rufus and hatihati have a new Name!

[Theraphosid Research Team]

All good things are worth waiting for. As part of our examination of the phylogeny of the Ornithoctoninae, a first paper by our research group from the SMNS with a description of the species identified in the community as Phormingochilus sp. “rufus” and Cyriopagopus sp. “hatihati” was published yesterday.

Phormingochilus sp. "rufus" = Aspinochilus rufus
Cyriopagopus sp. "hatihati" = Phormingochilus hatihati

See article HERE!

 

[viper69]

Thank you!!!

I hope some team takes on a new revision of Avicularia including DNA analysis to determine many unsettled questions.

 

[Theraphosid Research Team]

Thank you!!!

I hope some team takes on a new revision of Avicularia including DNA analysis to determine many unsettled questions.

This is certainly much more for our South American colleagues. I only work with teams that deal with the systematics of Asian tarantulas.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Saw this yesterday, pretty dope!

 

[l4nsky]

https://arachnoboards.com/threads/o...lus-sp-rufus-have-just-been-described.371435/

Had a discussion on it yesterday lol. Any news on the molecular work with Ornithoctoninae spp? I seem to remember you posting a year or so back about helping with the work currently being done by a gentleman in Germany, but I can't find the reference and I don't remember the name of the researcher.

 

[Liquifin]

Thank you so much for your hard work and contribution to this hobby. For a long we've always wondered what they are and now we have an answer to them.

 

[Theraphosid Research Team]

https://arachnoboards.com/threads/o...lus-sp-rufus-have-just-been-described.371435/

Had a discussion on it yesterday lol. Any news on the molecular work with Ornithoctoninae spp? I seem to remember you posting a year or so back about helping with the work currently being done by a gentleman in Germany, but I can't find the reference and I don't remember the name of the researcher.

Hi, we initially did an analysis with CO 1. However, we then realized that the usual primers used for tarantulas did not work well for the Ornithoctoninae. For this reason, new primers have since been developed and we want to repeat the analyses this year, because so far the trees obtained are very questionable. Furthermore, with the help of the Justus-Liebig University in Gießen, it is planned to examine further genes and to develop a useful and stable phylogeny of the Ornithoctoninae from the totality of the analyzed genes. I myself have so far calculated an analysis with morphological data using PAUP and have obtained far more logical trees than we have so far received with CO 1. However, my data will be extended by a few more characters, because the consensus tree is not yet well resolved, especially in the terminal taxa. As you can see, we are working on it, but it all takes time!

 

[l4nsky]

Hi, we initially did an analysis with CO 1. However, we then realized that the usual primers used for tarantulas did not work well for the Ornithoctoninae. For this reason, new primers have since been developed and we want to repeat the analyses this year, because so far the trees obtained are very questionable. Furthermore, with the help of the Justus-Liebig University in Gießen, it is planned to examine further genes and to develop a useful and stable phylogeny of the Ornithoctoninae from the totality of the analyzed genes. I myself have so far calculated an analysis with morphological data using PAUP and have obtained far more logical trees than we have so far received with CO 1. However, my data will be extended by a few more characters, because the consensus tree is not yet well resolved, especially in the terminal taxa. As you can see, we are working on it, but it all takes time!

Copy that, sort of taking one step back in order to take two steps forward. I'm just pleased to hear there's still forward momentum .

 

[Theraphosid Research Team]

Copy that, sort of taking one step back in order to take two steps forward. I'm just pleased to hear there's still forward momentum .

Well, it's not a step backwards if you compare where we were a short time ago in terms of the knowledge of this subfamily. In comparison, it is always 3 steps forward.

 

[Terrovax]

Well, it's not a step backwards if you compare where we were a short time ago in terms of the knowledge of this subfamily. In comparison, it is always 3 steps forward.

Does anyone plan to revise the genus Selenocosmia? That genus seems to be a major mess lol

 

[A guy]

Does anyone plan to revise the genus Selenocosmia? That genus seems to be a major mess lol

Selenocosmia doesn't exists anymore

 

[Theraphosid Research Team]

Does anyone plan to revise the genus Selenocosmia? That genus seems to be a major mess lol

The problem with Selenocosmia is that the basis for this genus is virtually missing. The type species of the genus is Selenocosmia javanensis javanensis. However, the holotype of this species is lost, so from a scientific point of view, we do not have any nomenclaturally stable material that we can use to define the genus Selenocosmia and distinguish it from other genera of Selenocosmiinae. So, first of all, a neotype would have to be determined and described in order to lay the foundation for the species and genus definition. This is currently being done by an Australian-Russian team, of which I am also a member. I think we will be finished by the middle of the year. After that, we can start a genus revision.

 

[Butterbean83]

There seems to be more similarities between the genera of the Ornithoctininae species, than there are with Selenocosmiinae... Even just to look at without studying genetics, the Selenocosmiinae subfamily is so diverse in looks in comparison to the genera of the Ornithoctininae subfamily that mostly looks very similar, sometimes even slightly similarities between arboreal.and Fossorial.

I find it interesting that there seems to be no Arboreal Selenocosmiinae species of any genera... Or not that I've yet heard of... That would be an amazing find, if ever there was one.

It's great to see undescribed species gaining their taxonomic status. Hopefully more species and more genera are sorted out... This is always great to see.

 

[l4nsky]

I find it interesting that there seems to be no Arboreal Selenocosmiinae species of any genera... Or not that I've yet heard of... That would be an amazing find, if ever there was one.

There's one, but it's exceedingly rare. Chilobrachys sp Tropical Blue.

 

[Butterbean83]

That is available in my country but it's expensive for a sling but not as expensive as some others. I may have to save up a few quid and acquire a sling.

 

[Theraphosid Research Team]

There seems to be more similarities between the genera of the Ornithoctininae species, than there are with Selenocosmiinae... Even just to look at without studying genetics, the Selenocosmiinae subfamily is so diverse in looks in comparison to the genera of the Ornithoctininae subfamily that mostly looks very similar, sometimes even slightly similarities between arboreal.and Fossorial.

I find it interesting that there seems to be no Arboreal Selenocosmiinae species of any genera... Or not that I've yet heard of... That would be an amazing find, if ever there was one.

It's great to see undescribed species gaining their taxonomic status. Hopefully more species and more genera are sorted out... This is always great to see.

Hi,

yes, there are arboreal Selenocosmiinae. One example is Orphnaecus sp. “treedweller” (sometimes also named sp. “blue Panay”), which is well known among hobbyists but has not yet been scientifically described. Individuals of some species of the genus Chilobrachys also live not only on or in the ground, but sometimes also in trees. In addition, many tree tops in various tropical areas in Southeast Asia and Australis are still largely unknown.

 

[l4nsky]

Hi,

yes, there are arboreal Selenocosmiinae. One example is Orphnaecus sp. “treedweller” (sometimes also named sp. “blue Panay”), which is well known among hobbyists but has not yet been scientifically described. Individuals of some species of the genus Chilobrachys also live not only on or in the ground, but sometimes also in trees. In addition, many tree tops in various tropical areas in Southeast Asia and Australis are still largely unknown.

PNG is a BIG blank spot on the map for tarantulas IMHO.