Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Poecilotheria
Species:
P. hanumavilasumica
Binomial name
Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica
Smith, 2004[3]

Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica, also known as the Rameshwaram ornamental, or Rameshwaram parachute spider, is a critically endangered species of tarantula.

Description

The ground color of the first pair of legs is daffodil yellow. The femur has a black band covering three quarters of the part. The patella is daffodil yellow with a thin black band distally. The tibia also daffodil yellow with a thick black transverse band. The ground color of the fourth pair of legs is bluish grey, with a black patch proximally. The femur has a bluish grey band. The patella is also bluish grey with faint black mark distally. The tibia isbluish grey.[4]

P. hanumavilasumica bears a strong resemblance to its sibling species, P. fasciata. The distinguishing features between these two species include the following: the band on the femur of leg I in P. hanumavilasumica is notably broader than that in P. fasciata. In P. hanumavilasumica the band on the femur of leg IV forms a continuous line, while in P. fasciata, it appears disjointed. P. hanumavilasumica can be easily distinguished from other species within the same radiation group, such as P. regalis and P. rajaei, due to the presence of a ventral abdominal band. In the case of P. striata, the banding is thicker on all four legs. However, the most distinctive difference between P. hanumavilasumica and its sibling species, P. fasciata, lies in the morphology of the spermatheca.[5]

Distribution

It was discovered in 2004 by Andrew Smith from a sacred grove of the Hanumavilasum Temple in Rameshwaram.[1]

It was initially thought to be endemic to the Ramanathapuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, but has since been identified outside India in the Mannar District of Northern Sri Lanka. The close proximity of Mannar island to India suggests that the species may have dispersed over the land bridge between the two countries in the Pleistocene epoch.[6][7]

References

  1. 1 2 Siliwal, M.; Molur, S.; Daniel, B.A. (2008). "Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T63562A12681695. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T63562A12681695.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ↑ "Taxon details Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica Smith, 2004". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  4. ↑ Nanayakkara, Ranil P. (2014). Tiger Spiders Poecilotheria of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environmental & Renewable Energy. p. 167. ISBN 978-955-0033-58-4.
  5. ↑ Nanayakkara, R. P., Ganehiarachchi, G. A. S. M., Vishvanath, N., & Kusuminda, T. G. T. (2015). Discovery of the Critically Endangered Tarantula Species of the Genus Poecilotheria (Araneae: Theraphosidae), Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica, From Sri Lanka. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, 8(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2015.01.002
  6. ↑ Nanayakkaraa, Ranil P.; Ganehiarachchib, G.A.S. Mangala; Vishvanatha, Nilantha & Kusuminda, Thambiliya Godage Tharaka (2015). "Discovery of the Critically Endangered Tarantula Species of the Genus Poecilotheria (Araneae: Theraphosidae), Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica, From Sri Lanka". Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 8: 1–6. doi:10.1016/j.japb.2015.01.002.
  7. ↑ "Critically Endangered Tarantula Links India and Sri Lanka".


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