The cephalothorax, also called prosoma in some groups, is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind.. The word cephalothorax is derived from the Greek words for head and thorax. This fusion of the head and thorax is seen in chelicerates and crustaceans; in other groups, such as the Hexapoda, the head remains free of the thorax. In horseshoe crabs and many crustaceans, a hard shell called the carapace covers the cephalothorax.
Ornithoctoninae is a subfamily of tarantulas found in Southeast Asia. It was first erected in 1895 by Reginald Innes Pocock based on the type specimen Ornithoctonus andersoni.
The Harpactirinae are a subfamily of tarantulas which are native to the continent of Africa. Like many Old World tarantulas, they have a relatively strong venom, and can inflict a painful bite.
Pterinochilus is a genus of baboon spiders that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1897. They are found all throughout Africa
Pterinochilus murinus or the orange baboon tarantula, is an old-world tarantula that was first described in 1897 by Reginald Innes Pocock. This species is found on the African continent, in Angola, as well as central, eastern, and southern Africa. It is a member of the subfamily Harpactirinae, baboon spiders.
Ceratogyrus darlingi is a theraphosid spider from southern Africa, mainly Botswana and Lesotho. They reach a body length of about 5 inches (130 mm) and are ash-gray, mud-brown to black. The peltidium features a black foveal horn.
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. As of August 2022, 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although many other members of the same infraorder (Mygalomorphae) are commonly referred to as "tarantulas" or "false tarantulas". Some of the more common species have become popular in the exotic pet trade. Many New World species kept as pets have setae known as urticating hairs that can cause irritation to the skin, and in extreme cases, cause damage to the eyes.
Eumenophorus is a genus of Sierra Leonean tarantulas that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1897. As of March 2020 it contains two species, found in Sierra Leone: E. clementsi and E. murphyorum. It is considered a senior synonym of Monocentropella.
Mascaraneus is a monotypic genus of African tarantulas containing the single species, Mascaraneus remotus. It was first described by R. C. Gallon in 2005, and is endemic to Mauritius.
The Stromatopelminae are a subfamily of tarantulas native to West Africa and part of Central Africa. The subfamily was first proposed by Günter Schmidt in 1993.
Aphonopelma hollyi, also known as the Lubbock gold tarantula, is considered by some sources to be a species of tarantula native to Texas in the United States. Described in 1995, the scientific name honors the 1950s rock-and-roll singer Buddy Holly. Other sources suggest spiders given this name are actually Aphonopelma hentzi.
Bacillochilus is a monotypic genus of African tarantulas containing the single species, Bacillochilus xenostridulans. The genus and sole species were both described by R. C. Gallon in 2010, and is found in Angola. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek "xénos" (ξενος), meaning "foreign" or "strange", and the Latin "stridulere", meaning "to creak". It is a reference to the unusual form of the stridulatory organ that distinguishes it from other members of the subfamily Harpactirinae.
The Eumenophorinae are a subfamily of tarantula spiders. They are known from genera distributed across Sub-Saharan Africa, the south of the Arabian peninsula, Madagascar and its associated islands, and parts of India.
Augacephalus is a genus of harpacterine theraphosid spiders. It has three species, all of which are found in Africa.
Augacephalus breyeri is a species of harpactirine theraphosid spider, found in South Africa, Mozambique and Eswatini.
Brachionopus is a genus of South African tarantulas that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1897. It was transferred to the Theraphosidae from the Barychelidae in 1985.
Rick C. West is a Canadian arachnologist and an expert on the taxonomy of tarantula spiders. West was born in Victoria, British Columbia. He has been interested in spiders since childhood, and collected his first tarantula, Aphonopelma eutylenum, at the age of 13. He worked primarily as a Chief Constable for a local Animal Humane Society, but also have been involved with the collecting, breeding, rearing and photography of theraphosid spiders. West has traveled to over 27 countries to document and study them in their environment, has been a host, presenter and co-producer in several tarantula documentaries and has also described several genera and species.
Idiothele mira, also known as the blue-foot baboon or the trap-door tarantula, is a species of tarantula endemic to South Africa and is popularized by hobbyists for the striking blue coloration on the ventral side of the tarsi and metatarsi on each leg. Furthermore, the species is well known for belonging to one of two described genera of theraphosids that build a trapdoor, the other being Typhochlaena.
Ceratogyrus marshalli, also known as Straight Horned Baboon or Great Horned Baboon Tarantula, is a species of tarantula from the genus Ceratogyrus. It is found in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1897, as half of the Ceratogyrus genus, they own a impressive horn in the carapace.
