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Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. [2] As of December 2023, 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. [3] The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although many other members of the same infraorder (Mygalomorphae) are commonly referred to as "tarantulas" or "false tarantulas".
Aphonopelma seemanni, the Costa Rican zebra tarantula, also known as the striped-knee tarantula, is a species of tarantula inhabiting most of western Costa Rica and other parts of Central America, such as Honduras and Nicaragua, and possibly Guatemala. [1]
Urticating hairs or urticating bristles are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, almost all New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. Urtica is Latin for "nettle" (stinging nettles are in the genus Urtica ), and bristles that urticate are characteristic of this type of plant, and many other plants in ...
It includes nearly all the North American tarantula species north of Mexico and a considerable percentage of the tarantula species that range into Central America. Most are fairly large tarantulas with leg spans of 6 in (16 cm) or more. Like most New World tarantulas, all species of Aphonopelma have urticating hairs. Despite their fearsome ...
The Mexican redleg or red-legged tarantula (Brachypelma emilia) is a species of terrestrial tarantula closely related to the famous Mexican redknee tarantula. Like the redknee it is a docile tarantula and popular in the pet trade. It is slow growing and, like many tarantulas, females can live for decades. [citation needed]
They are distinguished from true spiders by their two pairs of book lungs, vertically oriented chelicerae, and urticating setae. However, like all members of Psalmopoeus , P. irminia lack these urticating hairs but make up for it by having stronger venom compared to other New World tarantulas.
The hairs are extremely irritating to the skin and can rarely cause blindness if they get into the eye. Handling can also be dangerous to the tarantula - with terrestrial species such as L. parahybana, because they are so heavily bodied, a fall of more than a few inches can rupture the abdomen and severely injure or kill the tarantula.
As a defense against potential predators, and in common with many other New World tarantulas, the species of the genus Ephebopus will brush urticating hairs from their bodies. Uniquely, rather than being located on the abdomen, Ephebopus urticating hairs are located on the spider's palps - on the medial side of the palpal femora; [ 8 ] the ...