On August 16, 2024, a study was published in the journal ZooKeys reported on a particular discovery. Actually a new species of tarantula, named Aphonopelma jacobii was revealed in the United States.
A tarantula mistaken for another
To go back to the origin of this discovery, we have to go back to 2019. That year, scientists collected samples of tarantulas in the region Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona (USA).
Thought it wasAphonopelma chiricahuaa tarantula endemic to the region, the researchers did not immediately notice that they had an entirely new species in front of them. And with good reason, it was only when the team of Michael A. Jacobi, who gave the species its name, analyzed the animal’s DNA that the differences stood out to the researchers.
In fact, it is visually difficult to distinguish one member of one species from another, since tarantulas of the genus Aphonopelma are gray (for females) or black (for males) with small orange hairs on the tail.
“This discovery represents the 30th species of tarantula documented in the United States. Aphonopelma is the most diverse genus of tarantula on the planet. Our research adds to this number and continues to advance our understanding of the true biodiversity of species in this region.” said Dr. Chris Hamilton of the University of Idaho and lead author of the study, in comments reported by IFLScience.
Barely discovered, the species is already endangered
Recently named and therefore discovered, the tarantula is already endangered. In fact, according to the researchers, two main factors can play a role.
The first is global warming. Really, Aphonopelma jacobii as well as several other endemic species of Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona live in forests. An environment threatened by a general increase in temperature combined with a decrease in rainfall in the predominantly desert region.
But that’s not all. The other threat to the tarantula is the pet trade. In addition to its rarity, researchers have actually pointed out a special trait in it: docile. Enough to push poachers lured by profit to venture into its environment to capture it.
Aphonopelma jacobii will be able to live together with other species
Finally, researchers at the University of Idaho also noticed a surprising fact about this tarantula, as well as its cousins. In fact, the fact that they were able to find Aphonopelma jacobii in the same place where five other species are known to live shows some syntopy.
This describes in biology “a set of species that coexist in the same limited geographic location and during the same period.” according to the definition provided by the website La langue française.
What eludes scientists, however, is how these species manage to coexist in such a small place while maintaining “cohesion and reproductive isolation in light of considerable overlap in their distributions and reproductive periods.” we can read in the study.
It is this precise character that will be the subject of a future study by the scientists who discovered the new species of tarantula.
Source: IFLScience