Theraphosa#Species
{{Short description| Genus of spiders}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| taxon = Theraphosa
| image = Theraphosa_blondi_MHNT.jpg
| image_caption = Female Theraphosa blondi
| authority = Walckenaer, 1805
| type_species = T. blondi
| type_species_authority = (Latreille, 1804)
| synonyms = *Pseudotheraphosa Tinter, 1991{{cite journal| last=Bertani| first=R.| year=2001| title=Revision, cladistic analysis, and zoogeography of Vitalius, Nhandu, and Proshapalopus; with notes on other theraphosine genera (Araneae, Theraphosidae)| journal=Arquivos de Zoologia| volume=36| page=316}}
- Theraphosia Dahl, 1901
}}
Theraphosa is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1805. The Theraphosa spiders are some of the largest known to science. {{as of|2020|05}} it contains three species, found in Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia.{{cite journal| title=Gen. Theraphosa Walckenaer, 1805| website=World Spider Catalog Version 20.0| access-date=2020-06-08| year=2020| publisher=Natural History Museum Bern| url=http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/genus/3433| doi=10.24436/2| last1=Gloor| first1=Daniel| last2=Nentwig| first2=Wolfgang| last3=Blick| first3=Theo| last4=Kropf| first4=Christian}} They stridulate by rubbing setae on their pedipalps and legs.
Diagnostic
Tarantulas of this genus are characterized by their large size, and the lack of long hairs in the patella and tibia sections of the legs. It can also be further distinguished by the presence of stridulating hairs on the prolateral coxae 1 and 2. Females also own a unique single spermatheca.{{Cite journal |last1=Almeida |first1=Marlus Queiroz |last2=Salvatierra |first2=Lidianne |last3=Morais |first3=José Wellington de |date=2018-08-01 |title=First record of Theraphosa apophysis (Tinter, 1991) (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae) in Brazil |url=https://checklist.pensoft.net/article/26087/download/pdf/ |journal=Check List |language=en |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=647–650 |doi=10.15560/14.4.647 |s2cid=92277425 |issn=1809-127X |doi-access=free }}
Behavior
These tarantulas are found in holes in the ground, usually abandoned burrows, which they adopt and use as their own. They are usually found near rivers, and eat a great amount of invertebrates and very small vertebrates, such as small frogs and lizards.
Species
{{As of|2022|July}} the World Spider Catalog has accepted the following 3 species:{{Cite web |title=NMBE - World Spider Catalog |url=https://wsc.nmbe.ch/genus/3433/Theraphosa |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=wsc.nmbe.ch}}
- Theraphosa apophysis Tinter, 1991 - Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil
- Theraphosa blondi Latreille, 1804 - Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana
- Theraphosa stirmi Rudloff & Weinmann, 2010 - Guyana and Brazil
One species has been changed to the genus Sericopelma.
- Theraphosa panamanum Karsch, 1880 → Sericopelma panamanum
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060616024154/http://giantspiders.com/Theraphosa_species.html Genus information]
{{Taxonbar| from=Q134972}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Spiders of South America