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''Brachypelma'' is a genus of spiders in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas). They may have bodies up to long with legs of similar or greater lengths. Some species have brightly colored legs, with red or orange marks and rings. The taxonomy of the genus and its species has been the subject of considerable debate. In 2020, the genus was split, with a group of species (the "red rump" tarantulas) being moved to a new genus, ''
Tliltocatl ''Tliltocatl'' is a genus of North American tarantulas that was split off from ''Brachypelma'' in 2020. They are also large burrowing tarantulas, but don't have the striking red leg markings of ''Brachypelma'' species. A female '' T. vagans'' can ...
''. As now
circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...
, the genus ''Brachypelma'' is found only in Mexico. Many species of both genera are popular with tarantula keepers as pets; the females in particular are long lived. All species are protected, and trade is regulated under CITES. Although they are bred in captivity, they continue to be exported in large numbers. Members of the reduced genus ''Brachypelma'' (the "red leg" group) are considered to be in most urgent need of further conservation efforts.


Description

Members of the family Theraphosidae, the tarantulas, to which ''Brachypelma'' belongs, are generally large compared to other spiders, and are commonly seen as "objects of dread". Tarantulas do not use webs for capturing their prey, relying on their venom and their size and strength. ''Brachypelma'' species are noted for their large size, colorfulness and docility in captivity. Larger species of ''Brachypelma'', such as '' B. smithi'', have body lengths in the approximate range with legs up to long. Females on average have longer bodies than males but shorter legs. Species have bright red markings on their legs. '' B. boehmei'' has been described as the "most gorgeous" species of the genus. The parts of the legs closest to the body are black, then three segments (the patellae, tibiae and metatarsi) are bright orange-yellow, followed by black tarsi. Although brightly colored, ''Brachypelma'' species are
cryptic Cryptic may refer to: In science: * Cryptic species complex, a group of species that are very difficult to distinguish from one another * Crypsis, the ability of animals to blend in to avoid observation * Cryptic era, earliest period of the Earth ...
when in their native habitat.


Diagnosis

The distribution of hairs on the legs and palp and the shape of the male and female genitalia are the diagnostic features of the genus. In common with species of ''
Tliltocatl ''Tliltocatl'' is a genus of North American tarantulas that was split off from ''Brachypelma'' in 2020. They are also large burrowing tarantulas, but don't have the striking red leg markings of ''Brachypelma'' species. A female '' T. vagans'' can ...
'', the
prolateral This glossary describes the terms used in formal descriptions of spiders; where applicable these terms are used in describing other arachnids. Links within the glossary are shown . Terms A Abdomen or opisthosoma: One of the two main body part ...
(forward facing) surface of the trochanter and femur of the first leg and the retrolateral surface of the pedipalp have plumose hairs, and there is no pad of plumose hairs on the femur of the fourth leg. The male palpal bulb has a flattened, spoon-shaped embolus; females have fused spermathecae, with a flat cross-section. ''Brachypelma'' can be distinguished from ''Tliltocatl'' by presence of the red or orange patterns on the legs of all species except ''B. albiceps'', which can be recognized by the golden yellow
carapace A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...
. ''Brachypelma'' species lack spines on the
patellae The patella, also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in many tetrapods, such as ...
of the pedipalps and legs, unlike ''Tliltocatl'' species. The shape of the genitalia differs between the genera; the apex of the male palpal bulb is shorter in ''Brachypelma'' and the female spermatheca baseplate is more strongly developed and hardened. File:Brachypelma boehmei - female ahead.jpg, ''Brachypelma boehmei'' File:Brachypelma cf. sabulosum.jpg, ''Tliltocatl'' cf. ''sabulosum''


