Scientists discover new super-aggressive genus of tarantula – with huge genitalia
Scientists have identified a new breed of super-aggressive tarantula after discovering males with large reproductive organs.
Researcher Dr. from the University of Turku in Finland. Alireza Zamani reclassified spiders because of their unusually large appendages; He led the study examining tarantulas found in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, where four previously unclassified species were identified and grouped into a newly established genus called Satyrex.
The findings, published in the open-access journal ZooKeys, detail how the spiders’ distinctive morphology (particularly the size of the male palpi, a specialized appendage used during mating) sets them apart from related species and warrants the creation of an entirely new genus.
Dr Zamani said: “Based on both morphological and molecular data, they are so different from their closest relatives that we had to create an entirely new genus to classify them, which we named Satyrex.
“Males of these spiders have the longest palps of all known tarantulas.”
Researchers identified four species within this genus; Among them is Satyrex ferox, which is the largest and has a leg span of about 14 cm. The length of its palp can reach up to 5 cm; It is almost four times longer than the front of the body and is comparable to the length of its legs.
The name Satyrex combines the Latin word meaning “king” with a reference to Satyr, a figure in Greek mythology, while “ferox” was chosen to reflect the behavior of the species.
Dr Zamani added: “This species is extremely defensive. At the slightest disturbance, it raises its front legs in a threatening stance and creates a loud hissing sound by rubbing together the special hairs at the base of the front legs.”
He added: “We tentatively hypothesized that long tentacles may allow the male to keep a safer distance during mating, helping him avoid being attacked and devoured by the highly aggressive female.”
Other species described include Satyrex arabicus and Satyrex somalicus, named for their region of origin, and Satyrex speciosus, named for its bright colouration.
This genus also includes Satyrex longimanus, a species first described in 1903 and previously assigned to a different classification.
Dr Zamani said: “Satyrex longimanus, although it has a long palp, was previously classified in the genus Monocentropus, where the male palp is only 1.6 times the length of the carapace and the typical range of 1.5 to 2 times seen in tarantulas.”
He added: “The much longer palps of S. longimanus and the four newly described species were among the key characters that led us to create a new genus rather than placing these spiders within Monocentropus. So yes, it seems that size does indeed matter, at least in tarantula taxonomy.”
