Ephebopus Urtication

[belewfripp]

In another thread, which I now can't locate, someone wondered why Ts in the genus Ephebopus possess urticating hair on their pedipalps instead of their abdomen. I was reminded of this as I removed some prey remains from my E. rufescens' tank and came up with a theory. We've all seen Ts adopt a defensive pose where their abdomen is raised high in the air, and one reason for this is as a threat of kicking their urticating bristles. They also frequently will turn their abdomen closer to us to urticate. But this also exposes their most vulnerable area to attack. Perhaps Ephebopus developed urticating bristles on the prosomal part of the body so that they could urticate and threaten urtication without exposing their abdomen to attack? It might also allow a less risky segueway into full-out threat display and/or biting from just urticating.


Adrian

 

[pelo]

Another theory I have has to do with the way the make their burrows.All mine have a burrow with a funnel/tube web on top.They sit their with their front legs sticking out waiting for prey to pass by.Predator comes by...a lot easier to urticate some hairs from your front legs that are already sticking out then to turn around and let loose from the abdomen.Very rarely do you see them out and about like a terrestrial(mine anyways) which would have the chance to urticate off the abdomen in an escape attempt.When escaping for a terrestrial the abdomen is closer to the predator...just a theory...peace..

 

[Bry]

With that in mind, how quick are they to urticate hairs? Also, how bad are their urticating hairs on the "itchy-ness" scale?

Bry

 

[deifiler]

I havn't yet experienced the Ephebopus Urticating hairs.. Nor any other for that matter.

Perhaps it's something to do with the size of the hind legs in comparison to the other legs? Or the small abdomen?
With the 'small legs' in mind, is the Ephebopus the only genera within Aviculariinae that can er... 'actively use' it's urticating hairs? That is 'fire' them, for lack of a better term? All the other species rely on pressing, or they don't posess them?