Aphonopelma ID needed

[GQ.]

This female tarantula was found in San Diego County. I know A. reversum and A. eutylenum are in the area. Does anyone know what the pictured tarantula species is? She had her abdomen sticking in the air the whole time I was taking pictures of her. She also had her chelicerae spread apart as you can see in the picture. I have found several of these T's in the area. The tarantula pictured is the only one I have kept. I'm hoping to find a male for her before the year is up.

I found another adult female close by that looked completely different. Her coloration was a deep choclolate brown. I will try to get out there again with a digital camera and find another like her. She was very docile. She was the exact opposite of the pictured tarantula.

 

[Phillip]

look at Kellys site for....

Aphonopelma megastriata it looks real similar to what you have and judging by how new stuff pops up on more than one price list at the same time quite often my money is on it being megastriata. There is a really good pic of one at Swift Inverts take a look and see what you think. Hope that helps ya.
Phil

 

[GQ.]

Thanks for the information Phillip. This is a wild caught T in an area that supposedly only has A. reversum and A. eutylenum though. At least from the information I have dug up. I know exactly where it was found too because I found it. lol. I've tried to dig up every article I could find on the local Tarantula species. Unfortunately I haven't found any pictures of either species that matches this spider.

By the way, being that there are a bajillion people in San Diego, I don't completely discount that it may be a released animal. I checked out the megastriata at Swifts site and it does indeed look very close.

 

[Garrick]

Hi all!

Good luck figuring out some Aphonopelma species!

I don't know where the name "megastriatus" or "megastriata" came from or why, but it's not a valid name. Some think the spider in question is a variant of others in that genus (R. West). 2nd hand info tells me Dr. Charlton says it is a valid species unto itself (I just bought a spider from him. . . so I'll ask what's going on if I need to correspond with him again soon).
In any case, I believe these "mystery" Aphonopelmas are found at high elevations in S. Arizona, and "megastriata" is not a real name for any Aphonopelma.

-Garrick