Newly discovered trap-door spider!

BoyFromLA

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CRX

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While this is great news for the potential protection of the new species, it isn't that exciting. The majority of new species discovered are likely to be invertebrates.

I'm not saying it's not significant, just there is thousands and thousands more undiscovered spiders out there. Also they're calling this spider a "giant" when its legspan is only 50~mm or about 2 inches. I'm not trying to diminish anything, just saying some facts.
 

aprilmayjunebugs

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I saw someone call this the Eddie Murphy spider because it looks like it's wearing red patent leather, and now I can't unread that.
 

RezonantVoid

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Right is an old tarantula I kept that was 4 or 5" DLS. Left is a trapdoor in the same genus as this article with the exact same sized cephalothorax and abdomen, and a legspan not fair off

RDT_20230317_1555368116258612024188078.png

Euoplos can be truly enormous, it would not surprise me if they make up some of the largest trapdoors in the world
 

LordAizenS

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Right is an old tarantula I kept that was 4 or 5" DLS. Left is a trapdoor in the same genus as this article with the exact same sized cephalothorax and abdomen, and a legspan not fair off

View attachment 441889

Euoplos can be truly enormous, it would not surprise me if they make up some of the largest trapdoors in the world
That's a female Selenotholus sp. right? If so, wow... That Euoplos is a monster! I've considered buying one, but I've only got Arbanitis and Stanwellia sp. atm.
 

RezonantVoid

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That's a female Selenotholus sp. right? If so, wow... That Euoplos is a monster! I've considered buying one, but I've only got Arbanitis and Stanwellia sp. atm.
Yep, a full size female Selenotholus. I've sold her on but I do still have that same trapdoor.

The Euoplos in my pic is believed to be Euoplos regalis. They are available on a few sites like Southern Invertebrates atm, although not as large as the specimen in my pic above
 

NaychaBoi

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Yep, a full size female Selenotholus. I've sold her on but I do still have that same trapdoor.

The Euoplos in my pic is believed to be Euoplos regalis. They are available on a few sites like Southern Invertebrates atm, although not as large as the specimen in my pic above
I got my regalis from Southern Invertebrates a year or so ago. She was about 80mm legspan and is bigger now that she’s moulted. I got a few smaller ones too, love to get a male.

While this is great news for the potential protection of the new species, it isn't that exciting. The majority of new species discovered are likely to be invertebrates.

I'm not saying it's not significant, just there is thousands and thousands more undiscovered spiders out there. Also they're calling this spider a "giant" when its legspan is only 50~mm or about 2 inches. I'm not trying to diminish anything, just saying some facts.
It’s pretty cool that they were able to recollect specimens that were previously unidentified and unlabelled and match it. It’s great it’s being picked up by mainstream media too as it’s bound to increase interest and funding for scientific institutions. Another article said it was 50mm in body length, even still there are larger spiders out there, but any time there’s work done on Australian arachnids it’s exciting, as we are really lacking in resources dedicated to spiders.
 

dragonblade71

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Looks like a new species of trapdoor spider has been described in Australia. Unfortunately, the future of this species does not look good as they reside in an area in Central Queensland that is going to be cleared for crops and cattle grazing.

 

The Snark

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the future of this species does not look good as they reside in an area in Central Queensland that is going to be cleared for crops and cattle grazing.
Don't count on that. Queensland is progressive thanks to both individual efforts and a general preservation mindset. Queensland has more national parks and nature preserves than half of the US. They also seriously incorporate the aborigines into land protection affairs.

(This particular situation is personal for me. My cousin, biology major with a degree in herpetology, migrated to Aus. in the 1970's. He's a strident outspoken environmentalist owning a large tract of land adjacent to the Diantree National Forest. He has sent me various boots on the ground environmental protection info and efforts on and off for going on 50 years. His desire to maintain a natural environment is well demonstrated by his driveway. 3/4 kilometer long, requires 4WD, and then takes about 20 minutes to get up to their residence. At last report the driveway has destroyed three Land Rovers. Comments from his wife on taking shopping trips to the local stores are too laden with expletives to quote.
The python living in the exposed beam ceiling of their house is appropriately named Pythias.)
 
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