Life history

All the species of ''Brachypelma'' that have been studied in detail live in burrows. These have a single entrance, a little larger than the spider, opening into a horizontal tunnel that usually leads to two chambers: one where it molts and one where it rests and consumes its prey. The entrance is blocked with material, such as soil and leaves, bound together by silk when the spider is inactive for significant length of time; otherwise the entrance is open with some silk visible. North American tarantulas like ''Brachypelma'' are "sit and wait" predators, seizing prey passing by the burrow entrance. Compared to related genera, ''Brachypelma'' species are long-lived. The maximum life-span recorded in two Berlin zoos was 12 years for ''Brachypelma annitha'' (now a synonym of ''B. smithi''). In the wild, females take around 9–10 years to reach maturity, but can then live for another 10 years. Males can take 7–8 years to reach maturity, afterwards usually dying within a year, probably because when mature they actively seek mates and rarely feed while doing so, whereas females remain around their burrows. Studies on species in the wild showed that pre-adult and adult spiders molt towards the end of the dry season, which lasts from June to November. After their last molt, adult males search for females, travelling in the daytime, particularly in the morning and evening. Females produce an egg sac before they molt. The eggs hatch a few weeks before the rainy season begins. The spiderlings molt every two weeks for the first few months, then less frequently as they mature. A full-grown ''Brachypelma'' may molt as infrequently as once a year.


Taxonomy

The genus ''Brachypelma'' was erected by
Eugène Simon Eugène Louis Simon (; 30 April 1848 – 17 November 1924) was a French naturalist who worked particularly on insects and spiders, but also on birds and plants. He is by far the most prolific spider taxonomist in history, describing over 4, ...
in 1891 for the species ''Mygale emilia'', originally described in 1856. ''Brachypelma'' is derived from the Greek (brachys), meaning 'short' and (pelma) meaning 'the sole of the foot'. However,
arachnologists Arachnology is the scientific study of arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, and harvestmen. Those who study spiders and other arachnids are arachnologists. More narrowly, the study of sp ...
have conventionally taken ''pelma'' to refer to the tarsal scopula, producing the overall meaning '(with) short scopula'. (See also Tarantula § The element ''pelma'' in genus names.) The genus has not always been recognized. In 1897, Frederick Pickard-Cambridge considered ''Brachypelma'' to be a synonym of ''Eurypelma'', regarding the two as not distinct from one another. (''Eurypelma'' is now a synonym of '' Avicularia''.) In 1903,
Reginald Pocock Reginald Innes Pocock F.R.S. (4 March 1863 – 9 August 1947) was a British zoologist. Pocock was born in Clifton, Bristol, the fourth son of Rev. Nicholas Pocock and Edith Prichard. He began showing interest in natural history at St. Edward ...
recognized ''Brachypelma'', listing four species and noting that there were more. Other arachnologists, like
Robert Raven Robert John Raven is an Australian arachnologist, being the Head of Terrestrial Biodiversity and the Senior Curator (Arachnida) at the Queensland Museum. Dr Raven has described many species of spider in Australia and elsewhere, and is spider bit ...
in his 1985 monograph of Mygalomorphae, treated ''Brachypelma'' as a synonym of ''
Euathlus ''Euathlus'' is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by Anton Ausserer in 1875. These spiders are medium sized and are usually found in high elevations in the Andes. It is a senior synonym of ''Paraphysa'', and was former ...
''. In 1992, Günter Schmidt clarified the difference between ''Euathlus'' and ''Brachypelma'', resulting in the latter's acceptance as a distinct genus. The genus ''Brachypelmides'', erected by Schmidt and Krause in 1994, is considered a synonym of ''Brachypelma'' by some sources, including the World Spider Catalog, although this has been rejected by Schmidt. When broadly defined, ''Brachypelma'' is distinguished from related genera by the plumose setae (hairs) on the
prolateral This glossary describes the terms used in formal descriptions of spiders; where applicable these terms are used in describing other arachnids. Links within the glossary are shown . Terms A Abdomen or opisthosoma: One of the two main body part ...
(forward-facing) side of the trochanter and femur of the first leg and on the retrolateral (outward-facing) side of the pedipalp. A 2017 study concluded that the genus ''Brachypelma'' as then
circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...
was not
monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
, and that only eight "red leg" species belong in ''Brachypelma'' sensu stricto, the remaining species (the "red rump" group) being misplaced. In 2020, they were transferred to the new genus ''
Tliltocatl ''Tliltocatl'' is a genus of North American tarantulas that was split off from ''Brachypelma'' in 2020. They are also large burrowing tarantulas, but don't have the striking red leg markings of ''Brachypelma'' species. A female '' T. vagans'' can ...
''.


