What is the rarest Tarantula in the world?
- Thread starter jeryst
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2008
- Messages
- 884
yes. this is an old topic. both of you guys being newer to the site i would like to refer you to the search option. I am by no means being a jerk or saying dont post your ideas or questions, but this is one of those dead horse threads. check out these threads for more info and please feel free to hit the search function for any questions you have.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=188548&highlight=Rarest+tarantula
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=174930&highlight=Rarest+tarantula
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=81623&highlight=Rarest+tarantula
Lorum
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2010
- Messages
- 111
For me, rarest tarantulas are those that haven't been discovered or described (rarest in the sense that nobody have them). I have seen here in México tarantulas from a couple of new genera (or from known genera not described for this country, like Avicularia); there are at least four new genera expecting to be described, hehe (I think there are actually more).
Maybe this is an example (I don't know if it is indeed a new genus or it's just still unidentified... that bulb has an uncommon apophysis on it). http://www.theraphosidae.cz/imagestar/hapalopusspHuatulco.htm
Also, some species have to be transfered from one genus into another and more taxonomic work has to be done with local species.
So, we have a lot of new species to describe, and I think a lot of others to discover. And this is only in one country of the world, now imagine how much new T's are in other regions of our planet...
Maybe this is an example (I don't know if it is indeed a new genus or it's just still unidentified... that bulb has an uncommon apophysis on it). http://www.theraphosidae.cz/imagestar/hapalopusspHuatulco.htm
Also, some species have to be transfered from one genus into another and more taxonomic work has to be done with local species.
So, we have a lot of new species to describe, and I think a lot of others to discover. And this is only in one country of the world, now imagine how much new T's are in other regions of our planet...
Last edited:
I would think that this is something that is fluid and changes over time.yes. this is an old topic. both of you guys being newer to the site i would like to refer you to the search option. I am by no means being a jerk or saying dont post your ideas or questions, but this is one of those dead horse threads. check out these threads for more info and please feel free to hit the search function for any questions you have.
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2009
- Messages
- 146
My thoughts exactly! I also ment to say thanks for posting those other threads! I've been curious about this kinda stuff as well!
Last edited:
Lorum
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2010
- Messages
- 111
Not a lot of further details. I know a biologist who is working with taxonomy of Theraphosidae (descriptions, more than anything). I think he will make some publications, but probably not soon (and is OK, I think things have to be done with calm and accuracy to avoid troubles).
So, we sometimes see or hear interesting stuff. We have just 2, maybe 3 species of tarantulas registered for the capital city, Distrito Federal (I say 2 or 3 because nobody actually knows the situation of Aphonopelma serratum); but there are probably a lot of more species. The city is sorrounded by small mountains (hills?), and there are "dwarf" mexican T's on some of them (not Hapalopus aldanus).
Also, the only species of Avicularia we had registered for our country was transfered to Sericopelma. That leave us without any arboreal T registered for México. Anyway, in field trips there have been sightings of arboreal T's and web tubes at tree tops. In some scientific collections there are wild caught specimens (preserved in alcohol) of Avicularia spp. Also, we have a new undescribed species of Psalmopoeus (that has been succesfully breeded) from the Veracruz state, which is the most northern register to the genus. Maybe it is currently in the hobby in the USA (pers. comm. of some american hobbysts to a friend), I don't know.
So, those are a few examples of situation here. I hope they are interesting. Someday I will also work in Theraphosid's taxonomy, but I have a long way to go.
P. S. People who has been on field trips know that there are a lot of undescribed species that probably correspond to Bonnetina spp. One of those species has been breeded and it have beautiful blue iridiscence on its legs. Usually people in the illegal pet bussiness find also a lot of new species, there could even be new Brachypelma spp. from unaccesible zones (independently of the many "variants" of Brachypelma vagans).
Last edited:
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2005
- Messages
- 1,499
Undescribed species aside, I'd guess something like Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis.
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2009
- Messages
- 410
What about H. Hercules? I thought I read noone actually has a real H.Hercules, just a mislabeled Hysterocrates species.
Lorum
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2010
- Messages
- 111
Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis is a junior synonym for Poecilotheria formosa.
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2005
- Messages
- 1,499
Oh, so it is. What of P. uniformis, then? A species whose sole representative is a preserved specimen must be pretty rare, no?
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2005
- Messages
- 1,323
Psalmos are arboreal, so you have arboreals : )
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2010
- Messages
- 90
Not sure but I guess H. hercules is already extinct? Correct me if I'm wrong.
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2010
- Messages
- 4,401
Well besides the ones that nobody even knows about, or can't even find, my guess would be these. http://americasroof.com/archives/1664
That link appears to refer to Microhexura montivaga, which is a diplurid, not a theraphosid (i.e. not a "tarantula" in the strict sense of the word).
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2010
- Messages
- 4,401
Really? I posted about this sometime back, and got the same link from a member on here. I guess the video didnt have enough details about them, and i dont understand all the taxonomy and such enough. Thanks.
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2010
- Messages
- 2,097