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''Tliltocatl'' 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 North American
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" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...
s that was split off from ''
Brachypelma ''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 ...
'' 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 grow up to long and legs can get as long as . They are found predominantly in
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, with some species native to
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
. The name is derived from two
Nahuatl Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...
words, "tlil", meaning "black", and "tocatl", meaning "spider".
Habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...
and collection for the pet trade has led to this and ''Brachypelma'' to be protected under International Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species rules, beginning with ''B. smithi''.


Description

The
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 ...
is about as long as wide, though the
sternum The sternum (: sternums or sterna) or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major bl ...
is longer than wide. The first legs are the longest, but all four legs have undivided scopuli on its tarsus. Stridulating hairs are present on both the retrolateral and
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 par ...
faces of the second segment 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 ...
, as well as on the third segment of the first leg. Sexually mature males have two tibial apophyses, the retrolateral one being slightly curved at the end. They share many features with ''
Brachypelma ''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 ...
'' species, including stridulating hairs in the same locations. Both have type I
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 surrounding type III on the rear of their abdomens. 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 ...
s are similar, both spoon-shaped at the end. Females have a single fused
spermatheca 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 in ...
with an either absent or weakly developed baseplate. ''Tliltocatl'' species can be distinguished from those of ''Brachypelma'' by their coloration, especially evident in the absence red rings on the legs. Red markings are also absent from the
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 ...
. They have long red or yellowish hairs on their abdomens, 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 both the palps, and different genitalia shapes.


Habitat

They are found in a variety of habitats, including deciduous forests, evergreen rainforests, and grasslands. They live in burrows, commonly found under rocks, logs, and tree roots. Some species dig burrows in farmlands and gardens. Species occur on both the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts as well as the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
. Though they are native to
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and Central America, the precise distribution is uncertain due to widespread traffic in the pet market. '' T. kahlenbergi'' is only known from specimens originally sent to Germany from
Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
intended to be sold as pets. Mendoza and Francke produced a map of confirmed specimens in 2020, and a distribution of
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
,
Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...
,
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
, and
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
is supported by the World Spider Catalog. In the text, Mendoza and Francke add
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
and
El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
.


Taxonomy

''Tliltocatl'' was erected by Mendoza and Francke in 2020, when
molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
studies showed that ''Brachypelma'' consists of 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. The previous classification was based on coloration, grouping those with red leg markings with ''
Brachypelma ''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 ...
'' and red carapace markings with ''Tliltocatl''. A maximum likelihood cladogram based on a mitochondrial gene shows ''Tliltocatl'' well separated from ''
Brachypelma ''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 ...
'', with the internal relationships of ''Tliltocatl'' as shown below: The position of '' T. verdezi'' and '' T. kahlenbergi'' could not be resolved, and the clade formed by '' T. vagans'', '' T. sabulosus'' and '' T. albopilosus'' had weak internal support. The distribution of the species shows some relationship with the cladogram, with the three western
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
species, '' T. schroederi'', '' T. kahlenbergi'' and '' T. verdezi'', separated from the remaining species from eastern
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
.


Species

it contains seven species: * Tliltocatl ''albopilosus'' (Valerio, 1980)
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
* ''Tliltocatl'' ''epicureanus'' (
Chamberlin The Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by the American inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced. There are several ...
, 1925)
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
*'' Tliltocatl kahlenbergi'' (Rudloff, 2008)
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
*'' Tliltocatl sabulosus'' ( F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897)
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
*'' Tliltocatl schroederi'' (Rudloff, 2003)
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
* ''Tliltocatl'' ''vagans'' (Ausserer, 1875) (
type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...
) –
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
,
Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...
*'' Tliltocatl verdezi'' (
Schmidt Schmidt may refer to: * Schmidt (surname), including list of people and fictional characters with the surname * Schmidt (singer) (born 1990), German pop and jazz singer * Schmidt (lunar crater), a small lunar impact crater * Schmidt (Martian c ...
, 2003)
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...


Nomina dubia In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium,'' it may be impossible to determine whether a ...

* '' Tliltocatl alvarezi'' (Estrada-Alvarez, Guadarrama & Martínez, 2013) -
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
* '' Tliltocatl andrewi'' (Schmidt, 1992) - Unknown locality * '' Tliltocatl aureoceps'' (Chamberlin, 1917) -
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
or
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...


See also

* ''
Brachypelma ''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 ...
'' *
List of Theraphosidae species This page lists all described genera and species of the spider family Theraphosidae. , the World Spider Catalog accepted 1041 species in 156 genera: A ''Acanthopelma'' '' Acanthopelma'' F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 * '' Acanthopelma beccarii ...


References


Further reading

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q78888037 Theraphosidae genera