Theraphosa

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 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 Edit this 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]
  • Pseudotheraphosa Tinter, 1991[2]
  • Theraphosia Dahl, 1901

Diagnostic

Tarantulas 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

These 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

As of July 2022 the World Spider Catalog has accepted the following 3 species:[4]

One species has been changed to the genus Sericopelma.

  • Theraphosa panamanum Karsch, 1880 → Sericopelma panamanum

See also

References
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. "NMBE - World Spider Catalog". wsc.nmbe.ch. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
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