Greenbottle blue tarantula

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Greenbottle blue tarantula
(MHNT) Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens - Venezuela - Female.jpg
Adult female
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens spiderling.jpg
Juvenile
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Chromatopelma
Schmidt, 1995 [1]
Species:
C. cyaneopubescens
Binomial name
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
(Strand, 1907)

Chromatopelma is a monotypic genus of South American tarantulas containing the single species, Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. [1] Commonly known as greenbottle blue tarantulas due to their metallic blue legs and blue-green carapace, they are very active and fast-growing tarantulas that are particularly attractive to hobbyists. They are native to the Paraguaná Peninsula. [2]

Contents

They live in webbed burrows under bushes and tree roots in desert areas of northern Venezuela. The entrance is often extended with webbing, sometimes resembling a funnel shape. These webs may protect the entrance from the harsh desert climate and act as a trap for insects. Their diet can consist of many things. These include crickets, roaches and also worms.[ citation needed ]

In 2013, Venezuelan scientists announced that Greenbottle blue tarantulas were threatened by overgrazing that is destroying their habitat. Fumigation of cultivated land has also caused the migration of the species towards the Montecano Biological Reserve and the Cerro Santa Ana Natural Monument. In 2015 it was listed as an Endangered species. [3]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Embrik Strand in 1907 under the name Eurypelma cyaneopubescens, [4] and was moved to the newly created genus Delopelma by Alexander Petrunkevitch in 1939. [5] Delopelma and Eurypelma are now considered to be a synonyms of Aphonopelma and Avicularia , respectively. [1]

In 1997, Gunter Schmidt considered the species sufficiently distinct to warrant the new genus Chromatopelma, a name referring to its striking blue color. [6] He differentiated Chromatopelma from Aphonopelma based on the scopulae of the tarsus on the third leg, bristles that divide the metatarsus from the tarsus on the fourth leg, the very large posterior median eyes, and the single fused spermatheca of females. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Brachypelma</i> Genus of spiders

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<i>Aphonopelma</i> Genus of spiders

Aphonopelma is a genus of tarantulas native to the Americas. It includes nearly all the North American tarantula species north of Mexico and a considerable percentage of the tarantula species that range into Central America. Most are fairly large tarantulas with leg spans of 6 in (16 cm) or more. Like most New World tarantulas, all species of Aphonopelma have urticating hairs. Despite their fearsome appearance, these tarantulas are not harmful to humans and some species are popular in the pet trade. With about 90 species described so far, Aphonopelma comprises about 10% of the total number of described tarantula species. However, their taxonomy is poorly understood and species are difficult to tell apart, especially those that are brown or black without other pattern. Therefore, the actual number of species is unknown, with more species likely to be identified in the near future. In captivity, they are usually fed crickets; in the wild, they eat most insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, mantises, and beetles.

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<i>Psalmopoeus</i> Genus of spiders

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<i>Aphonopelma chalcodes</i> Species of spider

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<i>Aphonopelma marxi</i> Species of spider

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<i>Aphonopelma moderatum</i> Species of spider

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<i>Sericopelma</i> Genus of spiders

Sericopelma is a genus of tarantula, found in Central America from Nicaragua to Panama. The limits of the genus and its distribution have long been confused; it is closely related to the genus Aphonopelma. Sericopelma species are among the largest found in Central America. They can be kept as pets, although at least one species has been described as "very aggressive".

<i>Aphonopelma caniceps</i> Species of spider

Aphonopelma caniceps is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Mexico. This species was first described as Eurypelma caniceps in 1891 by Eugène Simon, and was transferred to the genus, Aphonopelma, in 1993 by Günter Schmidt.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Gloor, Daniel; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Blick, Theo; Kropf, Christian (2020). "Gen. Chromatopelma Schmidt, 1995". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  2. "La tarántula azul es una especie endémica de Falcón". Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Ecosocialismo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  3. Tavares, R. (2015). Libro Rojo de la Fauna Venezolana. p. 10. ISBN   978-980-6774-07-0.
  4. Strand, E. (1907). "Aviculariidae und Atypidae des Kgl. Naturalienkabinetts in Stuttgart". Jahreshefte des Vereins für vaterländische Naturkunde in Württemberg. 63: 35.
  5. Petrunkevitch, A. (1939). "Catalogue of American spiders. Part one". Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. 33: 252.
  6. 1 2 Schmidt, G. (1995). "Chromatopelma gen.n.; eine neue Gattung der Theraphosidae (Arachnida: Araneida: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae)". Arthropoda. 3 (2): 25–26.