What on earth is this spider?

[klawfran3]

so as I am browsing around looking for preserved specimens of insects and arachnids, I came across multiple tarantulas labeled under "Eurypelma spinicrus," a genus and species I have never even heard of! and to top it all off, they were all different species! I even think one was a Haplopelma Lividum labeled under the E. Spinicrus. does anyone here know what the deal with that is, and where it came from? it's getting really annoying and I cant find too much online about it.

 

[4EverTarantulas]

WOW! I just looked it up and can't find anything on it!

 

[Formerphobe]

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?174325-What-happend-to-the-Eurypelma-genus

 

[Keith B]

Eurypelma spinicrus is a junior synonym of Citharacanthus spinicrus. Googling that would likely get you more information.

 

[klawfran3]

But why do people label so many different tarantulas under the same name? All the tarantulas called this are totally different from eachother. Is it just that the collectors are not updated or just stupid? (No offense to any collectors. I mean the guys labeling these)

 

[Formerphobe]

But why do people label so many different tarantulas under the same name? All the tarantulas called this are totally different from eachother. Is it just that the collectors are not updated or just stupid? (No offense to any collectors. I mean the guys labeling these)

The care sheet Petco hands out with Grammostola rosea still identifies them as Grammostola cala. You might say, well, consider the source... But, when my kids and I visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History a couple of years ago, they still had Brachypelma smithi identified as Euathlus smithi.
People don't update.

 

[Keith B]

The care sheet Petco hands out with Grammostola rosea still identifies them as Grammostola cala. You might say, well, consider the source... But, when my kids and I visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History a couple of years ago, they still had Brachypelma smithi identified as Euathlus smithi.
People don't update.

+1 IDs are being constantly revised and updated, and it's hard to keep up sometimes even if you're focused on it. To do it properly it's not just about labels and names, but reading through and understanding entire taxonomy articles. It can be daunting. Pet stores obviously aren't going to do that, and we see collectors and vendors often don't either, by finding outdated names in stock. Then there's misidentified specimens brought into the trade, so when you have a less kept T like C. spinicrus, people can often post the wrong ID as the spider and make a google mess of it.

From my own search of images, it doesn't seem that there's a bunch of different ones like you stated, klaw. But the key is to go to reliable sources for your appearances. If the picture is from a reliable site like birdspiders.com, stamped by the BTS, or I even see one on there from Tom (Philth) on our boards here, who is a reliable resource as well.. then it's more likely you'll have a correct image, and you'll likely see that they all look similar.

 

[Philth]

I even see one on there from Tom (Philth) on our boards here, who is a reliable resource as well.. then it's more likely you'll have a correct image, and you'll likely see that they all look similar.

Oh come on now, don't give me to much credit The spiders I bought , bred , and sold as Citharacanthus spinicrus are most likely a Phormictopus species, so don't go by my pics. I don't think think the real C. spinicrus has been in the hobby. I was simply passing on a hobby trade ID, as I got them. As for the name "Eurypelma spinicrus" that are being used in the framed spiders, its just a random name the people who make them chose to use. It means nothing as the OP mentioned and I've seen many times its not even a new world spider, its often an Asian species.

Later, Tom

 

[Keith B]

Oh come on now, don't give me to much credit The spiders I bought , bred , and sold as Citharacanthus spinicrus are most likely a Phormictopus species, so don't go by my pics. I don't think think the real C. spinicrus has been in the hobby. I was simply passing on a hobby trade ID, as I got them. As for the name "Eurypelma spinicrus" that are being used in the framed spiders, its just a random name the people who make them chose to use. It means nothing as the OP mentioned and I've seen many times its not even a new world spider, its often an Asian species.

Later, Tom

lol or we could all be duped (good ol' hobby trade IDs). Now that I look at the pictures closer, there are subtle differences with yours to the BTS one, and it does look similar to Phormictopus in the first place. That's what I get for rushing a response at work though, a response lacking thoroughness What do you make of the one posted on the BTS site by Gallon? Whatever the heck it is, it's pretty lol

 

[Philth]

lWhat do you make of the one posted on the BTS site by Gallon? Whatever the heck it is, it's pretty lol

Do you have a link? I checked the gallery over there and didn't see any Citharacanthus.

Later, Tom

 

[Keith B]

Sure thing! It's the first image result on google when the species is entered so not too bad to locate.

http://thebts.co.uk/forums/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=72&title=citharacanthus-spinicr&cat=500