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- Mar 17, 2003
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The fact that they are still "valid" is because a paper hasn't been published yet to declare them nomen nudum. That doesn't make them accurate. You have named the only two examples of subspecies currently still "on the books" for theraphosid spiders, but they are useless. In fact, even Avicularia avicularia cannot be correctly identified so how can there be a valid subspecies? For those interested in exactly why there are no subspecies in spiders I suggest the following reference:About subspecies in spiders, Stromatopelma calceatum griseipes is one example and Avicularia avicularia variegata another. Both still valid for all I know.
The fact that they are still "valid" is because a paper hasn't been published yet to declare them nomen nudum. That doesn't make them accurate. You have named the only two examples of subspecies currently still "on the books" for theraphosid spiders, but they are useless. In fact, even Avicularia avicularia cannot be correctly identified so how can there be a valid subspecies? For those interested in exactly why there are no subspecies in spiders I suggest the following reference:
KRAUS, O. 2000.
Why no subspecies in spiders?
European Arachnology 2000: 303-314.
(Proceedings of the 19th European Colloquium of Arachnology, Århus 17-22 July 2000)
It can be downloaded here.
Best regards, Michael
I realize English is your second language, but that is a contradictory sentence. I assume you mean that you believe the subspecies are valid and that there are other valid examples in aranaeomorphs. Care to share with us what other subspecies exist in other spider families?Until someone put a valid paper out then Id say the subspecies are not valid - until that happens there are spiders with subspecies.
1. Most importantly, if you can't define X, you can't define a subset of X.Not sure what the difficulties of identifying Avicularia avicularia would have much to do with wheather there should be a subspecies or not.
I just feel you getting ahead of yourself here.
So say with Brachypelma baumgarteni, in theory maybe a natural hybrid of B. boehmi and B. Smithi, would you say the offspring is not a subspecies because their habitats overlap? If so what would they be designated as then? Just a color morph within the brachypelma genus? Heck I am lost. This post makes no sense I am sure. I don't know what my point was. I guess I was thinking out loud.I don't believe there are any currently valid subspecies of theraphosid spiders