DNA barcoding

In 2017, Mendoza and Francke applied DNA barcoding to some Mexican species of ''Brachypelma''. In this approach, a portion of about 650
base pair A base pair (bp) is a fundamental unit of double-stranded nucleic acids consisting of two nucleobases bound to each other by hydrogen bonds. They form the building blocks of the DNA double helix and contribute to the folded structure of both DNA ...
s of the
mitochondrial A mitochondrion (; ) is an organelle found in the cells of most Eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is use ...
gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) is used, primarily to identify existing species, but also sometimes to support a separation between species. One cladogram resulting from the DNA barcodes is shown below. Although ''B. hamorii'' and ''B. smithi'' are very similar in external appearance and have not always been treated as separate species, they are clearly distinguished by their DNA barcodes. All the species in the cladogram below belong to ''Brachypelma''
sensu stricto ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...
(the "red leg" group).


Phylogeny

In 2017, Steven Turner and colleagues reported on a phylogenetic analysis of the family Theraphosidae based on
mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial D ...
. A cladogram based on Bayesian analysis of a sample within their proposed tribe Theraphosini is shown below, with current genus names added. The cladogram shows that the genus ''Brachypelma'' as then circumscribed was not
monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
, but fell into two distinct
clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
s. All analyses supported the view that ''Brachypelma'' (along with ''Aphonopelma'') was made up of deeply divergent subgroups. Detailed analysis further suggested that the species in the "red rump" group were closely related, with several supposed species, particularly those labeled "''Brachypelma vagans''" (now ''
Tliltocatl vagans ''Tliltocatl vagans'' (synonym ''Brachypelma vagans'') is a species of tarantula known commonly as the Mexican red rump. It ranges predominantly in Mexico (including the Yucatán Peninsula), but is also found in Central America. They are terrest ...
'') not being monophyletic. The authors cautioned that the necessary use of specimens obtained through the commercial pet trade meant that their exact geographical origins were often unknown, leading to uncertainty as to their identification. Subsequently, a new genus ''Tliltocatl'', was erected for the "red rump" group.


Species

, the World Spider Catalog accepted only the species listed below. All other species formerly placed in ''Brachypelma'' have been transferred to other genera, most to ''
Tliltocatl ''Tliltocatl'' is a genus of North American tarantulas that was split off from ''Brachypelma'' in 2020. They are also large burrowing tarantulas, but don't have the striking red leg markings of ''Brachypelma'' species. A female '' T. vagans'' can ...
''. *''
Brachypelma albiceps ''Brachypelma albiceps'' is a species of spider in the tarantula family, Theraphosidae. It is known as the Mexican golden red rump tarantula or the Amula red rump tarantula. The carapace is a light golden color and the abdomen dark, covered with ...
'' Pocock, 1903 – Mexico *'' Brachypelma auratum'' Schmidt, 1992 – Mexico *''
Brachypelma baumgarteni ''Brachypelma baumgarteni'' (also called Mexican orange beauty) is a tarantula endemic to Pacific coast of Michoacan, Mexico. Description It is similar to '' B. klaasi'', but it has more reddish patellae. ''B. baumgarteni'' was thoug ...
'' Smith, 1993 – Mexico *''
Brachypelma boehmei ''Brachypelma boehmei'' (also known as the Mexican fireleg, or the Mexican rustleg tarantula) is a tarantula native to Mexico in Guerrero state. These long-lived tarantulas prefer burrowing and hiding in dry scrubland. As with all closely related ...
'' Schmidt & Klaas, 1993 – Mexico *''
Brachypelma emilia The Mexican redleg or red-legged tarantula (''Brachypelma emilia'') is a species of terrestrial tarantula closely related to the famous Mexican redknee tarantula. Like the redknee it is a docile tarantula and popular in the pet trade. It is sl ...
'' (White, 1856) ( type species) – Mexico *'' Brachypelma hamorii'' Tesmoingt, Cleton & Verdez, 1997 – Mexico *'' Brachypelma klaasi'' (Schmidt & Krause, 1994) – Mexico *''
Brachypelma smithi ''Brachypelma smithi'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas) native to Mexico. It has been confused with ''Brachypelma hamorii''; both have been called Mexican redknee tarantulas. Mexican redknee tarantulas are a popular ...
'' (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897) – Mexico Two species have been moved to the genus '' Sericopelma'': *''Brachypelma angustum'' Valerio, 1980 → ''
Sericopelma angustum ''Sericopelma angustum'', is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae found in Costa Rica The species was formerly included in the genus ''Brachypelma ''Brachypelma'' is a genus of spiders in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas). They ...
'' *''Brachypelma embrithes'' (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936) → '' Sericopelma embrithes''


