Grammostola pulchripes

Grammostola pulchripes, females

Grammostola pulchripes is a tarantula species that is widespread in Paraguay and Argentina.

Features

The basic color of the spider is black with brown to ocher longer hair; it affects a total brown-black. At the patellae she wears depending on population beige to golden stripe, which is why it is referred to in pet shops now and again as the "gold knee tarantula ".

The species belongs to the so -called " Bombardier spiders ". It has strippable stinging hairs on the second half of the abdomen, which are used for lining the burrows and also provide protection from predators. In case of danger, the spider pulls off the hair with their hind legs. The stinging hairs are very fine and dense. Due to refraction of light they look very metallic.

The specimens described in the spring of 2001 by Schmidt and Bullmer are males with a body length of four inches. They were found near the city Residencia on the border between Argentina and Paraguay. It is assumed that the females can reach a body length of up to eight inches.

Behavior

The spider is one of the ground-dwelling species. She digs holes in the ground and these dresses with spider silk, there to carry out the brood and molting and pulls in colder periods in these caves back. Adult females spend most of the rest of her life in her burrow and feed on prey that pass near the cave. Younger animals and males roam in the warmer months around on the floor and find shelter under rocks, roots, pieces of bark and fall foliage.

System

R. Gabriel hit 2009 before a synonymisation described by Schmidt and Bullmer as G. aureostriata type 2001 Grammostola pulchripes. The name is now recognized by Platnick, and is therefore to be regarded as valid.