Tapinauchenius is a genus of tarantulas (family Theraphosidae) that was first described by Anton Ausserer in 1871. The name is a combination of the Greek , meaning "low", and , meaning "neck". In 2022, the genus Pseudoclamoris was transferred to Tapinauchenius.
Description
They have true iridescent colors that change based on the amount of light and viewing angle. They are relatively small compared to sister genus Psalmopoeus, averaging about long. They lack urticating hairs and are arboreal, often found in tree cavities. Many species have "dimples" on the abdomen, but this feature is not universal. Although their behavior is defensive, they lack both urticating hairs and the ability to stridulate, giving them a very mild venom. Their egg sacs can contain up to 200 spiderlings.
Diagnosis They differ from all of the other Psalmopoeinae genera by the lack of stridulatory organs in the palpal coxa, and from Ephebopus by the lack of urticating hairs on palpal femora. The species of this genus also lacks ontogenetic pattern change, in other words, juveniles are uniformly colored, as compared to other genus, in which juveniles have a different pattern than adults.
Species The genus Tapinauchenius was erected by Anton Ausserer in 1871 for the species Tapinauchenius plumipes, first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1842 in the genus Mygale and then moved by him to the genus Eurypelma. it contains nine species, found only in South America and the Caribbean: Tapinauchenius brunneus Schmidt, 1995 – Brazil Tapinauchenius cupreus Schmidt & Bauer, 1996 – Ecuador Tapinauchenius gretae Cifuentes & Bertani, 2022 – Brazil Tapinauchenius herrerai Gabriel & Sherwood, 2022 - Panama Tapinauchenius latipes L. Koch, 1875 – Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana Tapinauchenius plumipes (C. L. Koch, 1842) (type) – Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil Tapinauchenius polybotes Hüsser, 2018 – Lesser Antilles (St. Lucia) Tapinauchenius rasti Hüsser, 2018 – Lesser Antilles (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) Tapinauchenius sanctivincenti (Walckenaer, 1837) – St. Vincent
In synonymy Tapinauchenius concolor (Caporiacco, 1947) = Tapinauchenius plumipes Tapinauchenius deborri (Becker, 1879) = Tapinauchenius plumipes Tapinauchenius gigas (Caporiacco, 1954) = Tapinauchenius plumipes Tapinauchenius purpureus Schmidt, 1995 = Tapinauchenius plumipes Tapinauchenius violaceus (Mello-Leitão, 1930) = Tapinauchenius plumipes
Nomen dubium Tapinauchenius caerulescens Simon, 1891 - United States Tapinauchenius subcaeruleus Bauer & Antonelli, 1997 - Ecuador Tapinauchenius texensis Simon, 1891 - United States
Transferred to other genera Tapinauchenius elenae Schmidt, 1994 → Amazonius elenae Tapinauchenius grossus (Ausserer, 1871) → Grammostola grossa
Pet ownership
This genus is well known by hobbyists for their incredible speed and striking coloration, but is not recommended for inexperienced owners. They are extremely skittish and defensive, and combined with their speed, handling them is not recommended. They thrive in environments that mimic the tropics, with a temperature from and a relative humidity of 70% to 85%. The height of their enclosure is more important than floor space, preferring of height and at least of floor space. They prefer organic potting soil with the wood removed, though similar substrates can be substituted. Their diet consists of crickets, roaches, worms, or generic tarantula food, and most need a shallow dish of water or occasional misting. With proper care, these spiders can live for up to eighteen years.
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