''Avicularia'' 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 n ...

of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Theraphosidae 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 ...

containing various

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose num ...

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 ...

s. The genus is native to

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

, the Caribbean and tropical

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

. Each species in the genus has very distinguishable pink foot pads. Species belonging to this genus are amongst the relatively small exception of tarantulas that can jump moderate distances as juveniles, with most tarantulas being limited to lunges of 3-4 centimeters.

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 gen ...

s are distinct to

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. ...

tarantulas including the Avicularia that are attached to the spider's cuticle ''via'' a stalk. These spiny, barbed hairs are used as a defense against potential intruders as well as embedded into silk to protect the egg sac. In active defense, the hairs are released by contact with the stimulus and rubbed in. At least three species of Avicularia are threatened by habitat loss and illegal trafficking, due to their popularity as exotic pets. '' Avicularia avicularia'' are among the tarantulas most commonly kept as pets for their "stunning" color and size.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Avicularia'' was erected in 1818 by

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolog ...

for species previously placed in ''Mygale'' Latreille, 1802, the genus name used at the time for most

mygalomorph The Mygalomorphae, or mygalomorphs, are an infraorder of spiders, and comprise one of three major groups of living spiders with over 3000 species, found on all continents except Antarctica. Many members are known as trapdoor spiders due to the ...

spiders. One of the species Lamarck included in his new genus was ''Avicularia canceridea'', which included ''Aranea avicularia'', first described by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, ...

in 1758. Araneologists continued to use the name ''Mygale'', although this had been used for genus of mammals in 1800, so was not available for Latreille to use for spiders. Ausserer in 1871 used ''Avicularia'', but a degree of confusion persisted until a decision of the

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 26 commissioners from 20 countries. Orga ...

in 1928 established the correctness of ''Avicularia'', with the type species being Linnaeus' ''Aranea avicularia'' in the combination '' Avicularia avicularia''. Linnaeus' name ''Avicularia'' is derived from the Latin ''avicula'', meaning "little bird", with the suffix ''-aria,'' which is the Latin female singular form of ''-arius,'' meaning "pertaining to." This refers to a 1705 illustration by

Maria Sibylla Merian Maria Sibylla Merian (2 April 164713 January 1717) was a German naturalist and scientific illustrator. She was one of the earliest European naturalists to observe insects directly. Merian was a descendant of the Frankfurt branch of the Swiss Meri ...

, showing a tarantula that appears to be of this genus feeding on a bird. The English names "bird spider" and "bird-eating spider," and the German name for tarantula, ''Vogelspinne'' (a compound noun literally meaning "bird"

ogel Lego Alpha Team was a Lego theme that was released in 2001 and ended in 2005. It focused on a group of secret agents and their evil nemesis named Ogel. Overview Lego Alpha Team was a Lego product line that was in production from March 2001 to ...

"spider"

pinne Pniewy (german: Pinne) is a town in Szamotuły County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 7,747 inhabitants as of 2020 including 6 270 women and 5969 meThere is a lake and a beach with access to a playground, stage and a softball pitch. ...

reflect this Latin name. Ironically, the term "bird-eater" is more typically applied to the common names of large

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...

species of tarantulas, such as the Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi), the burgundy Goliath bird eater (Theraphosa stirmi), and the Brazilian salmon pink bird-eating tarantula (Lasiodora parahybana). A major review of the genus drastically reduced the number of species recognized, from over 50 to 12, . Some species have been transferred to other genera, with others reduced to

synonymy 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 all ...

. Yet more names are considered to be doubtful in their application ('' nomina dubia'').

Species

, 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 ...

accepted the following species: *'' Avicularia avicularia'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (

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 specimen( ...

) – Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia *'' Avicularia caei'' Fukushima & Bertani, 2017 – Brazil *'' Avicularia glauca'' Simon, 1891 – Panama *'' Avicularia hirschii'' Bullmer, Thierer-Lutz & Schmidt, 2006 – Ecuador, Peru, Brazil *'' Avicularia juruensis'' Mello-Leitão, 1923 – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil *'' Avicularia lynnae'' Fukushima & Bertani, 2017 – Peru, Ecuador *''

Avicularia merianae ''Avicularia merianae'' is a species of spiders in the family Theraphosidae, found in Peru. It was first described in 2017. It is named after the Dutch-German naturalist and painter Maria Sibylla Merian, in recognition of her studies on tara ...

