Poecilotheria smithi

Poecilotheria smithi, or the yellow-backed ornamental, is a species of large arboreal tarantulas. It is endemic to Sri Lanka and considered to be critically endangered.[3]

Yellow-backed ornamental tarantula
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Poecilotheria
Species:
P. smithi
Binomial name
Poecilotheria smithi
Kirk, 1996[2]
Synonyms[2]
  • Poecilotheria pococki Charpentier, 1996

Size

Female is much larger than male with head-to-body length of 6–7 cm. Male is 4–5 cm.

Identification

The species can be distinguished from other tiger spiders by all black legs parts (coxa, trochanter, femur) with prominent brushes on femur.

Description

Female

Dorsally carapace is dark brown in color. Patella is greyish. Tibia is brownish black. Tarsus is brownish, with a v-shaped light patch proximally.[4]

Ventrally first and second leg pairs are identical. Coxa, femur and trochanter are all black. Femur with thin white distal band. Patella white. Third and fourth leg pairs are identical.

Male

Dorsally, greenish brown. Folio markings are slightly darker. Ventrally similar to female.[4]

Ecology

Yellow-backed ornamental is one of the rarest tiger spiders found on the island, where it is confined to the Haragama area in Kandy, with very few sightings from regions of Matale. It is highly restricted due to habitat destruction. The species is much more docile and not as aggressive as other tiger spiders. This makes it one of the popular pet spiders in the world.[4]

References
  1. The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. 8. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Ministry of Environment. p. 476.
  2. "Taxon details Poecilotheria smithi Kirk, 1996". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  3. Ranil P. Nanayakkara; Nilantha Vishvanath; T. G. Tharaka Kusuminda; G.A.S.M. Ganehiarachch (2013). "The Range Extension of the Critically Endangered, Poecilotheria smithi in Sri Lanka, with Notes on its Sociality". Asian Journal of Conservation Biology. 2 (1): 73–75.
  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.


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