1 Tahrcountry Musings: New tarantula species named after Gabriel García Márquez

Monday, July 04, 2016

New tarantula species named after Gabriel García Márquez

A new tarantula genus and species, formally called Kankuamo marquezi, has been discovered in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. The genus’ name honors an indigenous people from the Caribbean coast region, while its species' name pays tribute to Nobel laureate and renowned Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. An international research team, led by Carlos Perafán, University of the Republic, Uruguay, made the discovery.
Here are the conclusions of the researchers
Conclusions
Kankuamo gen. n. fits the diagnostic characters of Theraphosinae, but also shows a very divergent palpal bulb morphology and the presence of a new abdominal urticating setae type. These setae are unique, and here are proposed to be the only contact released urticating setae yet known within the Theraphosinae, although this release mechanism was previously well known only for Aviculariinae. Also, the supernumerary keels on the male palpal bulb clearly distinguish it from all known theraphosid species. Kankuamo gen. n. was resolved as the sister group of Metriopelma on our preferred phylogeny of Theraphosinae.

Details of the research appears in the open access journal ZooKeys


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