'' Fukushima & Bertani, 2017 – Peru *''

Avicularia minatrix ''Avicularia minatrix'' also known as the Red Slate Pink Toe, Redstripe Pinktoe or Venezuelan Redstripe Tarantula is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Venezuela and Brazil. It was first described by Reginald Innes Poc ...

'' Pocock, 1903 – Venezuela, Brazil *''

Avicularia purpurea ''Avicularia purpurea'', also called purple tree tarantula, Ecuadorian purple tarantula or Ecuador purple pinktoe, is a species of spider belonging to the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas). Distribution These spiders are mainly present in Ecuad ...

'' Kirk, 1990 – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru *''

Avicularia rufa ''Avicularia rufa'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae. Specimens from the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Rondônia have regularly been misidentified as ''Avicularia juruensis''. One difference is the vivid yellow rings on ...

'' Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1945 – Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil *'' Avicularia taunayi'' (Mello-Leitão, 1920) – Brazil *''

Avicularia variegata ''Avicularia variegata'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae found in Venezuela and Brazil. Previously described as ''Avicularia avicularia variegata'', it is synonymous with ''Avicularia bicegoi''. When sold as pets, various Engl ...

'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896 – Venezuela, Brazil Transferred to other genera: *''Avicularia affinis'' (Nicolet, 1849) → '' Euathlus affinis'' *''Avicularia aymara'' (Chamberlin, 1916) → ''

Thrixopelma aymara ''Thrixopelma'' is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by Günter E. W. Schmidt in 1994. They are medium to large tarantulas, usually being 35mm to 60mm in body length. Diagnosis Males can be distinguished by the prese ...

'' *''Avicularia caesia'' (C.L. Koch, 1842) → ''

Caribena laeta ''Caribena laeta'', otherwise known as the Puerto Rican pink toe tarantula, is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, the last dubiously according to Caroline Fukushima and Rogé ...

'' *''Avicularia diversipes'' (C.L. Koch, 1842) → ''

Ybyrapora diversipes ''Ybyrapora diversipes'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin Amer ...

'' *''Avicularia dubia'' → '' Vitalius dubius'' *''Avicularia duplex'' → ''

Aphonopelma duplex ''Aphonopelma'' is a genus of tarantulas native to the Americas. It includes nearly all the North American tarantula species north of Mexico and a considerable percentage of the tarantula species that range into Central America. Most are fairl ...

'' *''Avicularia embrithes'' → '' Brachypelma embrithes'' *''Avicularia emilia'' → ''

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 ...

'' *''Avicularia epicureana'' → '' Brachypelma epicureanum'' *''Avicularia gamba'' Bertani & Fukushima, 2009 → ''

Ybyrapora gamba ''Ybyrapora gamba'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. ...

'' *''Avicularia geotoma'' → ''

Aphonopelma geotoma ''Aphonopelma'' is a genus of tarantulas native to the Americas. It includes nearly all the North American tarantula species north of Mexico and a considerable percentage of the tarantula species that range into Central America. Most are fairl ...

'' *''Avicularia guyana'' → ''

Eupalaestrus guyanus ''Eupalaestrus'' is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1901. Species it contains six species, found in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil: *''Eupalaestrus campestratus'' (Simon, ...

'' *''Avicularia hageni'' → ''

Aphonopelma hageni ''Aphonopelma'' is a genus of tarantulas native to the Americas. It includes nearly all the North American tarantula species north of Mexico and a considerable percentage of the tarantula species that range into Central America. Most are fairl ...

'' *''Avicularia helluo'' → ''

Aphonopelma helluo ''Aphonopelma helluo'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Mexico. References helluo ''Helluo'' is a genus of beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopter ...

'' *''Avicularia hespera'' → ''

Aphonopelma hesperum ''Aphonopelma'' is a genus of tarantulas native to the Americas. It includes nearly all the North American tarantula species north of Mexico and a considerable percentage of the tarantula species that range into Central America. Most are fairl ...

'' *''Avicularia hirsuta'' (Pocock, 1901) → '' Iridopelma hirsutum'' *''Avicularia imperatrix'' → '' Plesiopelma imperatrix'' *''Avicularia laeta'' (C. L. Koch, 1842) → ''

'' *''Avicularia lanceolata'' → '' Aphonopelma lanceolatum'' *''Avicularia latens'' → ''

Aphonopelma latens ''Aphonopelma'' is a genus of tarantulas native to the Americas. It includes nearly all the North American tarantula species north of Mexico and a considerable percentage of the tarantula species that range into Central America. Most are fairl ...

