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✎ Natalia Guzmán

✎ Natalia Guzmán

✎ Diego Aguilera

Colombian lesserblack
Xenesthis immanisAndean region

  • Generalities
  • Morpho-functionality
  • Lifecycle
  • Distribution

RECORRIDO VIRTUAL POR LA BIODIVERSIDAD DE COLOMBIA
Museo de Historia Natural
Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Colombian lesserblack
Xenesthis immanis

This tarantula has a striking coppery purple color on its back. Males are more active than females, who remain within their burrow and emerge only until possible prey appears. It usually hunts insects, small rodents and occasionally birds. It is known to have a mutualistic relationship with the Chiasmocleis frog in which both protect their eggs. They are not very dangerous for humans.

Conservation status

Extinct

Extinct in the Wild

Critically Endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Near Threatened

Least Concern

Not Evaluated

Data Deficient

Morpho-functionality

Chelicerae

The anterior appendages or chelicerae end in a nail through which they inject the venom into their prey.

Hair

It has a series of stinging hairs on its abdomen that it can shed when it feels threatened.

Pedipalps

The pedipalps, although they look like legs, they have a sensory, and reproductive function, and even are used to bring food closer to the pharynx and to suck the food.

Lifecycle

It is assumed that courtship happens at the same as in others of its family (Theraphosidae), where the male, after perceiving pheromones from the female, makes gentle blows and vibrations on the floor to know if the female is receptive. If she is, she will also respond with a series of movements and get into an attack position. To which the male will arrive holding her chelicerae and with his pedipalps will introduce the sperm into the female's genital opening and then withdraw to avoid being eaten. The female will weave a sac to deposit the eggs and will take care of them for a time until their babies are born, which will be raised and fed until their first molt where they are already independent.

The care of the young by the female has been recorded until an advanced juvenile stage. In this species the times of sexual maturity, incubation and rearing are unknown.

Colombian lesserblack

Distribution

It is distributed from Panama to Colombia and Venezuela, between 0 and 600 m. It is seen in the inter-Andean valleys of the north of the country.

Distribution area