11.04.2022

The male of Bonnetina tanzeri Schmidt, 2012 confirms our diagnosis!

In the article from 06.11.2021 on our homepage here, we had stated that the tarantulas from Mexico, which are offered in the community as Bonnetina papalutlensis, do not correspond to this species, but have to be assigned to the species Bonnetina tanzeri (-> HERE). We had examined one female and found that this female matched the data from the most recent revision of this genus by Ortiz & Francke (2017) to Bonnetina tanzeri, but not to Bonnetina papalutlensis. Recently an adult male of Bonnetina "papalutlensis" ( = tanzeri) died which we could also compare with the most recent studies of Ortiz & Francke (2017) to verify our diagnosis. The following pic's show the comparison of the male we examined with the male characters mentioned and illustrated in Ortiz & Francke 2017.

Pic 1 shows the "knot" on the retrolateral palpentibia, which is distinct for B. tanzeri and not so distinct or absent in other Bonnetina species (black arrow). Pic 2 shows this structure in the male we examined.

Pic 3 shows the structure and area of the tibial apophysis in Bonnetina tanzeri in retroventral and proventral view. Clearly visible are the large and small apophyses as well as the spine and the Bonnetina-typical field of " tubercles" (black arrows) on the ventral, apical palpentibia. Pic 4 shows exactly the same structures in the male we examined.

Finally, Pic 5 shows the male bulb of Bonnetina tanzeri in 4 different positions. Pic 6 shows the bulb of the Bonnetina "papalutlensis" ( = tanzeri) male in exactly the same positions. Easily recognizable is the nearly identical agreement in the structure of the bulbs as well as in the shape and structure of the keels on the embolus.

Resumé::

Due to the great structural similarity with respect to the bulb and in the area of the tibial apophysis, there is no doubt that the male we examined also does NOT belong to Bonnetina papalutlensis but rather to Bonnetina tanzeri. Thus, our earlier diagnosis, which was based only on the comparison of females, has now been confirmed by the comparison of males as well: Bonnetina "papalutlensis" that are kept in the tarantula community are in fact Bonnetina tanzeri Schmidt 2012!

Reference:

Mendoza M., J. I. (2012). Bonnetina papalutlensis a new species of tarantula from Guerrero, Mexico, with notes on reproduction (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 20: 57-62.

Ortiz, D. & Francke, O. F. (2017). Reconciling morphological and molecular systematics in tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae): revision of the Mexican endemic genus Bonnetina. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 180(4): 819-886.