Aphonopelma: Tarantulas of the United States

While tarantulas are among the most recognizable spiders in the United States,  research regarding their conservation, ecology, and taxonomy has been very limited.  More than 50 species, all currently in the genus Aphonopelma, have been described from North America north of Mexico.  Aphonopelma taxonomy is problematic with most described species likely representing invalid taxa making accurate species-level identifications nearly impossible.

Detailed distributional information is also lacking for most members of the genus. Several species are still known only from their type locality and nowhere else. A problematic taxonomy coupled with a dearth of distributional data hampers efforts to conserve Aphonopelma species.  Like many other invertebrates, tarantulas have received little attention from the conservation community. This blog is dedicated to providing information about this neglected group of spiders.

 

Basics

• Tarantulas of the United States: An Introduction

Maps

• Type Localities of Tarantulas in the South-central United States
• Distribution of Tarantulas in the United States
• Distribution of Tarantulas in Arizona
• Distribution of Tarantulas in Arkansas
• Distribution of Tarantulas in California
• Distribution of Tarantulas in Missouri
• Distribution of Tarantulas in Oklahoma
• Distribution of Tarantulas in Texas I
• Distribution of Tarantulas in Texas II
• Distribution of Tarantulas in Utah

Species

• Redefining the Type Locality and Range of the Tarantula, Aphonopelma hentzi
• Aphonopelma baergi
• Aphonopelma odelli

Miscellanea

• Tarantulas and Citizen-science
• Tarantulas in the Schools