Tarantulas of the World

There are so many mature male species of tarantulas lacking tibial hooks. The most iconic and distinct way to differentiate if your male tarantula has matured is through the presence of tibial hooks in addition to their enlarged pedipalps. But what if they do not posses those hooks? At maturity these species only have enlarged pedipalps.

We have alphabetically compiled this helpful list of current males who do not posses tibial hooks at maturity.

Genus Annandaliella:
pectinifera
travencorica

Genus Anoploscelus:
celeripes
lesserti

Genus Augacephalus:
junodi

Genus Chilobrachys:
andersoni
annandalei
assamensis
bicolor
brevipes
dyscolus
femoralis
fimbriatus
flavopilosus
fumosus
hardwicki
huahini
hubei
jingzhao
nitelinus
oculatus
paviei
pococki
sericeus
soricinus
stridulans
thorelli
tschankoensis

Genus Citharischius:
crawshayi
stridulantissimus

Genus Coremiocnemis:
cunicularia
tropix
valida

Genus Encyocratella:
olivacea

Genus Euphrictus:
spinosus
squamosus

Genus Heteroscodra:
crassipes
crassipes latithorax
maculata
pachypoda

Genus Heterothele:
affinis
atropha
caudicula
darcheni
decemnotata
gabonensis
honesta
hullwilliamsi
ogbunikia
spinipes
villosella

Genus Hysterocrates:
affinis
affinis angusticeps
apostolicus
crassipes
didymus
ederi
gigas
greeffi
greshoffi
haasi
hercules
laticeps
maximus
ochraceus
robustus
robustus sulcifer
scepticus
sjostedti
spellenbergi
vosseleri
weileri

Genus schnocolus:
algericus
andalusiacus
decoratus
fasciculatus
fuscostriatus
hancocki
holosericeus
jerusalemensis
jickelii
khasiensis
maroccanus
mogadorensis
numidus
rubropilosus
syriacus
tomentosus
triangulifer
tripolitanus
tunetanus
valentinus

Genus Lyrognathus:
crotalus
pugnax
robustus
saltator

Genus Metriopelma:
breyeri
coloratum
drymusetes
familiare
ledezmae
spinolosum
variegata
velox
zebratum

Genus Nhandu:
carapoensis

Genus Orphnaecus:
pellitus

Genus Pachistopelma (they do possess a shield of spines):
concolor
rufonigrim

Genus Phlogiellus:
aper
atriceps
baeri
bicolor
brevipes
inermis
insularis
nebulosus
ornatus
subarmatus
subinermis

Genus Phoneyusa:
antilope
belandana
bettoni
bidentata
bidentata ituriensis
bouvieri
buettneri
celerierae
chevalieri
cultridens
efuliensis
elephantiasis
gabonica
giltayi
gracilipes
gregori
lesserti
manicata
minima
mutica
nigroventris
principium
rufa
rutilata
westi

Genus Phormingochilus:
everetti
fuchsi
tigrinus

Genus Plesiophrictus:
Only certain males such as blatteri and madraspatanus have spurs – it is unknown which species do not possess spurs.

Genus Poecilotheria:
fasciata
formosa
hanumavilasumica
metallica
miranda
ornata
pederseni
pococki
regalis
rufilata
smithi
striata
subfusca
uniformis

Genus Selenocosmia:
arndsti
aruana
compta
crassipes
deliana
dichromata
effera
fuliginea
hasselti
hirtipes
honesta
imbellis
insignis
insulana
javanensis
javanensis brachyplectra
javanensis dolichoplectra
javanensis fulva
javanensis sumatrana
kovariki
kulluensis
lanceolata
lanipes
lyra
mittmannae
obscura
orophila
papuana
peerboomi
pritami
raciborskii
samarae
similis
stirlingi
strenua
strubelli
subvulpina
sutherlandi
tahanensis
valida

Genus Selenotholus:
foelschei

Genus Selenotypus:
plumipes

Genus Sericopelma:
commune
dota
fallax
ferrugineum
generala
immensum
melanotarsum
rubronitens
silvicola
striatum
upala

Genus Stromatopelma:
batesi
calceatum
calceatum griseipes
fumigatum
satanus

Genus Theraphosa:
blondi

stirmi

apophosys

Genus Thrigmopoeus:
insignis
truculentus

We hope this helps you in knowing which mature male species of tarantulas lack tibial hooks.

Please Note:
Original Genus List – Journal of the British Tarantula Society – ISSN 0962-449X May 2005, Vol. 20 No. 3 page 81 – A listing of male theraphosids which lack tibial apophyses by L.K. Ross and R.C. West

Scientific names are important for communicating specific species of tarantulas. As many people involved in the community know, there are many tarantulas with a common name of “red-knee,” “red-leg,” “earth-tiger,” etc. which can cause confusion as to the specific species to which one is referring. Another benefit of scientific names is that they cross languages–Acanthoscurria geniculata will be understood as a specific tarantula species by arachnologists and hobbyists alike in Brazil, Canada, Germany, South Korea, and the Philippines, as opposed to common names which are bound by language and even region. 

