Poecilotheria fasciata

{{Speciesbox

| name = Sri Lanka ornamental tarantula

| taxon = Poecilotheria fasciata

| image = Národní muzeum 9490-1.jpg

| image_caption = Specimen in the Národní museum

| status = CITES_A2

| status_system = CITES

| status_ref = {{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}

| authority = (Latreille, 1804)

| range_map =

| synonyms = *Mygale fasciata Latreille, 1804

Scurria fasciata (Latreille, 1804)

| synonyms_ref =

}}

Poecilotheria fasciata, the Sri Lanka ornamental or Sri Lanka ornamental tiger spider,{{Federal Register|83|36755}} is a large arboreal tarantula. It is endemic to central Sri Lanka.

Size

Females have a body length of 45 to 50 mm, whereas males are smaller, usually 32–35 mm.{{cite book |last=Schmidt |first=G. |date=2003 |title=Die Vogelspinnen: Eine weltweite Übersicht |publisher=Neue Brehm-Bücherei |location=Hohenwarsleben |language=de |via=World Spider Catalog}} p. 246.

Identification

Poecilotheria fasciata can be identified from other tiger spiders due to very narrow dark band on the femur of first pair of legs and by thin broken band on femur of fourth pair of legs.{{cite book|author=Nanayakkara, Ranil P.|year=2014|title= Tiger Spiders Poecilotheria of Sri Lanka |publisher=Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environmental & Renewable Energy |location= Colombo |pages= 167|isbn= 978-955-0033-58-4}}

=Female=

Dorsally black, white and grey cryptic markings all over the legs and body. Carapace has two black lines. Opisthosoma has a light grey foliate median band runs the entire length of opisthosoma. Inside large foliate markings, there is a slightly darker median band.

Ventrally body is black. First and second leg pairs possess identical markings, which have yellow color bands. Third leg pair has bluish grey femur with a proximal black patch. Patella is blue grey with a thin black band distally. Fourth leg pair has bluish grey femur with a thin black band.

=Male=

Dorsally uniform brown colored with less intense markings. Opisthosoma has a dark median black line divided by distinct diamond-shaped chevrons.

All four pairs of legs are identically marked as female but with slight variations.

Ecology

Found in dry zone and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka. Mostly abundant in tree hollows, tree barks, coconut trees, banana plantations and sometimes in human dwellings. Male is nomadic, whereas female is not. When disturbed, they are very defensive and nimble.

Conservation

P. fasciata was listed as an endangered species for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2018. The major factor cited in support of the designation was habitat loss within this species' small area of occupancy (less than {{convert|500|km2|mi2|disp=or}}), worsened by collection for the pet trade, use of pesticides, killing out of fear, climate change and random effects.{{rp|36764–36767}}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web |title=Taxon details Poecilotheria fasciata (Latreille, 1804) |work=World Spider Catalog |publisher=Natural History Museum Bern |url=https://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/species/37821 |accessdate=29 February 2016 }}

}}

External links

{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20020430073249/http://www.bighairyspiders.com/ornata.shtml bighairyspiders.com, Fringed ornamental (Poecilotheria ornata)]}}
[http://arachnophiliac.info/burrow/caresheets/poecilotheria_fasciata.htm Arachnids.info]
[http://www.thespiderdiaries.co.uk/content/view/109/2/ Spider diaries]
[https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=865616 Itis.org]

fasciata

Category:Spiders of Asia

Category:Endemic fauna of Sri Lanka

Category:Spiders described in 1804

Category:ESA endangered species