''Cyriopagopus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

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 ...

found from

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. , the genus includes species formerly placed in ''Haplopelma''. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1887.

Description

The species formerly placed in ''Haplopelma'' are medium to large spiders; for example, ''

Cyriopagopus schmidti ''Cyriopagopus schmidti'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas), found in China and Vietnam. It is one of a number of species known as "Chinese bird spider" and "Chinese earth tiger". ''Haplopelma huwenum'' was synonymi ...

'' females have a total body length, including

chelicerae The chelicerae () are the mouthparts of the subphylum Chelicerata, an arthropod group that includes arachnids, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. Commonly referred to as " jaws", chelicerae may be shaped as either articulated fangs, or similarl ...

, up to , with the longest leg, the first, being about long. The carapace (upper surface of the

cephalothorax The cephalothorax, also called prosoma in some groups, is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. (The terms ''prosoma'' and ''opisthosoma'' are equivalent to ''cepha ...

) is generally dark brown. They have eight eyes grouped on a distinctly raised portion of the cephalothorax, forming a "tubercle". The forward-facing (prolateral) sides of the

maxilla The maxilla (plural: ''maxillae'' ) in vertebrates is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. T ...

e have "thorns", which act as a stridulating organ. The first leg is usually the longest, followed by the fourth, second, and third. Mature females have an M-shaped spermatheca. Mature males have a spur on the forward-facing sides of the tibiae of the first pair of legs and a pear-shaped palpal bulb with a wide, curved embolus.

Taxonomy

The nomenclature of a group of theraphosid genera from South and Southeast Asia, including ''Cyriopagopus'', ''Haplopelma'', ''

Lampropelma ''Lampropelma'' is a genus of Indonesian tarantulas that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1892. it contains two species, found in Indonesia. Diagnosis They can be distinguished from '' Phormingochilus'' and '' Omothymus'' though ...

'', ''

Omothymus ''Omothymus'' is a genus of spiders in the family Theraphosidae, found in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Description This genus can be distinguished from others thanks to their reproductive organs. They can be distinguished from ''Phormi ...

'', and ''

Phormingochilus ''Phormingochilus'' is a genus of Indonesian tarantulas that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1895. They are occasionally kept as exotic pets, and are known for moving in bursts of speed and being defensive when cornered. Diagnosi ...

'', is somewhat confused. The status of the genera has changed several times recently, and species have been moved from one genus to another. Currently, ''Haplopelma'' is considered to be a junior

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are al ...

of ''Cyriopagopus'', and ''Melopoeus'' of ''Haplopelma'', hence of ''Cyriopagopus'', but this may change. The genus ''Cyriopagopus'' 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 1887 for the species ''

Cyriopagopus paganus ''Cyriopagopus paganus'' is a tarantula which was first described by Eugène Simon in 1887. They can be found in Thailand Vietnam, and Myanmar. They are burrowers, being found in this area, inside their burrows, waiting for prey. Description ...

'' from

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

. In 1985,

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 ...

made ''Cyriopagopus'' the senior synonym of ''Melognathus'' Chamberlin, 1917. In 1890,

Tamerlan Thorell Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell (3 May 1830 – 22 December 1901) was a Swedish arachnologist. Thorell studied spiders with Giacomo Doria at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale de Genoa. He corresponded with other arachnologists, such as Octaviu ...

described a species of spider under the name ''Selenocosmia doriae''. In 1892, Eugène Simon decided that this species was sufficiently different from others placed in the genus ''

Selenocosmia ''Selenocosmia'' is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Anton Ausserer in 1871. The genus is found in China, New Guinea, Indonesia, Australia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, India and Pakistan. They are ...

'' to warrant a new genus, ''Haplopelma'', with one species, ''Haplopelma doriae''. Raven in 1985 also decided that ''Haplopelma'' was the senior synonym of ''Melopoeus'' Pocock, 1895. A. M. Smith studied the

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes th ...

of ''Cyriopagopus paganus'' (the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specim ...

of ''Cyriopagopus'') and decided that it had the key characteristics of ''Haplopelma'', making ''Cyriopagopus'' the senior synonym of ''Haplopelma''. This analysis is accepted by the

World Spider Catalog The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...