'' *''Avicularia magdalena'' (Karsch, 1879) → '' Hapalopus formosus'' *''Avicularia marxi'' → ''

Aphonopelma marxi ''Aphonopelma marxi'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas), found in United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah). ''Aphonopelma behlei'' and ''A. vogelae'', at one time considered separate species, are n ...

'' *''Avicularia mendozae'' → ''

Grammostola mendozae ''Grammostola'' is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described in text by Eugène Louis Simon in 1892. These medium- to large-sized spiders are native to tropical South America, and are usually brown in color, with pinkish or ...

'' *''Avicularia mesomelas'' → '' Megaphobema mesomelas'' *''Avicularia minax'' (Thorell, 1894) → '' Grammostola doeringi'' *''Avicularia muritelaria'' (Holmberg, 1876) → '' Kukulcani ahibernalis'' (Hentz, 1842) (''

Filistatidae Crevice weaver spiders (Filistatidae) comprise cribellate spiders with features that have been regarded as "primitive" for araneomorph spiders. They are weavers of funnel or tube webs. The family contains 18 genera and more than 120 described sp ...

'') *''Avicularia myodes'' → '' Plesiopelma myodes'' *''Avicularia obscura'' → '' Ami obscura'' *''Avicularia pallida'' → ''

Aphonopelma pallidum ''Aphonopelma pallidum'' is a tarantula of the family Theraphosidae found in Mexico. Commonly called the rose-grey, or Mexican rose, it is not available in the pet-trade. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, and undescribed species of Brachyp ...

'' *''Avicularia palmicola'' (Mello-Leitão, 1945) → '' Iridopelma hirsutum'' *''Avicularia panamensis'' → '' Sericopelma panamense'' *''Avicularia parva'' → ''

Catumiri parvum ''Catumiri'' is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by J. P. L. Guadanucci in 2004. The name is derived from the Tupi "''Catumiri''", meaning "very small". Description Members of ''Catumiri'' have a labium that is much ...

'' *''Avicularia parvior'' → ''

Lasiodora parvior ''Lasiodora'' is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1850. They are often very large; body lengths of up to , including the legs, are not unusual. They are found in South America, including the countries ...

'' *''Avicularia pulchra'' (Mello-Leitão, 1933) and ''Avicularia recifiensis'' (Struchen & Brändle, 1996) → '' Pachistopelma rufonigrum'' *''Avicularia regina'' (Chamberlin, 1917) → '' Homoeomma strabo'' *''Avicularia rustica'' → '' Aphonopelma rusticum'' *''Avicularia rutilans'' Ausserer, 1875 → ''

Caribena versicolor ''Caribena'' is a genus of spiders in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas), found in the Antilles. The two species accepted were formerly placed in '' Avicularia''. Apart from a different distribution – ''Avicularia'' species are found in m ...

'' *''Avicularia sabulosa'' → '' Brachypelma sabulosum'' *''Avicularia saltator'' (Pocock, 1903) → ''

Eupalaestrus weijenberghi ''Eupalaestrus'' is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1901. Species it contains six species, found in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil: *'' Eupalaestrus campestratus'' (Simon, 1891) ...

'' *''Avicularia seemanni'' → '' Aphonopelma seemani'' *''Avicularia seladonia'' → '' Typhochlaena seladonia'' *''Avicularia serrata'' → ''

Aphonopelma serratum ''Aphonopelma serratum'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Mexico. This species was first described as ''Eurypelma serratum'' in 1891 by Eugène Simon Eugène Louis Simon (; 30 April 1848 – 17 November 192 ...

'' *''Avicularia smithi'' → '' Brachypelma smithi'' *''Avicularia sooretama'' Bertani & Fukushima, 2009 → ''

Ybyrapora sooretama ''Ybyrapora sooretama'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Brazil. Taxonomy This species was described by Rogério Bertani and Caroline Sayuri Fukushima in 2009 as ''Avicularia sooretama''. However, it was subsequentl ...

'' *''Avicularia subvulpina'' Strand, 1906 → ''

Grammostola subvulpina ''Grammostola'' is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described in text by Eugène Louis Simon in 1892. These medium- to large-sized spiders are native to tropical South America, and are usually brown in color, with pinkish or ora ...

'' *''Avicularia spinicrus'' → '' Citharacanthus spinicrus'' *''Avicularia steindachneri'' → ''

Aphonopelma steindachneri ''Aphonopelma steindachneri'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae 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 "ta ...

