Poecilotheria
| Poecilotheria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Poecilotheria formosa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Subfamily: | Poecilotheriinae |
| Genus: | Poecilotheria Simon, 1885 |
| Type species | |
| Poecilotheria fasciata | |
Poecilotheria is a genus of the spiders family Theraphosidae currently containing 15 species of arboreal tarantula. This genus is known for vivid color patterns, fast movement, and potent venom compared to other tarantulas. The genus is native to Sri Lanka and India. The name Poecilotheria is derived from Greek "poikilos" - spotted and "therion" - wild beast.
Species
There are 15 species known from India and Sri Lanka, where India has 7 endemic species and Sri Lanka has 7 endemic species, another one species is native to both countries.
Species of India
- Poecilotheria formosa (Pocock, 1899) — Salem Ornamental
- Poecilotheria metallica (Pocock, 1899) — Gooty Sapphire Ornamental
- Poecilotheria miranda (Pocock, 1900) — Bengal Spotted Ornamental
- Poecilotheria regalis (Pocock, 1899) — Indian Ornamental
- Poecilotheria rufilata (Pocock, 1899) — Red Slate Ornamental
- Poecilotheria striata (Pocock, 1895) — Mysore Ornamental
- Poecilotheria tigrinawesseli (Smith, 2006) — Wessel's Tiger Ornamental
Species of Sri Lanka
- Poecilotheria fasciata (Latreille, 1804) — Sri Lankan Ornamental
- Poecilotheria ornata (Pocock, 1899) — Fringed Ornamental
- Poecilotheria rajaei (Nanayakkara, et al., 2012) — Mankulam Pink Banded Ornamental
- Poecilotheria smithi (Kirk, 1996) — Yellow Backed Ornamental
- Poecilotheria subfusca (Pocock, 1895) — Ivory Ornamental
- Poecilotheria uniformis Strand, 1913 — Common Ornamental
- Poecilotheria vittata (Pocock, 1895) — Pedersen's Ghost Ornamental
From Both Countries
- Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica (Smith, 2004) — India, Sri Lanka, the Rameshwaram Ornamental
Photos
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Poecilotheria subfusca.
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Poecilotheria metallica
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Poecilotheria regalis
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Poecilotheria rufilata
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Poecilotheria. |