Brachypelma fossorium

Brachypelma fossorium
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Subphylum:Chelicerata
Class:Arachnida
Order:Araneae
Infraorder:Mygalomorphae
Family:Theraphosidae
Genus:Brachypelma
Species: B. fossorium
Binomial name
Brachypelma fossorium
Valerio, 1980[1]

Brachypelma fossorium is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas), native to Costa Rica.

Description

Brachypelma fossorium is the smallest of the Brachypelma species found in Costa Rica. The cephalothorax is less than 18 mm long: 14 mm in the holotype male and 16 mm in the paratype female. The fourth leg is the longest: 43 mm in the holotype male and 54 mm in the paratype female. The body and legs are covered with reddish brown hairs (setae). The "brush" of hairs (scopula) on the metatarsus of the fourth leg is short, limited to the third furthest from the body. The male's palpal bulb is less than 4 mm long; the spermatheca of the female is of a similar width. Females have larger chelicerae than males with projections ("thorns") on the front.[2]

Taxonomy

Brachypelma fossorium was first described by Carlos Valerio in 1980, as Brachypelma fossoria.[1] The specific name refers to the "fossorial" or burrowing habits of the species.[2] The specific name was corrected to fossorium by Günter Schmidt in 1992,[3] as Brachypelma is neuter in gender.

Distribution and habitat

Brachypelma fossorium is found in the Guanacaste Province in Costa Rica, along the north-west Pacific coast of the country. It is found in grasslands in dry tropical areas. The female described by Valerio was collected from a horizontal burrow which it shared with several juveniles. The relatively large chelicerae of the females and the projections on them may be connected to their burrowing habit.[2]

Conservation

All species of Brachypelma, including B. fossorium, were placed on CITES Appendix II in 1994, thus restricting trade.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Taxon details Brachypelma fossorium Valerio, 1980", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2017-09-30
  2. 1 2 3 Valerio, C.E. (1980), "Arañas terafosidas de Costa Rica (Araneae, Theraphosidae). I. Sericopelma y Brachypelma", Brenesia (in Spanish), 18: 259–288
  3. ↑ Schmidt, G. (1992), "Brachypelma Simon 1890 oder Euathlus Ausserer 1875? (Araneida: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae)", Arachnologischer Anzeiger (in German), 3 (1): 9–11
  4. ↑ "Brachypelma smithi (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897): Documents", Species+, UNEP-WCMC & CITES Secretariat, retrieved 2017-09-22
  • Hijmensen, Eddy (2011), "Brachypelma fossorium", mantid.nl, retrieved 2017-10-05 – photographs taken in the wild
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