Aphonopelma mooreae
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| Aphonopelma mooreae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Aphonopelma |
| Species: | A. mooreae |
| Binomial name | |
| Aphonopelma mooreae Smith, 1995 | |
Aphonopelma mooreae, commonly known as the Mexican Jade Fuego Tarantula or the North American Cobalt Tarantula is a species of tarantula first described by arachnologist Andrew Smith in 1995.[1]
A. mooreae was named after Dr. Wendy Moore[2] an accomplished entomologist and former president of the American Arachnological Society.[3] As its common name suggests, it is found in Mexico. The Spanish word "fuego" refers to the fiery red-orange hairs on its opisthosoma and legs.
Description
This tarantula's coloration is unusual for Aphonopelma species; its legs are a gradient of metallic blue fading to black in some areas, and covered in long slender hairs which vary in color from fawn to red and orange. The carapace and chelicerae are a metallic blueish-green color. The opisthosoma is black and covered with long reddish hairs. It resembles the Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens in coloration, A. mooreae is considerably hairier than C. cyaneopubescens—the hairs on the legs of A. mooreae are denser and curled, and overall the hairs are significantly longer.
Somewhat similar in longevity to other Aphonopelma species, females can live up to 25 years in the wild, and males typically live 5 to 7 years. Its adult size is roughly 10cm to 13cm (4 to 5 inches).[4][5]