Typhochlaena seladonia | |
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Female | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
Family: | Theraphosidae |
Genus: | Typhochlaena |
Species: | T. seladonia
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Binomial name | |
Typhochlaena seladonia Koch, 1841
[1]
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Typhochlaena seladonia is a species of aviculariine tarantula, and is the type species of the genus Typhochlaena. [1] It is unique as an arboreal spider that constructs trapdoors in the bark of trees. [2]
The common name is the Brazilian jewel tarantula.[ citation needed]
T. seladonia was originally described by Carl Ludwig Koch, in Brazil in 1841, as Mygale seladonia. In 1850 he changed its name to Typhochlaena seladonia; then Eugène Simon changed it again to Avicularia seladonia. In 1928, Candido Mello-Leitão changed the species name back to Typhochlaena seladonia, but Andrew Smith (in 1993) changed it to Iridopelma seladonia, and then Lina Almeida-Silva changed it to Iridopelma seladonium. Rogèrio Bertani finally changed the name back to Typhochlaena seladonia in 2012. [1]
The female Typhochlaena seladonia has long, thin spermathecae, which are spiralled distally. The male has a very long embolus. Additionally, both genders have a greenish cephalothorax and a black dorsum with two row of six spots, the posterior pair being reddish and all others being yellowish. [3]