Around the 18th century, the naming system developed–binomial nomenclature (technically only used for plants, as binominal is used for zoology, but it is commonly accepted to use binomial with zoology nowadays). This two-part naming system includes the genus and species to distinguish each species within the genus. In the 19th century, a governing body developed in order to keep the scientific names in a consistent format with a series of codes and rules for describing each species: International Code of Zoological Nomenclature or ICZN. This body regulates:

• How names are correctly established in the frame of binominal nomenclature
• Which name must be used in case of name conflicts
• How scientific literature must cite names

It does take a while to learn them, and there is a learning curve associated with learning scientific names, but many people do not realize that every genus and species name have meaning behind them. 

Most scientific name sources are either:

-Latin (e.g. Avicularia)

-Greek (e.g. Poecilotheria)

-Locale specific (such as area of species discovery, e.g. Aphonopelma madera (Madera Canyon, AZ)) 

-People (such as taxonomist, biologists, individuals who discovered species, naturalists, etc. e.g. Brachypelma smithi or Psednocnemis jeremyhuffi)

-Other languages (e.g. genus Nhandu or Tliltocatl) 

Here are some elements of scientific names using both Latin and Greek roots:

• acantho: “thorn,” from ancient Greek ἄκανθος (ákanthos)
• albo: “white,” from Latin albus
• aphono: “silent,” from ancient Greek ἄφωνος (áphōnos)
• auratum: “golden,” from Latin
• Avicularia: “bird-catcher,” from Latin aviculārius
• brachy: “short,” from ancient Greek βρᾰχῠ́ς (brăkhŭ́s)
• centro: “spike,” from ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron)
• cephalus: “head,” from ancient Greek κεφαλή (kephalḗ)
• cerato: “horn” or “horned,” from ancient Greek κέρας (kéras)
• chalco: “copper” or “brass,” from ancient Greek χαλκός (khalkόs)
• chilo/chilus: “lip,” from ancient Greek χεῖλος (kheĩlos)
• chromato: “color,” from ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrō̃ma)
• cyaneo: “deep blue,” from Latin
• dolicho: “long,” from ancient Greek δολῐχός (dolĭkhόs)
• ephebo: “youthful,” from ancient Greek ἔφηβος (éphēbos)
• eu: “good,” from ancient Greek εὖ (eũ)
• fasciata: “banded,” from Latin
• grammo: “lined” or “striped,” from ancient Greek γραμμοποίκιλος (grammopoíkilos)
• gyrus: “circle,” from ancient Greek γῦρος (gũros)
• haplo: “simple” or “single,” from ancient Greek ᾰ̔πλόος (ă̔plόos)
• hetero: “different” or “other,” from ancient Greek ἕτερος (héteros)
• holo: “whole” or “complete,” from ancient Greek ὅλος (hólos)
• idio: “distinct” or “peculiar,” from ancient Greek ἴδιος (ídios)
• laeta: “happy,” from Latin
• lividum: “blue or leaden in color,” from Latin
• maculatus/maculata: “stained” or “spotted,” from Latin
• metallica: “metallic,” from Latin
• minax: “threatening” or “menacing,” from Latin
• mira/miranda: “marvelous,” from Latin
• mono: “one,” from ancient Greek μόνος (mόnos)
• murinus: “mouselike” or “mouse-grey,” from Latin
• neo: “new,” from ancient Greek νέος (néos)
• ornata: “ornate,” from Latin
• pelma: “sole (of the foot),” from ancient Greek πέλμᾰ (pélmă)
• pes/pus: “foot,” from Latin
• pilosum: “hairy” or “haired,” from Latin
• plumi: “feather,” from Latin
• poda: “foot” or “leg,” from ancient Greek πούς (poús)
• poecilo: “spotted” or “variegated,” from ancient Greek ποικῐ́λος (poikĭ́los)
• psalmo: “psalm” or “song,” from ancient Greek ψαλμός (psalmόs)
• ptero: “wing” or “feather,” from ancient Greek πτερόν (pterόn)
• pubescens: “hairy,” from Latin
• pulcher/pulchra: “beautiful,” from Latin
• purpurea: “purple,” from Latin
• regalis: “regal” or “kingly,” from Latin
• rosea: “rose-colored,” from Latin
• scurria: “clownish?” from Latin scurra
• stola: “clothing,” from ancient Greek στολᾱ́ (stolā)
• striata/striatum: “striped” or “grooved,” from Latin
• thele: “teat” or “nipple,” from ancient Greek θηλή (thēlḗ)
• theria: “beast,” from ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon)
• thrixo: “hair,” from ancient Greek θρῐ́ξ (thrĭ́x)
• urticans: “having nettles (urticating hairs),” from Latin
• vagans: “wandering,” from Latin
• versicolor: “multicolored,” from Latin

The first part of the name, which identifies the genus, must be a word which can be treated as a Latin singular noun in the nominative case. It must be unique within the purview of each nomenclatural code.