'' *''Avicularia stoica'' → ''

Aphonopelma stoicum ''Aphonopelma'' is a genus of tarantulas native to the Americas. It includes nearly all the North American tarantula species north of Mexico and a considerable percentage of the tarantula species that range into Central America. Most are fairly ...

'' *''Avicularia tamaulipeca'' → '' Clavopelma tamaulipeca'' *''Avicularia tripeppi'' → '' Nhandu tripepii'' *''Avicularia truncata'' → ''

Aphonopelma truncatum ''Aphonopelma truncatum'' is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, found in Mexico. References truncatum Spiders described in 1897 Spiders of Mexico {{Theraphosidae-stub ...

'' *''Avicularia vagans'' → '' Brachypelma vagans'' *''Avicularia vellutina'' → '' Vitalius vellutinus'' *''Avicularia versicolor'' → ''

'' *''Avicularia violacea'' → ''

Tapinauchenius violaceus ''Tapinauchenius'' is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Anton Ausserer in 1871. The name is a combination of the Greek , meaning "low", and , meaning "neck". In 2022, the genus ''Pseudoclamoris'' was transferred to ''Tapinauchenius ...

'' *''Avicularia wacketi'' → '' Vitalius wacketi'' *''Avicularia zorodes'' → '' Iridopelma zorodes'' Treated as synonyms or as '' nomina dubia'': *''Avicularia ancylochira'' Mello-Leitão, 1923, synonym of ''A. avicularia'' *''Avicularia arabica'' (Strand, 1908), ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia aurantiaca'' Bauer, 1996, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia azuraklaasi'' Tesmoingt, 1996, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia bicegoi'' Mello-Leitão, 1923, synonym of '' A. variegata'' *''Avicularia braunshauseni'' Tesmoingt, 1999, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia cuminami'' Mello-Leitão, 1930, synonym of ''A. avicularia'' *''Avicularia detrita'' (C. L. Koch, 1842), ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia doleschalli'' (Ausserer, 1871), ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia exilis'' Strand, 1907, synonym of ''A. avicularia'' *''Avicularia fasciculata'' Strand, 1907, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia geroldi'' Tesmoingt, 1999, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia gracilis'' (Keyserling, 1891) → ''Ischnocolus gracilis'', ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia hirsuta'' (Ausserer, 1875), ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia holmbergi'' Thorell, 1890, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia huriana'' Tesmoingt, 1996, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia leporina'' (C. L. Koch, 1841) → ''Iridopelma leporina'', ''nom. dub.'' *''

Avicularia metallica 250px, ''Avicularia metallica'' is considered to be a doubtful name (''nomen dubium In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application ...

'' Ausserer, 1875, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia nigrotaeniata'' Mello-Leitão, 1940, synonym of ''A. avicularia'' *''Avicularia ochracea'' (Perty, 1833), ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia plantaris'' (C. L. Koch, 1842) → ''Iridopelma plantaris'', ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia rapax'' (Ausserer, 1875), ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia soratae'' Strand, 1907, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia surinamensis'' Strand, 1907, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia ulrichea'' Tesmoingt, 1996, ''nom. dub.'' *''Avicularia urticans'' Schmidt, 1994, synonym of '' A. juruensis'' *''Avicularia velutina'' Simon, 1889, synonym of ''A. avicularia'' *''Avicularia walckenaeri'' (Perty, 1833), ''nom. dub.'' File:Avicularia caei male ZK218.jpg, '' Avicularia caei'' male File:Avicularia hirschii female ZK186.jpg, '' Avicularia hirschii'' female File:Avicularia juruensis male morphotype 2 ZK121.jpg, '' Avicularia juruensis'' male File:Avicularia lynnae male ZK209.jpg, '' Avicularia lynnae'' male File:Avicularia merianae female ZK199.jpg, ''

'' female File:Avicularia minatrix female ZK88.jpg, ''

'' female File:Avicularia purpurea female northern form ZK168.jpg, ''

'' female File:Avicularia rufa male ZK146.jpg, ''

'' male File:Avicularia taunayi female ZK102.jpg, '' Avicularia taunayi'' female File:Avicularia variegata female morphotype 2 ZK74.jpg, ''

'' female

References

External links

Tarantulas of the Genus Avicularia

Phong's Tarantula page
{{Authority control Theraphosidae Theraphosidae genera Spiders of South America Taxa named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck