Aviculariinae

Pachistopelma rufonigrum

The Aviculariinae are a subfamily of arachnids. It is a subfamily within the family of tarantulas ( Theraphosidae ).

Features

They are mostly medium to large animals with a leg span of up to 23 centimeters (eg Avicularia huriana ). The tufts of hair under the Beißklauen are soft. The tarsi are thicker than metatarsals.

The animals of the genera Avicularia and Pachistopelma have stinging hairs on the abdomen, the genera Ephebopus have stinging hairs on the femora of the palps. The front row of eyes is strongly prokurv at Avicularia. The types of Pachistopelma have apophyses on the tibiae of the first run leg and a black extension of spines on the tibiae of the second run leg.

Behavior

It is up to the genus Ephebopus to arboreal species. You can run fast and jump far with outstretched limbs. You have additional hair padding on the buttons that make up a large area in flight, thus reducing the rate of fall. Their nests they spin with spin silk and often build an even pieces of bark and leaves. Some seek shelter as well as knotholes or the funnel of bromeliads ( for example, some Avicularia species).

They are considered defensive types. In Errors occur very quickly back to their burrow or cavity. If they are provoked, they stretch an initially the abdomen with the fit of the stinging hairs contrary. If they have no chance to escape, they usually hit only three or four times with its front legs and the buttons after the attackers before they bite.

Dissemination

The distribution of Aviculariinae is on the American southern continent. The species live in the plants and trees. In the same area there is the subfamilies Theraphosinae (Bombardier spiders), and Ischnocolinae Selenocosmiinae.

System

The systematics of Aviculariinae is highly debated in the professional world. In particular, the classification of the genera and Psalmopoeus Tapinauchenius in this subfamily was controversial. In contrast to the other two genera of the subfamily Aviculariinae tarantulas these genera do not have stinging hairs. Ephebopus also does not have stinging hairs on the Opsthosoma. Robert J. Raven has the genus Psalmopoeus placed in the subfamily Selenocosmiinae in 1985. Other tarantulas taxonomists (eg Bertani, Wirth ) suspect due to phylogenetic studies indicate that the genera Psalmopoeus and Tapinauchenius are much more closely related eg Poecilotheria and Chilobrachys as with the genera Avicularia and Ephebopus.

The German biologist and tarantulas systematic Gunter EW Schmidt still left the genus Psalmopoeus in his description of P. langenbucheri the end of 2006 in the subfamily Aviculariinae, but was already the first hint that you might consider placing them in a separate subfamily. In May 2008, Günter Schmidt and R. Samm Psalmopoeus and Tapinauchenius presented in a new subfamily Sinurticantinae, which in 2010 was renamed from nomenclatural reasons Psalmopoeinae.

The Aviculariinae include three genera with about 40 species. The genus Pachistopelma has only two species. The Ephobopus species belong to the ground-dwelling species. The genus Avicularia summarizes many species (about 50). The classification of some species is controversial, since it Raven 1985 found as synonyms for Eurypelma, resulted in the revision of the genus to that now - Eurypelma include species that actually belong to another taxon.

  • Avicularia
  • Ephebopus
  • Pachistopelma

Avicularia versicolor.

Ephebopus cyanognathus.

Avicularia purpurea.

Pictures of Aviculariinae

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