ), female

Systematics
Order : Spiders (Araneae)
Subordination : Tarantulas (Mygalomorphae)
Family : Tarantulas (Theraphosidae)
Subfamily : Theraphosinae
Genre : Pamphobeteus
Type : Black blue-ray giant tarantula
Scientific name
Pamphobeteus nigricolor
( Ausserer , 1875)

The black or South American blue-rayed giant tarantula ( Pamphobeteus nigricolor ) is a spider of the tarantula family (Theraphosidae). The trivial names indicate the distribution area in South America and the visual appearance of the species .

In English, the black blue-ray giant tarantula is called the Giant Blue Bloom Tarantula or Blue Bloom Birdeater (translated as "Giant Blue Flower Tarantula " or "Blue Flower Bird Eater").

features

Rear view of a female

The black blue-ray giant tarantula reaches a body length of about 70 to 80 millimeters and a leg span of about 250 millimeters, making the species one of the larger tarantulas. The basic color is brown-black or black-blue to black. In addition, a purple shimmer on the extremities is possible. The black blue-ray giant tarantula also has stridulation organs on the third and fourth pair of legs as well as stinging hairs , like all species of the genus , which makes it one of the tarantulas that can be bombarded. It can strip the stinging hair off in the direction of an attacker. Like the other representatives of the genus Pamphobeteus , the black blue-ray giant tarantula also has a conspicuous sexual dimorphism (difference between the sexes).

female

The mostly larger female has a velvety black color and pink hair as well as a pink drawing on the carapace (back shield of the prosoma or front body). The epigyne (female sexual organ) has, as is usual with the genus, two spermatheks , which are almost fused together, although the separation of the two spermatheks is still clear.

male

The usually smaller male, on the other hand, is much more contrasting in color, as is the case with the other species of the genus, and has purple markings on the carapace. Its extremities can also be colored blue. The metatarsi (heel phalanges), that is the foot phalanx, which are above the tarsi (foot phalanx) closer to the body, form folds on the first pair of legs between the spur processes of the tibia (leg splints). The emboli (components of the bulbi or male genital organs) appear clearly concave and have a well-developed keel on the apical side and another equally well-developed retrolateral keel on the edge.

Similar species

Female of the closely related Colombian giant purple tarantula ( Pamphobeteus insignis )

Species similar to the black blue-rayed giant tarantula are found in the genus Pamphobeteus , so the female of the species resembles those of P. ferox and the brown Colombian giant tarantula ( P. fortis ) and can only be reliably differentiated from them by genital morphological features. The base of the spermathek of the female of the black blue-ray giant tarantula is unlike that of the female of P. ferox not enlarged on the lateral side. The spermatheque of the female of the brown Colombian giant tarantula has narrowed stems, unlike that of the female of the black blue-rayed giant tarantula.

The male of the black blue-rayed giant tarantula resembles that of P. augusti and those of the Colombian purple-rayed tarantula ( P. insignis ) and the Colombian pink-rayed giant tarantula ( P. ornatus ). The emboli of the male of the black blue-rayed giant tarantula have, unlike those of the males of the other three species, an almost identical length and width. The male of the black blue-rayed giant tarantula also resembles those of the species of the genus Xenesthis , due to the similar properties of the metatarses of the first pair of legs and the emboli. A definite distinguishing feature is the scopula (leg hair with adhesive processes) of the fourth pair of legs, which in the species of the genus Pamphobeteus only covers the underside of the tarsi , in the genus Xenesthis it covers the entire legs of this pair of legs.

Occurrence

Rainforest in the Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona in the Colombian Departamento del Magdalena , one of the habitats of the black blue-rayed giant tarantula.

The black blue-ray giant tarantula is represented in the northwest of South America , where its range includes the countries of Ecuador , Colombia , Bolivia , Peru and Brazil and extends here to the Brazilian state of Amazonas . There the species lives in rainforests and, due to their way of life, prefers to stay on the ground.

