''Guyruita metallophila'' is a
tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...
in the genus ''
Guyruita
''Guyruita'' is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by J. P. L. Guadanucci in 2007.
Species
it contains six species, found in Venezuela and Brazil:
*'' Guyruita atlantica'' Guadanucci, Lucas, Indicatti & Yamamoto, 2007 ...
''; it was first described by Rafael Fonseca-Ferreira, Robson de Almeida Zampaulo, José Paulo Leite Guadanucci in 2017. This tarantula is found in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Pará
Pará is a state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest are the borders of Guyana ...
in
Curionópolis
Curionópolis is a municipality in the state of Pará in the Northern region of Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At ...
. It is named after the common
vegetation
Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characte ...
in
ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron ore compound from which iron (Fe) can be smelted commercially. Not to be con ...
deposits, as in the area investigated, it was the most common
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
.
Description
This species has dark horizontal lines on the abdomen like the ''
Guyruita cerrado
''Guyruita cerrado'' is a species of spider in the genus ''Guyruita''. The species has originally been described by José P.L. Guadanucci, Sylvia M. Lucas, Rafael P. Indicatti and Flávio U. Yamamoto.Guyruita cerrado Guadanucci, Lucas, Indic ...
''
tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...
, which they can be identified by. Its
carapace and legs are a light brown. These
tarantulas
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...
have a
troglophile
Troglofauna are small cave-dwelling animals that have adapted to their dark surroundings. Troglofauna and stygofauna are the two types of subterranean fauna (based on life-history). Both are associated with subterranean environments – troglofau ...
behavior, and are usually found in
ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron ore compound from which iron (Fe) can be smelted commercially. Not to be con ...
deposits.
Habitat
These
tarantulas
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...
are found in
ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron ore compound from which iron (Fe) can be smelted commercially. Not to be con ...
deposits in the
Carajás region, where its mostly forest, and the others are rocky fields. where most
caves
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
where in a superficial level, with a bit of superficial dirt. During the dry seasons this caves don't have any drip spots, but in the wet season there is.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q60433714
Spiders described in 2017
Theraphosidae