Distribution

All the species remaining in ''Brachypelma'' are found in Mexico. Within Mexico, the largest number of species are found along the Pacific coast. The majority of species are restricted to small endemic ranges in this area. There is uncertainty over both the distribution of some ''Brachypelma'' species and their identity. Stuart Longhorn has criticized several arachnologists, including Günter Schmidt, for describing new species based on pet-trade specimens without accurate locations, resulting in vague or inaccurate distributions. He argues that locality information is vital for "scientific rigor", since without it important questions relating to the identity of species cannot be answered. Steven Turner and colleagues have also noted difficulties in identification resulting from the use of imprecisely sourced pet-trade specimens.


Conservation

Habitat destruction and collection for the pet trade have led to these spiders being among the few arthropods protected under international Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species rules. In 1985, ''B. smithi'' (then not distinguished from ''B. hamorii'') was placed on CITES Appendix II, and in 1994, all remaining ''Brachypelma'' species were added. Large numbers of Mexican tarantulas caught in the wild continue to be smuggled out of Mexico. It is reported that at least 3,000 specimens of Mexican tarantulas were sent to the United States or Europe a few years prior to 2017, most of which were Mexican red knee tarantulas (''B. hamorii'' and ''B. smithi''). Turner and colleagues suggest that members of ''Brachypelma'' s.s. (their "red leg" group), which have small ranges and are slow to mature and reproduce, should be the focus of urgent conservation measures, with threats to species in the genus ''Tliltocatl'' (their "red rump" group) possibly being downgraded.


In captivity

''Brachypelma'' species are docile tarantulas which are easy to keep in a terrarium. The best-known species in this genus are the Mexican red knee tarantulas '' B. hamorii'' and '' B. smithi'', as well as ''B. boehmi'', the Mexican fireleg. They feed on smaller invertebrates and occasionally vertebrates, but while insects are the norm, they may also eat
lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
s or frogs. These species, like most tarantulas, are cannibalistic, so in captivity, individuals must be kept alone, though brief captive introductions of a mate for breeding purposes can prove unproblematic, so long as they are separated once mating has occurred. Large spiders used in Hollywood movies (e.g.,
Indiana Jones ''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology, that began in 1981 with the film '' Raiders of the Lost Ark''. In 1984, a prequel, '' Th ...
series, '' The Mummy Returns'') are often ''Brachypelma hamorii'' or ''Brachypelma emilia'' because they are very docile, though the much less expensive and only moderately more aggressive Chilean rose tarantula is frequently used, as well. While it is almost unheard of for a ''Brachypelma'' to bite a human, they are quick to kick urticating hairs in self-defense, though their hairs can be less irritating than those of other species, especially the goliath birdeater.


See also

*
Pinktoe tarantula ''Avicularia avicularia'', sometimes called the pinktoe tarantula, is a species of tarantula native from Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago to Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. This species is sometimes called the Guyana p ...
* Chilean rose tarantula *'' Avicularia'' * Goliath birdeater *
Brazilian whiteknee tarantula The Brazilian whiteknee tarantula (''Acanthoscurria geniculata'') is a species of tarantula from Brazil that is commonly kept as a pet. Distribution and habitat ''A. geniculata'' is native to the Amazon basin of northern Brazil. These tarantula ...
*
Cobalt blue tarantula The cobalt blue tarantula or ''Cyriopagopus lividus'' is a species of tarantula which is in the family Theraphosidae which is native to Myanmar and over the border into Thailand. It was originally described as ''Haplopelma lividum''. Descriptio ...


References


External links

*Hijmensen, Edd
The genus ''Brachypelma''
at http://mantid.nl
CITES Species databaseGallery of tarantulas, including 14 species of ''Brachypelma''Brachypelma.org: The diamonds of the desert
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134977 Theraphosidae Spiders of North America Spiders of Central America Spiders of South America Theraphosidae genera