Threat and protection

There is no information available on the population threats of the black bluebird tarantula as the species is not recorded by the IUCN . The black blue-ray giant tarantula is therefore not subject to protection status.

Way of life

Female outside of his shelter

The black blue-ray giant tarantula is one of the ground-dwelling tarantulas and digs living tubes that are lined with webs . Likewise, existing and suitable shelters are taken and then provided with a web. Like all tarantulas, the species is nocturnal and shows up particularly at this time, but also during the day looking for prey outside of its shelter.

Defense behavior

The black blue-ray giant tarantula is one of the more defensive species of the family and tries to flee in the event of disturbances, such as encounters with a predator (predator), but does not shy away from offensive defense in the event of persistent harassment. This includes, among other things, the defense strategy of bombing (removing the stinging hair in the direction of the attacker). Like other tarantulas, the black blue-ray giant tarantula can defend itself with the help of a threatening gesture and noise generation typical of tarantulas by means of stridulation or, if it is ineffective, also with a bite.

Reproduction and Life Expectancy

Cub

The reproductive behavior of the black blue-rayed giant tarantula is identical to that of other tarantulas. As with the other species in the genus, the behavior of the female towards the male can be aggressive. The egg cocoon made some time after mating contains several hundred eggs. The young animals, like those of the brown Colombian giant tarantula ( P. fortis ), have a very distinctive color scheme. The opisthosoma is red and contains a black drawing in the center of the dorsal side, reminiscent of a Christmas tree .

The growth of the species is comparatively fast. The female of the black blue-ray giant tarantula can reach an age of 10 to 15 years.

Terrariums

The black blue-rayed giant tarantula shares a certain popularity as a pet in terraristics with many other tarantula species . The imposing appearance, including the coloring, which is particularly pronounced in the male, also has a positive effect. Before buying one or more specimens, however, you should be aware of the terrible nature of the black blue-ray giant tarantula and, due to its size, provide it with a suitable and correspondingly large container with a substrate that allows the spider to dig. The temperature and humidity of the natural habitat of the species must be simulated as well as possible for successful keeping.

Systematics

The black blue-ray giant tarantula was classified in the genus Lasiodora when it was first described by Anton Ausserer in 1875 and was given the name L. nigricolor . Reginald Innes Pocock converted the species in 1901 to the genus Pamphobeteus , which he first described at the same time , so that it received its name P. nigricolor , which is still used today and has not been changed since then. The black blue-ray giant tarantula is the type species of the genus Pamphobeteus .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Pamphobeteus nigricolor (Ausserer, 1875) from spinnen-andre, accessed on March 30, 2020.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Pamphobeteus nigricolor (Ausserer, 1875) at Versicolor Bremen, accessed on March 30, 2020.
  3. ↑ a b c d Pamphobeteus (Pocock, 1901) at giantspiders.com, accessed March 30, 2020.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Pamphobeteus nigricolor (Ausserer, 1875) at Arachnophilia.de, accessed on March 30, 2020.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i R. Bertani, CS Fukushima, PI da Silva Junior: Two new species of Pamphobeteus Pocock 1901 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae) from Brazil, with a new type of stridulatory organ , Zootaxa 1826 ( 1), 2008, pp. 45–58, accessed March 30, 2020.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g Pamphobeteus nigricolor (Ausserer, 1875) from Tarantulas of the World, accessed on March 30, 2019.
  7. ↑ Pamphobeteus nigricolor (Ausserer, 1875) at Global Biodiversity Information Facility , accessed on March 30, 2020.
  8. ↑ a b c d Pamphobeteus nigricolor (Ausserer, 1875) at Spidercity, accessed on March 30, 2020
  9. ↑ Pamphobeteus nigricolor (Ausserer, 1875) in the WSC World Spider Catalog , accessed March 30, 2020.

literature

Web links

Commons : Black Bluebeared Giant Tarantula  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files