Colombian Tarantula -Tarantula or Not? ***Must See***

[taranvan]

People please help me, is this a tarantula or not?

 

[ftorres]

Hello,
Seems to be small, perhaps a Dipluridae???

http://www.dipluridae.de/

regards

francisco

 

[taranvan]

Thanks.

But what does size have to do with whether it's a tarantula or not? From what I've learned, it doesn't.

God I need answers!!!!

 

[Cure]

Ahahaha~
Still going for that new species, eh?
Best of luck, regardless. =3

 

[AbraxasComplex]

If you take a ventral shot you should be able to see if it has 2 or 4 booklungs. 2 for Mygalomorphs, 4 for Therasophidae.

 

[taranvan]

Wow thanks for that....I'll check her belly next time.

---------- Post added at 08:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:31 PM ----------

Hi Cure, no that's settled... I just wanted to know if this one was a tarantula or not.

 

[Glory]

Whatever it is, it's missing a leg!

 

[Lorum]

If you take a ventral shot you should be able to see if it has 2 or 4 booklungs. 2 for Mygalomorphs, 4 for Therasophidae.

:? As far as I remember all Mygalomorphs have two pairs of booklungs (i.e. 4 booklungs). I think you are confusing Mygalomorphae (two pairs of booklungs) and Araneomorphae (one pair or none booklungs, except a few as Hypochilids, who have two pairs).

The spider in that picture is (most probably) not a tarantula. It seems to be some species belonging to the family Nemesiidae (or maybe Barychelidae).

 

[taranvan]

Ok I get it now! Mygalomorphae is an infraorder containing several families of spiders. Within this infraorder, there are the Theraphosidae, or tarantulas... No wonder mygalomorphs can be so easily confused between families, especially Theraphosidae superfamily.

It just goes to show, not every hairy spider out there is necessarily a tarantula.

By the way, ALL mygalomorphs have 2 sets (four in total) of book lungs.

 

[Zoltan]

Ok I get it now! Mygalomorphae is an infraorder containing several families of spiders. Within this infraorder, there are the Theraphosidae, or tarantulas... No wonder mygalomorphs can be so easily confused between families, especially Theraphosidae superfamily.

Correct, except Theraphosidae is a family, not a superfamily.

By the way, ALL mygalomorphs have 2 sets (four in total) of book lungs.

:? As far as I remember all Mygalomorphs have two pairs of booklungs (i.e. 4 booklungs).

According to Raven (1985), the genus Micromygale of the family Microstigmatidae has two booklungs (one pair).

 

[AbraxasComplex]

Hmmm, I'm not sure where I confused the book lung characteristic. I thought I recalled it from somewhere. My apologies.

 

[Silberrücken]

http://www.colombiantarantulas.webs.com/

 

[Lorum]

According to Raven (1985), the genus Micromygale of the family Microstigmatidae has two booklungs (one pair).

I see (didn't remember that). Exceptions... in biology, there are a lot of them.

Thank you, Zoltan.

 

[Zoltan]

According to Raven (1985), the genus Micromygale of the family Microstigmatidae has two booklungs (one pair).

Correcting myself. Raven writes in the diagnosis for the infraorder Mygalomorphae: "Four booklungs (except Micromygale)." I automatically assumed this means Micromygale has two booklungs, while in fact, it has no booklungs at all! Read the description:

Platnick, N. I. & R. R. Forster. 1982. On the Micromygalinae, a new subfamily of mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Microstigmatidae). American Museum Novitates 2734: 1-13. Available from http://hdl.handle.net/2246/5344

Abstract. The subfamily Micromygalinae is established for a new genus and species (Micromygale diblemma) from Panama that contains the world's smallest known mygalomorph spider, and the only one known to have only two eyes, a complete dorsal scutum in males, and no lungs. Cladistic analysis indicates that the species belongs to the Microstigmatidae but represents the sister group of all other known microstigmatids. The two previously recognized subfamilies of that group are therefore relegated to tribal status within the Microstigmatidae.