Aphonopelma "borelli" ?!?!?

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

isnt there a brachypelma borelli? one time i seen a aphono. go as a brachy , it was ethier at a show or on a site i seen a "tucson blond"aphonopelma chalcodes sold as Brachypelma chalcodes or somthing. and i looked thur my T book and seen a good pic of it and it was an aphono. so maybe they just got the frist name mixed up?



Josh

Originally posted by Jguy001
isnt there a brachypelma borelli?

Click to expand...

No.

I think what you're getting is aphonopelma borelli or at least what has been offered as such.I believe also Gearhart has them on his list also "if memory serves me".Correct genus??...maybe that'll remain a mystery for a while yet.Here's what I came up with for you.

http://www.vogelspinnenwelt.de/arten12.htm.scroll down and find aphonopelma borelli.

Here's a picture also..http://www.arachnoworld.de/Grafik/Seiten/APHONOPELMA BORELLI 15_JPG.htmi....

another picture..http://www.arachnoworld.de/Grafik/Seiten/APHONOPELMA-BORELLI-MANN1_JPG.htm....

another...http://www.arachnoworld.de/Grafik/Seiten/APHONOPELMA-BORELLI6_JPG.htm

In a private reply from a renowned expert I was reminded that this species was actually Eurypelma borelli (NOT Aphonopelma) and that since Avicularia is a senior synonym to "Eurypelma" this species and other "Eurypelma" were placed into Avicularia and the spider of interest is now Avicularia borellii. Of course, many of those species have already been moved into other genera and it is likely that this one should be as well - it certainly appears to not be an Avic! I have proposed to US dealers who have obtained this spider to list them as "Avicularia (Eurypelma) borellii and make it clear to buyers that they aren't getting a rare New World treespider, but rather a terrestrial in need of taxonomic review.

Martin,

Thanks for the citations. I have been brushing up on my German (I am a first generation German American), but I may not be up to translating the papers if I request them from the University where my wife is a professor. Could you perhaps paraphrase in English the relevant information from the pages in "Tarantulas of the World"? Or scan and email me the appropriate pages so I can translate them myself?

Pelo,

Thanks for the links.

Kind regards,
Michael