Phrixotrichus history?

[Professor T]

I'm probably the last person on this board to obtain and read a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide . Great book, I wish I would have read it sooner without holding out to find a copy for $5.

I couldn't help but notice Grammostola rosea is refered to as Phrixotrichus spatulata . Anyone know the history of this change? What happened to the specific epithet spatulata ? Wouldn't the law of priority have made the scientific name Grammostola spatulata , even if it was placed into a more appropriate genus?

I have only known the Chilean rosehair as Grammostola rosea . Anyone know the history behind Phrixotrichus spatulata?

 

[Code Monkey]

G. rosea, spatulata, and cala were all three considered species at one point, however they were synonymised to all be the same as G. rosea (rosea) and the spatulata was ruled to have been a misID of a rosea (1837 versus 1951) at some point relatively recently. The oldest valid name almost always gets the precedence.