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Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. [2] As of December 2023, 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. [3] The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although many other members of the same infraorder (Mygalomorphae) are commonly referred to as "tarantulas" or "false tarantulas".
These spiders are characterized by their chalky white coloration with mottled black and brown markings. Notably, these tarantulas have very thick rear legs, leading many to believe that they are baboon spiders, however, they are not in the baboon spider subfamily of Harpactirinae. These tarantulas are an "old world species" originating from ...
Among the oldest known land arthropods are Trigonotarbids, members of an extinct order of spider-like arachnids. [5]Trigonotarbids share many superficial characteristics with spiders, including a terrestrial lifestyle, respiration through book lungs, and walking on eight legs, [6] with a pair of leg-like pedipalps near the mouth and mouth parts.
Pamphobeteus is a genus of tarantulas that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1901. [2] It includes some of the largest spiders in the world. They are found in South America , including the countries of Peru , Bolivia , Ecuador , Brazil , Colombia and Panama .
Now, however, it appears that non-orb spiders are a subgroup that evolved from orb-web spiders, and non-orb spiders have over 40% more species and are four times as abundant as orb-web spiders. Their greater success may be because sphecid wasps , which are often the dominant predators of spiders, much prefer to attack spiders that have flat webs.
And with different species come different levels of concern—which makes learning how to identify the critters important. Know this: It can actually be a good thing to have spiders around.
Lycosa tarantula is the species originally known as the tarantula, a name that nowadays in English commonly refers to spiders in another family entirely, the Theraphosidae. It now may be better called the tarantula wolf spider , being in the wolf spider family, the Lycosidae.
What do tarantulas eat? Tarantulas normally hunt by staying in their burrows and waiting for their prey to come to them, according to a Texas A&M field guide. Their prey includes crickets, beetles ...