KOCHI: In a major discovery, 19 rare tarantula spiders were found by a research team from the biodiversity rich Western Ghats region in Kerala. The researchers led by Sunil Jose K of Deva Matha College, Kuruvilangad chanced up on the finding as as part of the UGC funded project on the spiders of the Theraphosidae family in the Western Ghats.
“The 19 species of tarantulas belong to seven genera. Four species each are from the genus annandaliella and poecilotheria while three species belong to the genera haploclastus and sahydroaraneus. Two species are from the genera neoheterophrictus and thrigmopoeus and one species from the genus Chilobrachys were recorded during the study. Except for the tree-dwelling Poecilotheria spiders, all the other genera are ground-dwelling tarantulas living in burrows,” said Sunil Jose.
The findings have appeared in various journals and are available in the world spider catalogue, 2018. These spiders, according to the researchers, are very beautiful in appearance. Hence they are illegally collected from the Western Ghats and reared in glass cages as pets in Europe and America. Some of the rare Tarantulas are available for sale on the Internet, with the going rate as high as a dizzying $275.
The study also highlighted the need for continuity of forest patches so the gene flow is not prevented, which will otherwise cause inbreeding and slow extinction.The study also revealed deforestation, landslides and floods are posing a major threat to the existence of the ground-dwelling theraphosids in the Western Ghats. Sunil Jose presented the findings at the Asian Arachnology Conference held at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok from November 19 to 22.