Brachypelma
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''Brachypelma'' is a
genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
s in the
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Theraphosidae Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...
(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 image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...
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''. As now
circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...
, 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 CITES (shorter acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of inte ...
. 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 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'', the prolateral (forward facing) surface of the
trochanter A trochanter is a tubercle of the femur near its joint with the hip bone. In humans and most mammals, the trochanters serve as important muscle attachment sites. Humans have two, sometimes three, trochanters. Etymology The anatomical term ' ...
and
femur The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg. The Femo ...
of the first leg and the retrolateral surface of the
pedipalp Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the secondary pair of forward appendages among Chelicerata, chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to ...
have plumose hairs, and there is no pad of plumose hairs on the femur of the fourth leg. The male
palpal bulb The two palpal bulbs – also known as palpal organs and genital bulbs – are the copulatory organs of a male spider. They are borne on the last segment of the pedipalps (the front "limbs" of a spider), giving the spider an appearance often descr ...
has a flattened, spoon-shaped embolus; females have fused
spermathecae The spermatheca (pronounced : spermathecae ), also called ''receptaculum seminis'' (: ''receptacula seminis''), is an organ of the female reproductive tract in insects, e.g. ants, bees, some molluscs, Oligochaeta worms and certain other inver ...
, 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 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 tortoises, the unde ...
. ''Brachypelma'' species lack spines on the
patellae The patella (: patellae or patellas), 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 m ...
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 Taxonomy (biology), taxonomist in history, ...
in 1891 for the species ''Mygale emilia'', originally described in 1856. ''Brachypelma'' is derived from the
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
(brachys), meaning 'short' and (pelma) meaning 'the sole of the foot'. However,
arachnologists Arachnology is the science, scientific study of arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, Pseudoscorpionida, pseudoscorpions, Opiliones, harvestmen, Tick, ticks, and mites. Those who study spiders and other a ...
have conventionally taken ''pelma'' to refer to the tarsal
scopula ''Scopula'' is a genus of moths in the family Geometridae described by Franz von Paula Schrank in 1802. Species It has 705 species which are listed here alphabetically. A *'' Scopula ablativa'' (Dognin, 1911) *'' Scopula abolita'' Herbulot, ...
, 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 ''Avicularia'' is a genus of the Family (biology), family Theraphosidae containing various species of arboreal tarantulas. The genus is native to Panama, the Caribbean, and tropical South America. Each species in the genus has very distinguishab ...
''.) In 1903,
Reginald Pocock Reginald Innes Pocock, (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's Sch ...
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 over 450 species of spider in Australia and elsewhere, and is spider ...
in his 1985 monograph of Mygalomorphae, treated ''Brachypelma'' as a synonym of ''
Euathlus ''Euathlus'' is a genus of South American Theraphosidae, 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'', ...
''. 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 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 ...
, although this has been rejected by Schmidt. When broadly defined, ''Brachypelma'' is distinguished from related genera by the plumose setae (hairs) on the prolateral (forward-facing) side of the
trochanter A trochanter is a tubercle of the femur near its joint with the hip bone. In humans and most mammals, the trochanters serve as important muscle attachment sites. Humans have two, sometimes three, trochanters. Etymology The anatomical term ' ...
and
femur The femur (; : femurs or femora ), or thigh bone is the only long bone, bone in the thigh — the region of the lower limb between the hip and the knee. In many quadrupeds, four-legged animals the femur is the upper bone of the hindleg. The Femo ...
of the first leg and on the retrolateral (outward-facing) side of the
pedipalp Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the secondary pair of forward appendages among Chelicerata, chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to ...
. A 2017 study concluded that the genus ''Brachypelma'' as then
circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...
was not
monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...
, 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''.


DNA barcoding

In 2017, Mendoza and Francke applied
DNA barcoding DNA barcoding is a method of species identification using a short section of DNA from a specific gene or genes. The premise of DNA barcoding is that by comparison with a reference library of such DNA sections (also called " sequences"), an indiv ...
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 used ...
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 c ...
(the "red leg" group).


Phylogeny

In 2017, Steven Turner and colleagues reported on a
phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...
analysis of the family Theraphosidae based on
mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and mDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondrion, mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the D ...
. A
cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...
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 biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...
, but fell into two distinct
clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...
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 (taxonomy), 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 Americ ...
'') 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''. *'' Brachypelma albiceps'' Pocock, 1903 – Mexico *'' Brachypelma auratum'' Schmidt, 1992 – Mexico *'' Brachypelma baumgarteni'' Smith, 1993 – Mexico *'' Brachypelma boehmei'' 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 In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, 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 spe ...
) – Mexico *'' Brachypelma hamorii'' Tesmoingt, Cleton & Verdez, 1997 – Mexico *'' Brachypelma klaasi'' (Schmidt & Krause, 1994) – Mexico *'' Brachypelma smithi'' (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897) – Mexico Two species have been moved to the genus ''
Sericopelma ''Sericopelma'' is a genus of tarantula (family Theraphosidae), found in Central America from Nicaragua to Panama. The limits of the genus and its distribution have long been confused; it is closely related to the genus ''Aphonopelma''. ''Serico ...
'': *''Brachypelma angustum'' Valerio, 1980 → '' Sericopelma angustum'' *''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 CITES (shorter acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of inte ...
, 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 Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...
s or
frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...
s. These species, like most tarantulas, are
cannibalistic Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is also well documente ...
, 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 consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...
series, ''
The Mummy Returns ''The Mummy Returns'' is a 2001 American fantasy action-adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers. It is the sequel to the 1999 film ''The Mummy'', and the second in ''The Mummy'' film series. Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Jo ...
'') 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 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 in self-defense, though their hairs can be less irritating than those of other species, especially the
goliath birdeater The Goliath birdeater (''Theraphosa blondi'') belongs to the tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" ...
.


See also

* Pinktoe tarantula * Chilean rose tarantula *''
Avicularia ''Avicularia'' is a genus of the Family (biology), family Theraphosidae containing various species of arboreal tarantulas. The genus is native to Panama, the Caribbean, and tropical South America. Each species in the genus has very distinguishab ...
'' *
Goliath birdeater The Goliath birdeater (''Theraphosa blondi'') belongs to the tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" ...
* Brazilian whiteknee 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
{{Authority control Theraphosidae Spiders of North America Spiders of Central America Spiders of South America Theraphosidae genera