Theraphosidae

Pink-toe tarantula Avicularia avicularia, from here.

Belongs within: Avicularoidea.
Contains: Oligoxystre.

The Theraphosidae, tarantulas, are a pantropical group of sometimes very large mygalomorph spiders that inhabit silken burrows or retreats. In members of the South American subfamilies Theraphosinae and Aviculariinae, the abdomen bears urticating hairs that are used in defense (Jocqué & Dippenaar-Schoeman 2007).

Characters (from Jocqué & Dippenaar-Schoeman 2007): Medium-sized to very large; eight eyes present in two rows; rastellum absent; labium and endites with numerous cuspules, anterior lobe on endite developed; legs with well-developed scopulae and iridescent claw tufts on leg tarsi and female palpal tarsi, leg tarsi with clavate trichobothria along their length, two or rarely three tarsal claws; four spinnerets present, distal segment of posterior spinnerets digitiform.

<==Theraphosidae [Theraphosoidae]
    |--Eumenophorinae JD-S07
    |--Selenogyrinae JD-S07
    |--Stromatopelminae JD-S07
    |--Thrigmopoeinae JD-S07
    |--Harpactirinae JD-S07
    |    |--Harpactirella JD-S07
    |    |--Brachionopus JD-S07
    |    `--Harpactira pulchripes Pocock 1901 P01
    |--Ischnocolinae BFSJ08
    |    |--Sickius longibulbi Soares & Camargo 1948 BFSJ08
    |    `--Ischnocolus Auss. 1871 T94
    |         |--I. hirsutus B06
    |         `--I. inermis Ausserer 1871 [incl. I. subarmatus Thorell 1891] T94
    |--Ornithoctoninae ZZ08
    |    |--Ornithoctonus Pocock 1892 ZZ08
    |    |--Citharognathus Pocock 1895 ZZ08
    |    |    |--*C. hosei Pocock 1895 ZZ08
    |    |    `--C. tongmianensis Zhu, Li & Song 2002 ZZ08
    |    `--Haplopelma Simon 1892 ZZ08
    |         |--*H. doriae (Thorell 1890) [=Selenocosmia doriae] ZZ08
    |         |--H. hainanum (Liang et al. 1999) [=Selenocosmia hainana, Ornithoctonus hainana] ZZ08
    |         `--H. schmidti von Wirth 1991 (see below for synonymy) ZZ08
    |--Avicularia Lamarck 1818 FNB08 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--*A. avicularia (Linnaeus 1758) FNB08 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--‘Mygale’ barbara Lucas 1846 E12
    |    |--‘Mygale’ caementaria C01a
    |    |--‘Eurypelma’ californicum (Ausserer 1871) (n. d.) BFSJ08
    |    |--‘Eurypelma’ doeringii T94
    |    |--A. exilis Strand 1907 J98
    |    |--‘Mygale’ gracilipes Lucas 1846 E12
    |    |--A. lycosiformis (Koch 1842) (n. d.) [=Mygale lycosiformis, Trechona lycosiformis] PCBFF08
    |    |--‘Eurypelma’ minax Thorell 1894 T94
    |    |--‘Mygale’ occidentalis Lucas 1858 SP10
    |    |--‘Aranea’ sauvagesii [=Mygale sauvagesii] L02
    |    |--A. subvulpina Strand 1906 J98
    |    `--A. vestiaria K92
    |--Selenocosmiinae ZZ08
    |    |--Phlogiellus Pocock 1897 ZZ08
    |    |--Yamia Kishida 1920 [incl. Baccallbrapo Barrion & Litsinger 1995] ZZ08
    |    |    |--*Y. watasei Kishida 1920 ZZ08
    |    |    `--Y. bundokalbo (Barrion & Litsinger 1995) JD-S07, ZZ08 [=Baccallbrapo bundokalbo ZZ08]
    |    |--Chilobrachys Karsch 1891 [incl. Musagetes Pocock 1895) ZZ08
    |    |    |--*C. nitelinus Karsch 1891 ZZ08
    |    |    |--C. guangxiensis (Yin & Tan 2000) (see below for synonymy) ZZ08
    |    |    |--C. hubei Song & Zhao 1988 ZZ08
    |    |    `--C. liboensis Zhu & Zhang 2008 ZZ08
    |    `--Selenocosmia Ausserer 1871 (see below for synonymy) ZZ08
    |         |--*S. javanensis (Walckenaer 1837) [=Mygale javanensis] ZZ08
    |         |--S. arndsti (Schmidt & von Wirth 1991) ZZ08
    |         |--S. crassipes Y95
    |         |--S. jiafu Zhu & Zhang 2008 ZZ08
    |         |--S. peerboomi (Schmidt 1999) ZZ08
    |         |--S. stirlingi Hogg 1901 ZZ08
    |         |--S. subvulpina Y95
    |         |--S. xinhuaensis Zhu & Zhang 2008 ZZ08
    |         `--S. xinping Zhu & Zhang 2008 ZZ08
    `--Theraphosinae P-M02
         |  i. s.: Iracema cabocla Pérez-Miles 2000 P-M02
         |         Eupalaestrus P-M02
         |           |--E. campestratus (Simon 1891) MF17
         |           `--E. weijenberghi (Thorell 1894) P-M02
         |         Acanthoscurria Auss. 1871 P-M02, T94
         |           |--A. cordubensis Thorell 1894 T94
         |           |--A. gomesiana J-GP07
         |           |--A. sternalis Pocock 1903 P-M02
         |           `--A. suina Pocock 1903 P-M02
         |         Theraphosa Thorell 1870 JD-S07
         |           `--T. leblondi Latreille 1804 MU90
         |--Paraphysa Simon 1892 FNB08
         |    `--P. scrofa Molina 1788 FNB08
         |--Euathlus Ausserer 1875 FNB08
         |    |--E. vagans [=Eurypelma vagans] R95
         |    `--E. vulpinus (Karsch 1880) FNB08
         `--+--Maraca Pérez-Miles 2006 FNB08
            |    `--M. horrida (Schmidt 1994) FNB08
            |--Kochiana Fukushima & Nagahama 2008 FNB08
            |    `--*K. brunnipes (Koch 1842) (see below for synonymy) FNB08
            |--Plesiopelma Pocock 1901 FNB08
            |    |--P. insulare (Mello-Leitão 1923) FNB08
            |    `--P. longisternale (Schiapelli & Gerschman 1942) FNB08
            |--Homoeomma Ausserer 1871 FNB08
            |    |--H. montanum (Mello-Leitão 1923) FNB08
            |    |--H. stradlingi Pickard-Cambridge 1881 FNB08
            |    `--H. uruguayense (Mello-Leitão 1946) P-M02
            |--+--Melloleitaoina Gerschman & Schiapelli 1960 FNB08
            |  |    `--M. crassifemur Gerschman & Schiapelli 1960 FNB08
            |  `--Tmesiphantes Simon 1892 FNB08
            |       `--T. nubilus Simon 1892 FNB08
            |--Grammostola Simon 1892 FNB08
            |    |--G. actaeon (Pocock 1903) FNB08
            |    |--G. iheringi (Keyserling 1891) FF08
            |    |--G. mollicoma (Ausserer 1875) P-M02
            |    |--G. pulchripes (Simon 1891) P-M02
            |    `--G. schulzei (Schmidt 1994) FF08
            `--+--Cyriocosmus Simon 1903 FNB08
               |    |--C. elegans Simon 1889 FNB08
               |    |--C. nogueiranetoi Fukushima et al. 2005 FNB08
               |    `--C. sellatus (Simon 1889) FNB08
               `--+--Chromatopelma Schmidt 1995 FNB08
                  |    `--C. cyaneopubescens (Strand 1907) FNB08
                  `--Hapalopus Ausserer 1875 FNB08
                       |--H. formosus Ausserer 1875 FNB08
                       `--H. pentaloris (Simon 1888) R95

Theraphosidae incertae sedis:
  Aphonopelma FF08
    |--A. chalcodes Chamberlin 1940 BFSJ08
    |--A. hageni (Strand 1906) [=Eurypelma hageni, Avicularia hageni] J98
    `--A. hentzi (Girard 1852) [=Dugesiella hentzi] BFSJ08
  Selenotholus B96
  Selenotypus plumipes B96
  Sason Simon 1889 [incl. Sarpedon Cambr. 1883 (preoc.)] K92
    `--S. robustum (Cambr. 1883) [=Sarpedon robustum] K92
  Poecilotheria Simon 1885 [incl. Scurria Koch 1850 non Gray 1847] K92
    |--P. fasciata (Latreille 1804) [=Mygale fasciata] K92
    `--P. miranda BB14
  Megaphobema MU90
  Ephebopus MU90
  Hysterocrates [incl. Hysterocratella Strand 1906] J98
    |--H. greeffi (Karsch 1884) [incl. H. maximus Strand 1906] J98
    |--H. robustus Pocock 1899 [incl. H. robustus var. sulcifera Strand 1908, H. robustus sulcifer] J98
    `--H. weileri Strand 1906 [=H. (*Hysterocratella) weileri] J98
  Phormictopus Pocock 1901 MF17
    `--P. cancerides (Latreille 1806) [incl. P. cancerides tenuispina Strand 1906] J98
  Phormingochilus fuchsi Strand 1906 J98
  Lyroscelus Cambridge 1901 B06
    `--*L. bonhotei Cambridge 1901 B06
  Acanthopelma B06
    |--A. maculata Banks 1906 B06
    `--A. rufescens B06
  Cyrtopholis Sim. 1892 T94
    `--C. antillana Thorell 1894 T94
  Lasiodora Koch 1850 T94
    `--L. weijenberghii Thorell 1894 T94
  Lycinus Thorell 1894 T94
    `--*L. longipes Thorell 1894 T94
  Brachypelma Simon 1891 MF17
    |  i. s.: *B. emilia (White 1856) [=Mygale emilia] MF17
    |--B. klaasi (Schmidt & Krause 1994) MF17, FF08
    `--+--B. albiceps Pocock 1903 MF17
       `--+--B. hamorii Tesmoingt, Cleton & Verdez 1997 MF17
          `--+--B. smithi (Pickard-Cambridge 1897) (see below for synonymy) MF17
             `--+--B. auratum Schmidt 1992 MF17
                |--B. baumgarteni Smith 1993 MF17
                `--B. boehmei Schmidt & Klaas 1993 MF17
  Oligoxystre G11
  Catumiri uruguayense Guadanucci 2004 BFSJ08
  Encyocratella olivacea Strand 1907 [incl. Xenodendrophila gabrielli Gallon 2003] BFSJ08
  Holothele rondoni (Lucas & Bücherl 1972) G11
  Guyruita cerrado Guadanucci et al. 2007 G11
  Cyclosterorum elegans V09
  Ceratogyrus bechuanicus Purcell 1902 JD-S07, WS02
  Euphrictus JD-S07
  Annandaliella JD-S07
  Rhechostica R95
    `--‘Eurypelma’ rusticum Simon 1890 R95
  Sericopelma Ausserer 1875 MF17
  Psalmopoeus cambridgei Pocock 1895 MF17
  Bonnetina Vol 2000 MF17
  Ischnocolinopsis acutus Wunderlich 1988 S93
  Citharoscelus C01b

Avicularia Lamarck 1818 FNB08 [=Eurypelma Koch 1850 FNB08, Mygale Lamarck 1802 non Cuvier 1800 FNB08; Aviculariinae P-M02]

*Avicularia avicularia (Linnaeus 1758) FNB08 [=Aranea avicularia FNB08, *Eurypelma avicularia FNB08, *Mygale avicularia FNB08; incl. Avicularia canceridea K92]

Brachypelma smithi (Pickard-Cambridge 1897) [=Eurypelma smithi, Euathlus smithi; incl. B. annitha Tesmoingt, Cleton & Verdez 1997] MF17

Chilobrachys guangxiensis (Yin & Tan 2000) [=Plesiophrictus guangxiensis; incl. C. jingzhao Zhu, Song & Li 2001] ZZ08

Haplopelma schmidti von Wirth 1991 [incl. Selenocosmia huwena Wang et al. 1993, H. huwenum, Ornithoctonus huwena] ZZ08

*Kochiana brunnipes (Koch 1842) [=Mygale brunnipes, Avicularia brunnipes, Eurypelma brunnipes, Mygale brunneipes] FNB08

Selenocosmia Ausserer 1871 [incl. Chilocosmia Schmidt & von Wirth 1992, Phlogius Simon 1887, Selenopelma Schmidt & Krause 1995] ZZ08

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B06] Banks, N. 1906. Arachnida from the Bahamas. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 22: 185–189.

[BFSJ08] Bertani, R., C. S. Fukushima & P. I. da Silva Júnior. 2008. Mating behavior of Sickius longibulbi (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Ischnocolinae), a spider that lacks spermathecae. Journal of Arachnology 36 (2): 331–335.

[BB14] Bloom, T., G. Binford, L. A. Esposito, G. A. Garcia, I. Peterson, A. Nishida, K. Loubet-Senear & I. Agnarsson. 2014. Discovery of two new species of eyeless spiders within a single Hispaniola cave. Journal of Arachnology 42 (2): 148–154.

[B96] Brunet, B. 1996. Spiderwatch: A Guide to Australian Spiders. Reed New Holland: Sydney.

[C01a] Cambridge, F. O. P. 1901a. A revision of the genera of the Araneae or spiders with reference to their type species. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 51–65.

[C01b] Cambridge, F. O. P. 1901b. On a collection of spiders from the Bahama Islands, made by J. L. Bonhote, Esq.; with characters of a new genus and species of Mygalomorphae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 322–332.

[E12] Evenhuis, N. L. 2012. Publication and dating of the Exploration Scientifique de l'Algérie: Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Articulés (1846–1849) by Pierre Hippolyte Lucas. Zootaxa 3448: 1–61.

[FF08] Ferretti, N. E., & A. A. Ferrero. 2008. Courtship and mating behavior of Grammostola schulzei (Schmidt 1994) (Araneae, Theraphosidae), a burrowing tarantula from Argentina. Journal of Arachnology 36 (2): 480–483.

[FNB08] Fukushima, C. S., R. H. Nagahama & R. Bertani. 2008. The identity of Mygale brunnipes C. L. Koch 1842 (Araneae, Theraphosidae), with a redescription of the species and the description of a new genus. Journal of Arachnology 36 (2): 402–410.

[G11] Guadanucci, J. P. L. 2011. Cladistic analysis and biogeography of the genus Oligoxystre Vellard 1924 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae). Journal of Arachnology 39 (2): 320–326.

[J98] Jäger, P. 1998. Das Typenmaterial der Spinnentiere (Arachnida: Acari, Amblypygi, Araneae, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpiones, Scorpiones, Uropygi) aus dem Museum Wiesbaden. Jahrbuecher des Nassauischen Vereins fuer Naturkunde 119: 81–91.

[J-GP07] Jiménez-Guri, E., H. Philippe, B. Okamura & P. W. H. Holland. 2007. Buddenbrockia is a cnidarian worm. Science 317: 116–118.

[JD-S07] Jocqué, R., & A. S. Dippenaar-Schoeman. 2007. Spider Families of the World. Royal Museum for Central Africa: Tervuren (Belgium).

[K92] Karsch, F. 1892. Arachniden von Ceylon und von Minikoy gesammelt von den Herren Doctoren P. und F. Sarasin. Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift 36 (2): 267–310.

[L02] Latreille, P. A. 1802. Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière des crustacés et des insectes vol. 3. Familles naturelles des genres. F. Dufart: Paris.

[MU90] Marshall, S. D., & G. W. Uetz. 1990. Incorporation of urticating hairs into silk: a novel defense mechanism in two Neotropical tarantulas (Araneae, Theraphosidae). Journal of Arachnology 18: 143–150.

[MF17] Mendoza, J., & O. Francke. 2017. Systematic revision of Brachypelma red-kneed tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae), and the use of DNA barcodes to assist in the identification and conservation of CITES-listed species. Invertebrate Systematics 31: 157–179.

[PCBFF08] Pedroso, D. R., R. L. Cerqueira Baptista & P. S. Fiúza Ferreira. 2008. Trechona rufa (Araneae, Dipluridae): new status, redescription and neotype designation with notes on the genus. Journal of Arachnology 36 (2): 360–367.

[P-M02] Pérez-Miles, F. 2002. The occurrence of abdominal urticating hairs during development in Theraphosinae (Araneae, Theraphosidae): phylogenetic implications. Journal of Arachnology 30 (2): 316–320.

[P01] Pocock, R. I. 1901. Descriptions of some new African Arachnida. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 284–288.

[R95] Raven, R. J. 1995. Coxal glands of spiders of the genera Bymainiella, Atrax and Namea (Hexathelidae, Dipluridae, Mygalomorphae). Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 52: 67–71.

[SP10] Santos, R., & C. E. Prieto. 2010. Los Assamiidae (Opiliones: Assamiidae) de Río Muni (Guinea Ecuatorial), con la descripción de ocho nuevas especies. Revista de Biologia Tropical 58 (1): 203–243.

[S93] Selden, P. A. 1993. Arthropoda (Aglaspidida, Pycnogonida and Chelicerata). In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 297–320. Chapman & Hall: London.

[T94] Thorell, T. 1894. Förteckning öfver Arachnider från Java och närgränsande öar, insamlade af docenten D:r Carl Aurivillius; jemte beskrifingar å några sydasiatiska och sydamerikanska Spindlar. Bihang till K. Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 20 pt 4 (4): 1–63.

[V09] Verdcourt, B. (ed.) 2009. Additions to the Wild Fauna and Flora of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. XXVI. Miscellaneous records. Kew Bulletin 64 (1): 183–194.

[WS02] Whitmore, C., R. Slotov, T. E. Crouch & A. S. Dippenaar-Schoeman. 2002. Diversity of spiders (Araneae) in a savanna reserve, Northern Province, South Africa. Journal of Arachnology 30 (2): 344–356.

[Y95] Yen, A. L. 1995. Australian spiders: an opportunity for conservation. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 52: 39–47.

[ZZ08] Zhu, M.-S., & R. Zhang. 2008. Revision of the theraphosid spiders from China (Araneae: Mygalomorphae). Journal of Arachnology 36 (2): 425–447.

Last updated: 12 October 2019.