Ornithoctonus/Selenocosmia huwena = H schmidti? Martin/Volker?

[Lopez]

Hi
Looking through some old posts on Haplopelma schmidti, general concensus seems to be that Selenocosmia huwena = Ornithoctonus huwena = Haplopelma schmidti (the darker form)

Is this correct, or have I misunderstood?

This is the spider in question, I received it from Hong Kong this morning, accompanied by a "gold" H schmidti which is the most aggressive beast I have ever dealt with! This dark one is comparitively docile.

 

[Ravnos]

I don't know from first hand experience, but thats what I gather from Platnick's World Spider Catalog.

Rav

 

[Lopez]

Yes, it would appear so in that case.

Either way, a gorgeous looking tarantula!

 

[deifiler]

Sweet!!!!

At last they arrive! For those who don't know, Leon and myself went halfs on getting hold of some of these a few months (was it motnhs!? ) back. Anyway, Leon kindly sorted it all out, ordering them and sorting out the postage and all other forms of contact, so round of applause for the lad *claps*

Thanks!

Sorry that I rambled off topic, it was just a suprise!

 

[Martin H.]

Hi,

according to the Platnick Catalog, Selenocosmia huwena is a synonym of Ornithoctonus huwena (Wang, Peng & Xie, 1993) => At the moment the valid name is Ornithoctonus huwena (Wang, Peng & Xie, 1993)
But see also the remark in the Platnick Catalog: "Selenocosmia h. Peters, 1999: 7, f. 1, 4 (f; may be a S of Haplopelma schmidti)"

According to the Platnick Catalog, Haplopelma schmidti von Wirth, 1991 is also a valid species. – If it will stay in this genus is another question! *hint* =;-)

According to the Plantick Catalog, the "hainana" is in the genus Selenocosmia => Selenocosmia hainana Liang et al., 1999.
But According to G. Schmidt (letter to the editor, DeArGe Mitteilungen 8(1) 2003) Selenocosmia hainana has been transfered in 2001 by Zhu Ming-sheng et al. in J. Baoding Teachers Coll. 14(2): 1-6 in the genus Ornithoctonus => Ornithoctonus hainana (Liang et al., 1999). But the latter paper couldn't be found in the "World Spider Catalog" or the "Liste des Traveaux Arachnologiques" of the "International Society of Arachnogoly" nor the "Zoological Record" (von Wirth, pers. comment).
...If it will stay in one of these genuses(genera?) is another question! =;-) At the moment I can only say, that it is very close related to H. schmidti.

all the best,
Martin

PS.: "Selenocosmia" hainana (from some sold as "Haplopelma schmidti black form":

 

[conipto]

Hey Martin, would you mind looking at the spider in >>this<< thread? I beleived it S. hainana, but what you are holding there looks somewhat different.

Bill

 

[Martin H.]

Hello Bill,

Originally posted by conipto

Hey Martin, would you mind looking at the spider in >>this<< thread? I beleived it S. hainana, but what you are holding there looks somewhat different.

I don't think that the specimen of Guy is "Selenocosmia" hainana. "S." hainana has a more round carapace while the one on the photo seems to have a more streched one (but this could also be because of the angle from which the photo has been taken).
Have you seen the photo Guy posted on the arachnid_pix list, while the specimen is eating? It has no white beard/whisker on the sides of the Chelicerae, but "S" hainana does (like H. schmidti and some other species of China and Vietnam)
And "S" hainana (like H. schmidti) does have a "brush of hairs" at the sides of the femurs, normally very good visible on the front legs. A view from the side would be better to check this characteristic but as far as I can see on the photo, the specimen of Guy doesn't have this brush of hair.

=> IMHO not "Selenocosmia" hainana.

I had another idea what it could be, but Guy also posted a male on the arachnid_pix list and this male doesn't fit to the species I first thought it could be.
Now I have one more idea, but I would need a photo of the stritulation organ and one of the spermathecae to verify this idea.

all the best,
Martin

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