Ornithoctoninae
Ornithoctoninae is a subfamily of tarantulas found in Southeast Asia. It was first erected in 1895 by Reginald Innes Pocock based on the type specimen Ornithoctonus andersoni.
The Ornithoctoninae comprise a theraphosid subfamily, which is widely distributed in Asia from Myanmar to South China in the north and as far as to Halmahera in the Indonesian archipelago in the south, and in all the ranges in between. Most species in the subfamily live fossorially in burrows, though several species live arboreally. They are known as defensive spiders; when disturbed, they quickly retreat into their burrows or dig themselves into the soil. When neither is a possibility, they assume a defensive posture. When provoked, they strike the aggressor repeatedly with the anterior legs; if the aggressor does not retreat, these spiders have been known to bite. Though not deadly, the effects of the venom can be very unpleasant, including pain, swelling, and arthritis-like stiffness in the joints of the extremity affected.
The theraphosid subfamily Ornithoctoninae is defined by a combination of characteristics: Presence of retrolateral scopula of filiform setae on the cheliceral base, a small row of larger filiform paddle setae retrolaterally ventrobasally in connection to the retrolateral cheliceral scopula, and arrangement of stridulatory spines prolaterally on maxilla. The characteristic of retrolateral scopula of filiform setae on the cheliceral base is shared by the African subfamily Harpactirinae, but the Ornithoctoninae can be distinguished from the Harpactirinae by the geographic distribution range and the presence of the other characteristics mentioned, which are lacking in the Harpactirinae.
As pets
Specimens from the genera Haplopelma, Cyriopagopus, and Ornithoctonus are frequently kept as pets. The most commonly kept species are: H. albostriatum, H. hainanum, H. lividum, H. longipes, H. minax, H. schmidti, O. aureotibialis, and C. schioedtei. More species are kept and new species enter the hobby every now and then, but most of this material needs to be properly identified or described.Genera and species of Ornithoctoninae
A list of known species in the Ornithoctoninae, sorted by genera:Citharognathus
Type species: C. hosei
- Citharognathus hosei — Borneo
- Citharognathus tongmianensis — China
Type species: C. paganus
- Cyriopagopus dromeus — Philippines
- Cyriopagopus paganus — Myanmar
- Cyriopagopus thorelli — Malaysia
Type species: Haplopelma doriae
Transferred to other genera:
Haplopelma chrysothrix → Ornithoctonus aureotibialis
Haplopelma costale → Ornithoctonus costalis
In synonymy:
Haplopelma huwenum = Haplopelma schmidti
- Haplopelma albostriatum — Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, the Thai zebra
- Haplopelma doriae — Borneo
- Haplopelma hainanum — China , the Chinese black earth tiger
- Haplopelma lividum — Myanmar, Thailand, the cobalt blue
- Haplopelma longipes — Myanmar, the Vietnamese earth tiger
- Haplopelma minax — Myanmar, Thailand, the Thai black
- Haplopelma robustum — Singapore, the Singaporean gold ring black and gray earth tiger
- Haplopelma salangense — Malaysia
- Haplopelma schmidti — Vietnam, China, the Chinese gold earth tiger
- Haplopelma vonwirthi — Vietnam
Type species: L. nigerrimum
- Lampropelma kirki — Indonesia, the Sangihe Island black
- Lampropelma nigerrimum — Indonesia, the Sangihe Island black
Type species: Omothymus schioedtei
- Omothymus fuchsi – Indonesia
- Omothymus rafni Gabriel & Sherwood - Indonesia
- Omothymus schioedtei Thorell, 1891 – Malaysia
- Omothymus violaceopes — Malaysia, Singapore, the Singapore blue
Type species: O. andersoni
Transferred to other genera:
Ornithoctonus gadgili → Poecilotheria regalis
Ornithoctonus hainanus → Haplopelma hainanum
Ornithoctonus huwenus → Haplopelma schmidti
- Ornithoctonus andersoni — Myanmar, the Asian mahogany mustard
- Ornithoctonus aureotibialis — Thailand, the Thai gold fringed'
- Ornithoctonus costalis — Thailand
Type species: P. everetti
Transferred to other genera:
Phormingochilus carpenteri Smith & Jacobi, 2015 → Lampropelma carpenteri
Phormingochilus fuchsi Strand, 1906 → Omothymus fuchsi
Phormingochilus kirki Smith & Jacobi, 2015 → Lampropelma kirki
- Phormingochilus arboricola – Borneo
- Phormingochilus everetti — Borneo
- Phormingochilus pennellhewlettorum Smith & Jacobi, 2015 — Borneo
- Phormingochilus tigrinus — Borneo