Poecilotheria smithi

Last updated

Yellow-backed ornamental tarantula
Spiders Genova - Poecilotheria smithi 2.jpg
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
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: Poecilotheria
Species:
P. smithi
Binomial name
Poecilotheria smithi
Kirk, 1996 [3]
Synonyms [3]
  • Poecilotheria pocockiCharpentier, 1996

Poecilotheria smithi, or the yellow-backed ornamental, is a species of large arboreal tarantulas. It is endemic to Sri Lanka and considered to be critically endangered. [4]

Contents

Size

The female is much larger than male, with a head-to-body length of 6–7 cm. The figure for the male is 4–5 cm.[ citation needed ]

Identification

The species can be distinguished from other tiger spiders by all black leg parts (coxa, trochanter, femur) with prominent brushes on the femur.[ citation needed ]

Description

Female

Dorsally, the carapace is dark brown in color. The patella is greyish, the tibia is brownish black and the tarsus is brownish, with a v-shaped light patch proximally. [5]

Ventrally, the first and second leg pairs are identical. The coxa, femur and trochanter are all black, with a thin white distal band on the femur. The patella is white and the third and fourth leg pairs are identical.

Male

Dorsally, the spider is greenish brown. Folio markings are slightly darker. Ventrally, it is similar to female. [5]

Ecology

The yellow-backed ornamental is one of the rarest tiger spiders found on the island, where it is confined to the Haragama area in Kandy, with very few sightings from the region of Matale. It is highly restricted due to habitat destruction. The species is docile and not as aggressive as other tiger spiders. This makes it one of the popular pet spiders in the world. [5]

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<i>Poecilotheria</i> Genus of spiders

Poecilotheria is a genus of tarantulas native to India and Sri Lanka. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1885. They are arboreal tarantulas, commonly known as ornamental tarantulas, known for their vivid color patterns, fast movement, and potent venom compared to other tarantulas. As of 2019 all species are protected under CITES.

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This glossary describes the terms used in formal descriptions of spiders; where applicable these terms are used in describing other arachnids.

<i>Poecilotheria ornata</i> Species of spider

Poecilotheria ornata, known as the fringed ornamental or ornate tiger spider, is a large arboreal tarantula, which is endemic to Sri Lanka. Their legspan sometimes reaches 10 inches (25 cm) in females, and is probably the second largest of the genus, behind Poecilotheria rufilata.

Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica, also known as the Rameshwaram ornamental, or Rameshwaram parachute spider, is a critically endangered species of tarantula.

<i>Poecilotheria rajaei</i> Species of spider

Poecilotheria rajaei is a tarantula in the genus Poecilotheria endemic to Sri Lanka.

Poecilotheria miranda, also known as the Bengal ornamental is a species of tarantula. The species is endemic to India.

<i>Poecilotheria fasciata</i> Species of spider

Poecilotheria fasciata, the Sri Lanka ornamental or Sri Lanka ornamental tiger spider, is a large arboreal tarantula. It is endemic to central Sri Lanka.

<i>Poecilotheria vittata</i> Species of spider

Poecilotheria vittata, sometimes called Pederson's ornamental, the ghost ornamental, or magam tiger spider, is an arboreal tarantula. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. In IUCN Red List, the species is cited as a synonym of Indian species Poecilotheria striata, but in other local text books and online publications, it is cited as a separate species. As of February 2016, the species was considered to be native to both India and Sri Lanka by the World Spider Catalog.

<i>Poecilotheria subfusca</i> Species of spider

Poecilotheria subfusca, or the ivory ornamental, is a spider in the tarantula family, Theraphosidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. As of February 2019, the World Spider Catalog regarded Poecilotheria bara as a synonym. Other sources, particularly in the pet trade, have treated highland and lowland forms as distinct species, with the lowland forms being P. bara.

<i>Poecilotheria rufilata</i> Species of spider

Poecilotheria rufilata, also known as the red slate ornamental, reddish parachute spider, Travancore slate-red, or rufus parachute spider, is an arboreal tarantula. It is endemic to South Western Ghats of India. It is classed as "endangered", threatened by habitat loss and smuggling for the pet trade.

Poecilotheria tigrinawesseli, also known as Wessel's tiger ornamental or Anantagiri's parachute spider, is an arboreal tarantula. It is endemic to Eastern Ghats of India and known from six locations around Andhra Pradesh.

Sphegina crinita is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in Malaysia and Indonesia. It's easily identified by its superior lobes, the left side one being pushed over the medial line of the hypandrium to the right side so that the right side one seems bilobed. Otherwise, the genitalia are nearly identical to those in S. fimbriata.

Sphegina uncinata is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in Myanmar. It's easily identified by a straight dorsal line of frontal prominence that ends just before the ocellar triangle, a strongly projecting mouth edge, and a vibrissal angle more strongly protruding than the frontal prominence.

Sphegina (Asiosphegina) atricolor is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in Myanmar.

Sphegina (Asiosphegina) bidens is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in Myanmar.

Sphegina (Asiosphegina) bilobata is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae found in Myanmar. It's set apart from other species by its general pale yellowish color with three black longitudinal stripes on the scutum combined with the infuscated pattern at cross veins on the wing. The male sternite IV with its symmetrical pair of short spinose lobes posteriorly is quite distinct.

References

  1. The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Vol. 8. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Ministry of Environment. p. 476.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. 1 2 "Taxon details Poecilotheria smithi Kirk, 1996". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  4. Ranil P. Nanayakkara; Nilantha Vishvanath; T. G. Tharaka Kusuminda; G.A.S.M. Ganehiarachch (2013). "The Range Extension of the Critically Endangered, Poecilotheria smithi in Sri Lanka, with Notes on its Sociality". Asian Journal of Conservation Biology. 2 (1): 73–75.
  5. 1 2 3 Nanayakkara, Ranil P. (2014). Tiger Spiders Poecilotheria of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environmental & Renewable Energy. p. 167. ISBN   978-955-0033-58-4.