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- Mar 17, 2003
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- 938
I have some spiders en route to me that are being sold to me as Aphonopelma "borelli" with the vernacular name "Chaco Hairy". An Internet search will provide many results relating to this "species" - often accompanied by an origin of Paraguay. However, neither version 3.5 or 4.0 of Platnick's World Spider Catalog lists this taxon. One interesting thing I found during this search is that Soren Rafn had obtained something sold to him as Acanthoscurria gigantea that he later discovered was not that species (which is in synonymy with A. sternalis), but he noted a resemblance to Aphonopelma "borelli" he had seen for sale in Germany.
To add to the confusion there is an Avicularia borellii from Paraguay that was originally placed in the genus "Eurypelma", which has since been placed in synonymy with Avicularia, and many Aphonopelma and other Avicularia species have also spent some time in the now invalid genus "Eurypelma".
A Google image search for "Aphonopelma borelli" results in a handful of thumbnails that lead to broken links. The one that had accompanying text in German doesn't say much to clue into the identity other than that the spider likes moisture (something that was also mentioned by Soren Rafn). However, the photos depict a spider that certainly does not look arboreal!!!
Is there anyone out there that can shed some light on this? :? The spiders I am getting are tiny spiderlings so I certainly won't be able to tell much by looking at them.
Thanks for your time, Michael
To add to the confusion there is an Avicularia borellii from Paraguay that was originally placed in the genus "Eurypelma", which has since been placed in synonymy with Avicularia, and many Aphonopelma and other Avicularia species have also spent some time in the now invalid genus "Eurypelma".
A Google image search for "Aphonopelma borelli" results in a handful of thumbnails that lead to broken links. The one that had accompanying text in German doesn't say much to clue into the identity other than that the spider likes moisture (something that was also mentioned by Soren Rafn). However, the photos depict a spider that certainly does not look arboreal!!!
Is there anyone out there that can shed some light on this? :? The spiders I am getting are tiny spiderlings so I certainly won't be able to tell much by looking at them.
Thanks for your time, Michael