Theraphosa is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1805. The Theraphosa spiders are some of the largest known to science. As of May 2020[update] it contains three species, found in Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia.[1] They stridulate by rubbing setae on their pedipalps and legs.
| Theraphosa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Female Theraphosa blondi | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Theraphosa Walckenaer, 1805[1] |
| Type species | |
| T. blondi (Latreille, 1804)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Diagnostic
editTarantulas of this genus are characterized by their large size, and the lack of long hairs in the patella and tibia sections of the legs. It can also be further distinguished by the presence of stridulating hairs on the prolateral coxae 1 and 2. Females also own a unique single spermatheca.[3]
Behavior
editThese tarantulas are found in holes in the ground, usually abandoned burrows, which they adopt and use as their own. They are usually found near rivers, and eat a great amount of invertebrates and very small vertebrates, such as small frogs and lizards.[3]
Species
editAs of July 2022[update] the World Spider Catalog has accepted the following 3 species:[4]
- Theraphosa apophysis Tinter, 1991 - Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil
- Theraphosa blondi Latreille, 1804 - Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana
- Theraphosa stirmi Rudloff & Weinmann, 2010 - Guyana and Brazil
One species has been changed to the genus Sericopelma.
- Theraphosa panamanum Karsch, 1880 → Sericopelma panamanum
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Gloor, Daniel; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Blick, Theo; Kropf, Christian (2020). "Gen. Theraphosa Walckenaer, 1805". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- ^ Bertani, R. (2001). "Revision, cladistic analysis, and zoogeography of Vitalius, Nhandu, and Proshapalopus; with notes on other theraphosine genera (Araneae, Theraphosidae)". Arquivos de Zoologia. 36: 316.
- ^ a b Almeida, Marlus Queiroz; Salvatierra, Lidianne; Morais, José Wellington de (2018-08-01). "First record of Theraphosa apophysis (Tinter, 1991) (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae) in Brazil". Check List. 14 (4): 647–650. doi:10.15560/14.4.647. ISSN 1809-127X. S2CID 92277425.
- ^ "NMBE - World Spider Catalog". wsc.nmbe.ch. Retrieved 2022-07-13.