Chilocosmia is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Schmidt & von Wirth in 1992. The genus was considered a junior synonym of Orphnaecus in 2012, but was re-classified as its own genus in 2025. It is a monotypic genus containing the single species, Chilocosmia dichromata.
Taxonomy This species was originally described as Chilocosmia dichromata by Schmidt & von Wirth, in 1992. In 2005, Peters changed the name to Selenocosmia dichromatus,Orphnaecus dichromatus Schmidt & von Wirth, 1991. World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum of Bern. Retrieved February 28, 2016. and in 2012, West, Nunn & Hogg placed Chilocosmia (along with C. dichromatus) as a junior synonym of Orphnaecus, creating the combination Orphnaecus dichromatus.West, R. C., Nunn, S. C. & Hogg, S. (2012). A new tarantula genus, Psednocnemis, from west Malaysia (Araneae: Theraphosidae), with cladistic analysis and biogeography of Selenocosmiinae Simon 1889. Zootaxa 3299: 1-43 In 2025, Acuña, et al., found the genera sufficiently different to remain separate, re-classifying the species as Chilocosmia dichromata.
Characteristics C. dichromata has 10 large (and some small) teeth on the chelicerae in a row. It also has 4-5 rows of strikers (also on the chelicerae), that are basally thickest and longest. The 3 rows 10 unequal coxal strikers are clavate (scimitar shaped) and arranged in a semicircular shape. The cephalothorax, coxae and trochanter are reddish-brown and the abdomen and other leg segments are brown.Schmidt, G. & Wirth, V. von (1992b). Beschreibung des Weibchens von Chilocosmia dichromata gen.n. sp.n. und des Männchens von Chilocosmia arndsti (Schmidt & von Wirth) 1991 (Araneida: Theraphosidae: Selenocosmiinae). Arachnologischer Anzeiger 3(11): 9-16.
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