Researchers have discovered a new species of spider in Thailand, belonging to the tarantula group. Tarantulas include a group of large and often hairy spiders in the family Theraphosidae. These new tarantula spiders nest inside bamboo stalks, a behavior never seen before in tarantulas.
New research in the journal ZooKeys describes this previously unknown species of tarantula living in the forests of Thailand’s Tak province. They are named Taksinus bambus, the tarantulas live inside the trunks of Asian bamboo (Gigantochloa), where they build burrows out of silk.
“These animals are really impressive”, Narin Chomphuphuang, co-author of the new study and a researcher at Khon Kaen University in Thailand, wrote in a Pensoft blog post. “They are the first known tarantulas with a bamboo-based ecosystem.”
This discovery further reinforces the importance of bamboo for wildlife, while at the same time demonstrating the evolutionary adaptability of the tarantula and revealing the biodiversity of Thailand’s forests.
These spiders live at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level, they have black and dark gray bodies, with yellow bands on their legs.
“We checked all the trees in the area where the species was found. This tarantula is attached to bamboo, we have never observed them in any other plant species.” Narin wrote.
The entrances to their nests come in many shapes, from 2-3 cm holes to huge cracks in the bamboo stalks. The researchers say they are not capable of creating these burrows on their own, but using other animals.
This shouldn’t be a problem, as bamboo is used by a wide variety of creatures, from beetles and bamboo worms, to carpenter bees that nest on bamboo and rodents. Bamboo can also crack on its own, the result of a rapid change in moisture content, uneven drying, or wetness followed by rapid drying.
Taksinus is included in the subfamily Ornithoctoninae of the Southeast Asian tarantula. The team named the new species of tarantula after the Thai king, Taksin the Great, who ruled Tak province in the 18th century.
Reference: Gizmodo
.