, with the comment that "''Haplopelma'', ''Cyriopagopus'', ''Melopoeus'', and other ornithoctonine genera are in urgent need of revision".

Distribution and habitat

The genus is found in Southeast Asia (China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore), Borneo, and the Philippines. Species that have been studied live in underground, silk-lined tubes, often with a surrounding web of radiating signal threads. They may be found in small colonies at the base of trees or bamboos. Some species favour steep, south-facing slopes.

Toxicity

Like all Old World tarantulas, spiders in the genus ''Cyriopagopus'' lack the

urticating hair Urticating hairs or urticating bristles are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, almost all New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. ''Urtica'' is Latin for "nettle" (stinging nettles are in the genu ...

s found in their

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

counterparts, hence use biting as a primary means of both attack and defence. Some ''Cyriopagopus'' species are among those reported to have more toxic venom. Although bites may cause severe pain and a range of other effects, no fatalities are known. ''

Cyriopagopus lividus 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 ...

'', '' C. hainanus'', and '' C. schmidti'' (under its synonym ''Selenocosmia huwena'') have had their venom characterized. The last two produce

hainantoxin Hainantoxins (HNTX) are neurotoxins from the venom of the Chinese bird spider '' Haplopelma hainanum''. Hainantoxins specifically inhibit tetrodotoxin-sensitive Voltage-gated sodium channels, thereby causing blockage of neuromuscular transmission an ...

s and huwentoxins, respectively. The large fangs can produce

puncture wound Penetrating trauma is an open wound injury that occurs when an object pierces the skin and enters a tissue of the body, creating a deep but relatively narrow entry wound. In contrast, a blunt or ''non-penetrating'' trauma may have some deep d ...

s which are susceptible to

bacterial infection Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria that can cause disease. This article focuses on the bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. Most species of bacteria are harmless and are often beneficial but others can cause infectious diseases. The number ...

if not treated properly.

Species

it contains nine species, found in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

: *'' Cyriopagopus albostriatus'' (Simon, 1886) –

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...

*''

Cyriopagopus doriae ''Cyriopagopus'' is a genus of southeast Asian tarantulas found from Myanmar to the Philippines. , the genus includes species formerly placed in ''Haplopelma''. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1887. Description The species form ...

'' ( Thorell, 1890) –

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

(

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and e ...

) *''

Cyriopagopus hainanus ''Cyriopagopus hainanus'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas), found in China. It is one of a number of species from China and Vietnam known as "Chinese bird spider". It produces a venom containing numerous compounds c ...

'' (Liang, Peng, Huang & Chen, 1999) –

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

*''

'' (Smith, 1996) –

*''

Cyriopagopus longipes ''Cyriopagopus'' is a genus of southeast Asian tarantulas found from Myanmar to the Philippines. , the genus includes species formerly placed in ''Haplopelma''. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1887. Description The species form ...

'' (von Wirth & Striffler, 2005) –

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...

(Vietnam Tiger) *'' Cyriopagopus minax'' (Thorell, 1897) –

(Thailand Black) *''

'' Simon, 1887 ( type) –

*''

'' (von Wirth, 1991) –

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

*''

Cyriopagopus vonwirthi ''Cyriopagopus'' is a genus of southeast Asian tarantulas found from Myanmar to the Philippines. , the genus includes species formerly placed in ''Haplopelma''. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1887. Description The species form ...

'' ( Schmidt, 2005) –

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

In synonymy

*''C. huwenus'' (Wang, Peng & Xie, 1993) = ''Cyriopagopus schmidti'' (von Wirth, 1991)

Transferred to other genera

* ''Cyriopagopus dromeus'' (Chamberlin, 1917) → '' Melognathus dromeus'' * ''Cyriopagopus schioedtei'' (Thorell, 1891) → '' Omothymus schioedtei'' * ''Cyriopagopus thorelli'' (Simon, 1901) → '' Omothymus schioedtei''

Nomen Dubia

* ''Cyriopagopus robustus'' (Strand, 1907) -

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

* ''Cyriopagopus salangensis'' (Strand, 1907) -

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1915392 Theraphosidae Theraphosidae genera Spiders of Asia