Harpactira Atra Identification.

[Johan van Vuuren]

Hi there,

Hope someone might be able to help. I have found this spider wandering round, not uncommen, it is breeding season in South Africa, and should you be fortunate enouth, like myself, you can see these wonderfull creatures in your back garden. Not all of them are so lucky to mate, some get run over on roads, some get gassed with insectocides while others get crashed the old fashioned way. Non the less, I have taken a few pictures. The dead one was handed to me by a friend who first tried to subdue the poor fellow with insectocide. My initial identification is Harpactira Atra, but knowing that the Harpactira or Commen Baboon spider family consist of 16 members, all endemic to Southern Africa, makes identification a real problem for a layman like me. It is quite a small tarantula compared to my mature Brachypelma Vagans male.


Agression is normal for African tarantulas






Note little hooks on pedipulps, are these normal on all tarantulas?


A closeup of the nail like hooks on pedipulps


Note the size of the fangs, they are huge!


The ruler to indicate size

[Phil Rea]

The reason it has the emboli on the pedipalps (the hooks, as you've described them Johan) is that it is a mature male, searching for females by the sounds of it.

Every mature male has these (and they are the indication that the male is mature), although the form differs from species to species. It is one of the primary ways of identification, as the shape is unique to each species, and they fit the genitalia of the female of the same species in the manner of a 'lock and key'

Whereabouts in RSA are you by the way?

[Richard Gallon]

Hi Johan,
I can say with certainty that it is not a male Harpactira atra.

I'm fairly sure I know about this particular species (I have museum specimens on loan which resemble it). Given that it is already dead, perhaps you could send it to the National Collection of Arachnids at Pretoria (preserved in alcohol)? That way it'll be of scientific use and aid the identification/research of RSA's Harpactira species.

Cheers,
Richard

[Johan van Vuuren]

Hi Phil,

I'm from East London area in the Eastern Cape province. Yes you are right, it is a mature male, its tibial spurs are out as well, there is hundreds of these male spiders around, only once a year that we see them, late spring to early summer. I sometimes drive like a drunk trying miss them on the road. Boy they are not happy if you try to help them cross safely, they will sometimes jump at my hand.

[Johan van Vuuren]

Hi Richard,

What is your opinion? I have seen females from the augacephalus or starburst family around, do you think it might be one of them? Unfortunatly I have already returned the dead male back to nature with a quick funeral (my sons idea), and as mentioned earlier, finding a new specimen is no problem, there is a few around.