Puerto Rican and Cuban Tarantulas?

[Acro]

I am looking for tarantula species from Cuba and Puerto Rico that are available in the hobby. Sofar I have these names:

Puerto Rican Spiders
Cyrtopholis portoricae
Holothele culebrae

Cuban Spiders
Cithacanthus spinicirus
Phormictopus platus
Phormictopus auratus

I read something about how the two Phormictopus species may be the same thing?
Know of any other available species?

 

[WARPIG]

Avicularia laeta.

PIG-

 

[Bill S]

Cithacanthus spinicirus should be Citharacanthus spinicirus.

Phormictopus cancerides (centumfocensis) is found in Cuba, although it may be a different subspecies than is available in the trade. However, Alayón thinks that the Cuban subspecies might more correctly be merged with Phormictopus cautus.

Do you know a source for Phormictopus auratus? I'd be interested if it's really auratus.

 

[Bill S]

I read something about how the two Phormictopus species may be the same thing?

They are two different species, but it could be that the "auratus" in the trade are misidentified P. platus.

 

[GoTerps]

P. platus can not be claimed to be in the trade at all... for reasons I outline HERE.

Hobby "P. platus" are almost always going to be P. auratus.

Eric

 

[GoTerps]

Hi Bill,

Phormictopus cancerides (centumfocensis) is found in Cuba, although it may be a different subspecies than is available in the trade. However, Alayón thinks that the Cuban subspecies might more correctly be merged with Phormictopus cautus.

FYI, this synonymy has already occured, in Rudloff's revision of Phormictopus:
P. cancerides centumfocensis (Franganillo, 1926) = P. cautus (Ausserer, 1875) (Rudloff, 2008a: 27).

Eric

 

[Bill S]

P. platus can not be claimed to be in the trade at all... for reasons I outline HERE.

Hobby "P. platus" are almost always going to be P. auratus.

Eric

Thanks for the info. I recently acquired what was supposed to be P. platus, but of course it came with no source data on it. It's immature so it will be a while before I can confirm anything - but for now I'll consider it a P. auratus.

 

[GoTerps]

but for now I'll consider it a P. auratus.

While it probably will be P. auratus, it should be noted that there is one particular undescribed Phormictopus from Cuba that looks very, very similar to P. auratus. You would not be able to tell them apart based on coloration. According to Kaderka, the undescribed species can be distinguished from P. auratus by the "absence of plumose hairs on femur I pl and pad of plumose hairs on femur IV rl".

Ok, sorry to take the thread off topic I'm done now, lol.

Eric

 

[Bill S]

Ok, sorry to take the thread off topic I'm done now, lol.

Eric

Not really off topic at all for those of us interested in Cuban tarantulas. If anything, your info helps us watch for identifying features of the species we're looking for. I've done a little tarantula hunting there, but wasn't sure how much difficulty I'd have bringing specimens home. If the opportunity arises again I'll have to see what's involved.

 

[Acro]

Wow, you all are amazing, I am impressed by your knowledge! Thanks for the wonderful replies! So, tell me if I have this straight, this should be the list of tarantula species from Cuba and Puerto Rico that are available in the hobby:

Puerto Rican Spiders
Cyrtopholis portoricae
Holothele culebrae

Cuban Spiders
Citharacanthus spinicirus
Phormictopus platus = Phormictopus auratus
Phormictopus cancerides = Phormictopus cautus

Would you say that is correct? Also, is Avicularia laeta from Cuba or Puerto Rico?

 

[pinktoe23]

We also have Avicularia caesia, though I don't think they've been introduced in the hobby. They're quite scarce.

 

[TalonAWD]

This could be interesting.
I found this and should help out with Puerto Rico. Scroll down past the middle and you will see the tarantula species in Puerto Rico
http://luisonieves.blogspot.com/

 

[GoTerps]

We also have Avicularia caesia, though I don't think they've been introduced in the hobby. They're quite scarce.

There are quite a few other species that you have in Puerto Rico than mentioned here. But the OP is asking about hobby species.

Pinktoe23, as far as A. caesia goes, are you refering to a particular spider that you are aware of? B/C I wouldn't be surprised if Koch described an adult and a juvenile (brown spider vs blue spider) of the same species as 2 different things. Both species are described in the same paper from 1842. You may very well see a synonymy published at some point.

Eric

 

[GoTerps]

This could be interesting.
I found this and should help out with Puerto Rico. Scroll down past the middle and you will see the tarantula species in Puerto Rico
http://luisonieves.blogspot.com/

FYI, the second "arboreal" (besides A. laeta) mentioned in that blog is not what we usually call a "tarantula". It belongs to the family Barychelidae.

 

[Acro]

Thanks again for the responces!
In reference to my last post, is Avicularia laeta from Cuba or Puerto Rico?
Does the list I put together look correct for animals that are currently available?
Puerto Rican Spiders
Cyrtopholis portoricae
Holothele culebrae
Cuban Spiders
Citharacanthus spinicirus
Phormictopus platus = Phormictopus auratus
Phormictopus cancerides = Phormictopus cautus

On another note, have you seen the post with "Cuban Purple (Phormictopus Sp.purple)" for sale? Check it out: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=167110
I should ask them if they have pictures!

 

[CodeWilster]

On another note, have you seen the post with "Cuban Purple (Phormictopus Sp.purple)" for sale? Check it out: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=167110
I should ask them if they have pictures!

Here is a terrible pic of a sling

 

[Bill S]

Anyone have any useful information on this "Cuban purple"? Where was it collected? Is it unidentified only because it's juvenile? New species? Anything?

 

[Jackuul]

How many species of tarantula are in Cuba - regardless of if they are or are not in the hobby? Additionally, what are they?

It's interesting to me as Cuba is an island, and as is true on many islands, species might be found that exist nowhere else.

 

[Bill S]

How many species of tarantula are in Cuba - regardless of if they are or are not in the hobby? Additionally, what are they?

Here's one list that someone prepared.
http://www.kenthebugguy.com/SpeciesByCountry.php

And another for Phormictopus of the Antilles (in German):
http://www.entomo-praeparation.de/Downloads/ARTHROPODA15%204%20(2).pdf

And another for spiders in Cuba (in Spanish):
http://www.sea-entomologia.org/PDF/RIA_2/R02-001-001.pdf

 

[Jackuul]

Thank you very much. I may want to go to Ecuador now that I see it has a few Grammies