Noteworthy Records of<i>Brachypelma</i>(Araneae: Theraphosidae) from Peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico

Arisqueta-Chablé, Carlos; Manrique-Saide, Pablo; Rendón, Miguel A.; Ramírez, Virginia Meléndez

doi:10.3157/021.120.0514

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Surprisingly, we found an isolated population of B. vagans on Cozumel island (Quintana Roo State), which has never been reported in their distribution (Locht et al 1999;Arisqueta-Chablé et al 2009). The possible origin of the island population goes back to the filming of a movie, in 1971 ('El Jardín de Tía Isabel'; Cazals 1971), when all tarantulas used by the production company were released after the filming (Martínez-Morales and Cuarón 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 81%

When landscape modification is advantageous for protected species. The case of a synanthropic tarantula, Brachypelma vagans

2011

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Landscape fragmentation usually has a considerable effect on the genetic and demographic viability of most species because it reduces population size and increases isolation among populations. This situation provokes loss of genetic diversity and increased inbreeding that can lead to population or species extinctions. Some studies also show that landscape fragmentation may have no effect on or even positive consequences for species genetic diversity. The protected tarantula, Brachypelma vagans, exhibits a particular situation in the Mexican Caribbean, which has experienced high lowland and coastal fragmentation because of recent increases in agricultural, urban and touristic development. This modified landscape structure creates favorable conditions for establishment of B. vagans populations in rural settlements. Populations of this tarantula have high densities of individuals, principally females and juveniles, and gene dispersion is assumed by the rare males. Within this context, we studied the influence of natural and anthropogenic fragmentation on the genetic diversity of six B. vagans populations (five continental, one insular), together with their spatial organization. Our approach used seven inter simple sequence repeat markers, which are highly polymorphic markers. The 76 loci selected revealed high genetic variability for continental populations and a low, but not critical situation, for the insular population. We detected a good level of gene exchange among continental populations, and an evident and recent isolation of the island population. This species exhibits a metapopulation structure in the lowlands with numerous local populations where mature females exhibit high birth site fidelity. We conclude that this protected species does not exhibit characteristics to warrant its current conservation status, and we propose complete revision of the ecological and genetic situation for B. vagans in particular, and for all species within the genus Brachypelma in general.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 81%

When landscape modification is advantageous for protected species. The case of a synanthropic tarantula, Brachypelma vagans

2011

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“…Range description: Brachypelma epicureanum is endemic to Mexico and occurs in Yucatán State and the north half of Quintana Roo State (Chamberlin 1925, Arisqueta-Chablé et al 2009, CEC 2017, iNaturalist 2018, Hijmensen 2018, unpublished data)…”

Section: Species Conservation Profilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…and/or help maintain humidity inside the retreat. Studies on this species in its natural habitat have identified that, unlike the superficially similar B. vagans , B. epicureanum can be uncommon, which can indicate that it is a demographically rare species (Arisqueta-Chablé et al 2009). These spiders are nocturnal predators that wait near the entrance of their refuge from dusk and into the night to feed primarily on ground-dwelling arthropods (insects, other arachnids and some myriapods) or even small vertebrates.…”

Section: Species Conservation Profilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mating season occurs towards the end of the year (August to January) when mature males wander in the open to search for females. The peak has been recorded as being around October, during the rainy season, as most adult males were collected in the field during this period (Arisqueta-Chablé et al 2009). The males are likely most active at night, cooler daylight hours and throughout overcast days.…”

Section: Species Conservation Profilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Species conservation profiles of tarantula spiders (Araneae, Theraphosidae) listed on CITES

Fukushima¹,

Mendoza²,

West³

et al. 2019

BDJ

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BackgroundCITES is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Regarding spiders, all species listed in CITES are tarantulas. They are included in Appendix II, meaning that they are species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that they may become so unless trade is closely controlled.Many tarantulas are legally and illegally traded in the pet market and they are one of the most traded invertebrate groups. Originally, the CITES list published in 1995 included all the current species of the genus Brachypelma Simon, 1891 plus Aphonopelma pallidum (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897) and the so-called Aphonopelma albiceps (Pocock, 1903). After that, some taxonomic changes were done, as well as descriptions of new species in the genus Brachypelma. The objective of this paper is to assess the 21 taxonomically valid spider species listed on CITES according to the IUCN criteria, study the general patterns and trends and advise on possible future conservation actions critical for the survival of endangered species.New informationAmongst all 21 species assessed, 16 had sufficient data on their distribution, ecology and threats to properly understand their current status and suggest possible conservation measures. A decline in the area of occupancy (AOO) and extent of occurrence (EOO) was inferred to almost all species, caused mostly by human activities (urbanisation, roads, agricultural and touristic activities), which often lead to the complete loss of subpopulations across their range. Hurricanes and frequent rising water, which are increasing in frequency due to climate change, can cause decline in habitat quality and consequent change in EOO and AOO of some species and should also be considered when planning conservation actions. Severe fragmentation was detected in 13 species and is therefore one of the most relevant threats to the most endangered Brachypelma species and should be made a priority aspect to deal with when proposing conservation actions for the group. Regarding the loss of individuals in wild populations, the main cause seems to be the overharvesting to meet the illegal trade.The most important conservation actions identified across species include preserving their natural habitat through protected areas, establishing management plans for both the species and their habitats and undertaking systematic monitoring to provide information about population recovery and species re-introduction programmes. In general, we propose to prioritise and support research on the population trends and distribution, as well as on the impact of land use and habitat degradation. Special attention regarding conservation actions and research plans has to be given to the central Pacific coastal area of Mexico, particularly around Guerrero State where five species of Brachypelma occur. Critically, for some of the most endangered species, such as B. baumgarteni and B. hamorii, there is no official pro...

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Tarantulas and Their Habitats

Lapinski¹

2020

New World Tarantulas

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Noteworthy Records ofBrachypelma(Araneae: Theraphosidae) from Peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico

Cited by 4 publications

References 3 publications

When landscape modification is advantageous for protected species. The case of a synanthropic tarantula, Brachypelma vagans

When landscape modification is advantageous for protected species. The case of a synanthropic tarantula, Brachypelma vagans

Species conservation profiles of tarantula spiders (Araneae, Theraphosidae) listed on CITES

Tarantulas and Their Habitats

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