Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis (Rao et al., 2006)

A

AphonopelmaTX

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While looking through the World Spider Catalog, I stumbled upon a listing for a recently described Poecilotheria species that no one seems to have ever mentioned on this site or The Tarantula Store site. Searches through all forums on both sites yielded no results and a search on Google only brings back a reference to the paper it was described in. Was everyone asleep during the year 2006 or just crazy over P. tigrinawesseli (Smith, 2006)? ;)

So, I am going to attempt to get a hard copy of the paper or book it was described in to get the details, but I can't resist the very obvious of basic questions to hold me over...

- Where is this species located?
- How is it related to the other Poecilotheria species?
- Does anyone have a photograph of it?
- Would anyone happen to have a digital copy of the description they can send me? :cool:

Here's the entry in the World Spider Catalog under the genus Poecilotheria:

f nallamalaiensis Rao et al., 2006....................India
P. n. Rao et al., 2006: 49, pl. I, f. 1-8 (Df).

Here's the associated bibliographic reference:

Rao, K. T., D. B. Bastawade, S. M. M. Javed & I. S. R. Krishna. Description of two new species of spiders of the genus Poecilotheria Simon (Araneae: Theraphosidae) and Tmarus Simon (Araneae: Thomisidae) from Nallamalai Hills, eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh, India. Rec. zool. Surv. India 106: 49-54.

- Lonnie
 
GoTerps

GoTerps

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Hi Lonnie,

AphonopelmaTX said:
- Where is this species located?
- How is it related to the other Poecilotheria species?
- Does anyone have a photograph of it?
- Would anyone happen to have a digital copy of the description they can send me? :cool:

Rao, K. T., D. B. Bastawade, S. M. M. Javed & I. S. R. Krishna. Description of two new species of spiders of the genus Poecilotheria Simon (Araneae: Theraphosidae) and Tmarus Simon (Araneae: Thomisidae) from Nallamalai Hills, eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh, India. Rec. zool. Surv. India 106: 49-54.
Click to expand...
I can send you the description paper if you'd like it. I'm going to list a little info here to try and answer a few of your questions. All info below is taken from the above listed reference. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with any of it... just passing on the info.

The Type Locality is listed as : Nallamalai Hills, Eastern Ghats, Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Prakasam Dist., Andhra Pradesh, India.

"Discussion: Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis sp. nov. shows close resemblence to Poecilotheria formosa, P. fasciata and P. miranda but differs from these as:

1. It resembles with P. formosa in color pattern on Legs I & IV but it differs in having 3 black, blunt tubercles on prolateral face of the maxillae instead of 1 and also the stridulating organ on outer face of chelicerae with few short pointed tubercles and remaining with granular beaded structure unlike in P. formosa.

2. It resembles with P. miranda in having 3 black blunt tubercles on prolateral face of maxillae but differs in not having same color pattern on Legs I & IV and also a different shape of spermathecae.

3. It resembles with P. fasciata in having undivided spermathecae but it differs in having different type of stridulating organ and different number and placement of peg like bacilliform setae.

Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis sp. nov. in general differs in having different pattern of abdominal color and Peacock-greenish-blue color tarsal scopulae on legs I & IV and posterior median eyes larger than posterior laterals.

All these characters show distinction from all known Poecilotheria species known from India."


Eric
 
tacoma0680

tacoma0680

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I would love to have some more pokies to add to my collection. They are such an awsome T.
 
M.F.Bagaturov

M.F.Bagaturov

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Hey!

Would much eager to look throught the description!
I wonder does these people do it seriousely or it is the another one "chineese description"...
 
esotericman

esotericman

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Anyone know if Andrew Smith will catch this one for his book? I think I heard 7 trips to India thus far...
 
Michael Jacobi

Michael Jacobi

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esotericman said:
Anyone know if Andrew Smith will catch this one for his book? I think I heard 7 trips to India thus far...
Click to expand...
As long as it remains a valid species ;) he will no doubt include it. Thorsten Kroes has been providing images and information for the book, so it certainly doesn't warrant another trip. Plus, he has researchers in India that are contributors. I am not sure of the exact count for his own personal trips... I believe it is around 4 to India and 3 to Sri Lanka.

Regards, Michael

PS - Since this "species" has been published and Platnick added it to his recent update of the WSC, I will be adding it to my The Tarantula Bibliography just as soon as I return to working. Which won't be any time today! I am vegging out to movies and books and keeping myself horizontal. I am wiped! :(
 
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