10.03.2022

Available for the first time from Myanmar in the hobby: Haplopelma minax!

Not infrequently tarantulas circulate in the hobby that are traded under false species names. Often this is due to tarantula dealers who are not familiar with the identification of the animals and often use fantasy names for new species or simply "guess" the species names. Again and again we had reported about inaccurate or even wrong genus and species names here on our Webpage and improved them after we could examine material of those species. Therefore more and more tarantula dealers use our offer to try to identify the imported species correctly. Recently we received 6 tarantulas of 3 apparently different looking Ornithoctoninae species, which were imported to Germany by Thorsten Trapp. The task was to identify them. The surprising results we would like to present in the following, so that the buyers of these species know which species they have there and how we came to the identifications. We will create a separate posting for each of the three species.

The first species we dealt with was caught in Myanmar (Pic 1):

The examined animal shows all the necessary characteristics of females of the genus Haplopelma (We follow the Data from von Wirth and Striffler 2005 and new unpublished results):

• Single-lobed undivided spermatheca, which is not or not dented up to half of its height (Pic 2).

• More than 8 spines on metatarsus IV.

• No spine-like spines above suture of palpcoxa prolaterally (Pic 3).

• Stridulatory organ on palpcoxa prolateral consists of small spines between suture and large spines below (except H. lividum). Stridulatory spines rather short and broad at base. The row of stridulatory spines continues downward toward the base of the coxa (Pic 3)

• Sternum oval

Within the genus Haplopelma the following species can be considered, because they are also distributed in

Thailand/Manymar:

Haplopelma lividum, Haplopelma albostriatum, Haplopelma longipes, Haplopelma vonwirthi

and Haplopelma minax (The present specimen was compared with the Holotype specimens of the above species).

The present specimen differs from Haplopelma lividum by the absence of the intense iridescent blue coloration and by the presence of the small spines between the suture and the actual stridulatory spines.

The animal differs from Haplopelma albostriatum by the absence of the distinct white stripes on the legs dorsally. Also by the different number of spines on met. IV (albostriatum = 12; present specimen = 10).

The specimen differs from Haplopelma longipes by the divided scopula on Met. IV (Pic 4) and by not having a distinctly longer leg IV compared to leg I. Similarly, the present specimen does not have a distinct dense hair brush of longer curved hairs on Met. IV dorsally apically.

The specimen differs from Haplopelma vonwirthi in the different number of spines on Met. IV (vonwirthi = 11) and by the arrangement of the lowest row of the stridulatory spines on the palpal coxa, which is straight in vonwirthi and performs a slight bend in the present specimen (Pic 3).

The present specimen differs almost not at all from Haplopelma minax.

Striking taxonomic similarities are the mentioned bend in the arrangement of the lower row of stridulatory spines on the palpal coxa prolaterally. Also the spination on Met. IV spines (both 10). Also the high number of small spines between the suture on the palpal coxa pl and the main stridulatory organ agrees.

Also in agreement are the shape of the sternum, the position of the posterior sternal sigillae, the distribution and division of the scopula on Met. IV, the structure of the scopula on the outer side of the chelicerae, the number of stridulatory bristles on the outer side of the chelicera, and the structure of the spermathecae agree with the Holotype of H. minax. Leg length ratios and other moprhometries are also identical to the holotype of H. minax. Furthermore, the approximate location is correct, because the holotype of minax was also described from South Myanmar. Also the present specimen (Pic 1) looks similar in color to those specimens which could be determined as Haplopelma minax by Volker von Wirth in the past for other collectors from Umphang and Erewan (Thailand).

Resumé:

So, in our opinion, there is no doubt that these specimens from Myanmar by Thorsten Trapp belong to the species Haplopelma minax (Thorell, 1897).

Reference:

Wirth, V. von & Striffler, B. F. (2005). Neue Erkenntnisse zur Vogelspinnen -- Unterfamilie Ornithoctoninae, mit Beschreibung von Ornithoctonus aureotibialis sp. n. und Haplopelma longipes sp. n. (Araneae, Theraphosidae). Arthropoda 13(2): 2-27.