The second part of the name, which identifies the species within the genus, is also treated grammatically as a Latin word. It can have one of a number of forms:

• The second part of a binomial may be an adjective. The adjective must agree with the genus name in gender. Latin has three genders, masculine, feminine and neuter, shown by varying endings to nouns and adjectives. The skeleton-leg tarantula has the binomial name Ephebopus murinus. Here “murinus” simply means the adjective “mouse-like” both endings agreeing in masculine. The name for the Brazilian black tarantula,  Grammostola pulchra (“pulchra” meaning beautiful) , agrees in feminine endings of the words. The Mexican species Cyclosternum palomeranum, described by Rick C. West in 2000, has both nominative neuter endings for genus and species. Cyclosternum is the only genus of tarantula that has a nominative neuter ending thus far. Some common endings for Latin adjectives in the three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) are -us, -a, -um (as in the previous example of murinus); -is, -is, -e (e.g. tristis, meaning “sad”); and -or, -or, -us (e.g. minor, meaning “smaller”). For further information, look up Latin declension of adjectives.
• The second part of a binomial may be a noun in the nominative case. An example is the binomial name of the Texas tan tarantula, which is Aphonopelma anax. The species name being Greek for “tribal chief” or “military leader.” Grammatically the noun is said to be in apposition to the genus name and the two nouns do not have to agree in gender; in this case, Aphonopelma is feminine and anax is masculine.
• The second part of a binomial may be a noun in the genitive (possessive) case. The genitive case is constructed in a number of ways in Latin, depending on the declension of the noun. Common endings for masculine and neuter nouns are -ii or -i in the singular (Brachypelma hamorii) and -orum (Birupes simoroxigorum) in the plural, and for feminine nouns -ae (Avicularia merianae) in the singular and -arum (e.g. Euathlus tenebrarum) in the plural. 

Whereas the first part of a binomial name must be unique within the purview of each nomenclatural code, the second part is quite commonly used in two or more genera (e.g. murinus in both genera Pterinochilus and Ephebopus ). The full binomial name must be unique within each code. Because the species names that are adjectival agree with the genus name, it’s important for them to have adjectival agreement with the genus. This means when there is a new description paper published and a species is redescribed into another genus (e.g. Brachypelma albopilosum was redescribed as Tliltocatl albopilosus) sometimes the Latin suffix of the species name will change as well to agree with with genus change.

Maybe knowing more about these scientific names will have you noticing different features of your tarantulas, or may remind you of the regions they come from or people that described them.

References:

• http://atshq.org/articles/beechwp2.html
• See entry “binôme” Archived 6 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé.
• Blunt, Wilfrid (2004), Linnaeus: the compleat naturalist, Frances Lincoln ltd, p. 266, ISBN 978-0-7112-2362-2
•  Darpan, Pratiyogita (2007), “General Principles of Taxonomy”, Competition Science Vision, 10 (114): 764–767, retrieved 20 June 2011.
• International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1999), International Code of Zoological Nomenclature online (4th ed.), The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, ISBN 978-0-85301-006-7, retrieved 20 June 2021
• Michener, Charles D. (1964). “The possible use of uninominal nomenclature to increase the stability of names in biology”. Systematic Zoology. 13 (4): 182–190. doi:10.2307/2411777
• Hugh T.W. Tan & Tan Kai-xin, Understanding and Learning Scientific Names of Species, Successful Learning, Center for Development of Teaching and Learning, National University of Singapore, retrieved 20 June 2021
• “Linnaean Nomenclature of Plants, Animals, & Bacteria”, Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003, p. 22a – 23a, ISBN 978-0-87779-809-5

Selenocosmia zhangzhengi

A new species of the genus Selenocosmia (Ausserer, 1871) has been described in the southeastern coast of China. Selenocosmia zhangzhengi named after Mr. Zheng Zhang who collected the type material in situ (Fujian providence).

Description:

Males of S.zhangzhengi sp. n. can be distinguished by the absence of long, white setae on the tibia and metatarsus of the legs , the tip of the embolus is at an obtuse angle in S.zhangzhengi and small ventral lamina are absent on the distal embolus which differentiates it as a new sp altogether.

Females of S.zhangzhengi sp. n. can be differentiated by the straight spermathecae and the ratio of the length of the spermathecae to the distance between the spermathecae as it’s almost 2–3:1.

Ecology/Habitat:

Retreats in burrows made in soil mixed with gravel, the burrows are usually about 3 to 4 cm in diameter. The spider web extends 10 to 20 cm inwards from the burrow. The spider moults inside. At night, the spider waits at the mouth of the burrow for its prey to pass by.

As things are settling back to some sort of normalcy, there will be more and more revisions and descriptions happening in the arachnid world. Taxonomists are working hard around the world and it shows as more and more papers come out to the public. As always, when in doubt do not mix hobby species and labels with taxonomy paperwork.

Full paper can be read here