Taxonomic Section
Mygalomorphae
(Orthognatha)
The mygalomorphs are among the most "primitive" of the spiders, and include the trapdoor spiders (Ctenizidae), funnelweb tarantulas (Dipluridae) and tarantulas or bird spiders (Theraphosidae). The name tarantula, which is often used for the theraphosids, comes from the term used by the Italian sailors under Columbus and later explorers for the large wolf spiders found in southern Italy. The theraphosids are not closely related to the wolf spiders (aside from both being spiders) and so the term was a generic one for spiders of large size.
ANTRODIAETIDAE (2 species)
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Aliatypus isolatus Coyle (Folding-door tarantula)
Size: 10 mm or so
General Distribution: Mountains of northern and east-central Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Coconino, Pima.
Habitat: Forest at high elevations.
Adults Collected: March and August.
Notes: A typical trap-door building spider
Records: Coyle 1974.
Reference: Coyle 1974.
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Antrodiaetus apachecus Coyle (Folding-door tarantula)
Size: 10 mm or so
General Distribution: Mountains of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Graham, Navajo; NM: Sandoval.
Habitat: Forest at high elevations.
Adults Collected: July-September.
Notes: The only known folding-door tarantula in our area., living in a silk lined burrow with flexible collar that is collapsed inward.
Collar covered with pine needles, twigs, moss, etc.
Records: Coyle 1971, Roth 1996.
Reference: Coyle 1971, Roth 1996.
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MECICOBOTHRIDAE (2 species)
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Hexurella apachea Gertsch and Platnick
Size: 3.3 mm.
General Distribution: Southeast Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Cochise, Santa Cruz.
Habitat: Detritus under oak trees.
Adults Collected: March-May.
Notes: Tiny mygalomorphs with very long spinnerets.
Records: Gertsch & Platnick 1979, Roth 1996.
Reference: Gertsch & Platnick 1979, Roth 1996.
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Hexurella pinea Gertsch and Platnick
Size: 2.5-3.5 mm.
General Distribution: West central Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Yavapai.
Habitat: Funnel webs in duff of Pinus ponderosus.
Adults Collected: May.
Notes: Tiny mygalomorphs with very long spinnerets.
Records: Gertsch & Platnick 1979.
Reference: Gertsch & Platnick 1979.
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DIPLURIDAE (3 species)
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Euagrus chisoseus Gertsch ( = E. ravenus Gertsch & Mulaik, E. apacheus Gertsch & Mulaik, E. ritaensis Chamberlin & Ivie).
Size: ca. 10 mm. as adults
General Distribution: Texas to SE Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz; NM: Eddy, Hidalgo; TX: Brewster, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Terrell.
Habitat: Funnel webs under rocks in riparian areas.
Adults Collected: March-November.
Notes: Medium small mygalomorph with long spinnerets.
Records: Beatty 1961, Coyle 1988, Roth 1996, specimens from Eddy and Hidalgo Counties, NM in NMSU collection.
Reference: Beatty 1961, Coyle 1988, Roth 1996.
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Euagrus comstocki Gertsch
Size: ca. 10 mm. as adults
General Distribution: Texas.
Distribution in Area Covered: TX: Terrell.
Habitat: Funnel webs under rocks in riparian areas.
Adults Collected:
Notes: Medium small mygalomorph with long spinnerets.
Records: Texas A & M University.
Reference: Coyle 1988.
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Euagrus rothi Coyle
Size: Similar to E. chisoseus.
General Distribution: Baboquivari Mts. of Pima Co., Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Pima.
Habitat: Probably as in E. chisoeus.
Adults Collected: June to October.
Notes: Medium small mygalomorph with long spinnerets.
Records: Coyle 1988.
Reference: Coyle 1988.
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CYRTAUCHENIIDAE (2 species)
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Eutychides arizonicus (Gertsch & Wallace) (= Actinoxia a.)
Size: ca.10 mm.
General Distribution: Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Distribution in Area Covered: NM: Lincoln; TX: Brewster.
Habitat: Not known
Adults Collected:
Notes:
Records: Gertsch & Riechert 1976, Texas A & M.
Reference: Gertsch & Wallace 1936, Gertsch & Riechert 1976.
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Neoapachella rothi Bond & Opell
Size: ca. 10 mm.
General Distribution: New Mexico, Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: NM: Cibola.
Habitat: Subalpine grassland at 11,300
Adults Collected: July-August
Notes: This appears to be the highest elevation where members of this family have been collected.
Records: Bond & Opell 2002, NMSU collection.
Reference: Bond & Opell 2002.
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CTENIZIDAE (2 species)
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Ummidia modesta (Banks)
Size: ca. 10 mm.
General Distribution: New Mexico.
Distribution in Area Covered: NM.
Habitat: Not known.
Adults Collected:
Notes:
Records: Not available.
Reference: Petrunkevitch 1939.
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Ummidia sp.
Size: ca. 10 mm.
General Distribution: Southeastern Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Santa Cruz.
Habitat: bajada in pinyon-juniper
Adults Collected: Summer.
Notes: Found with tube through cow pie.
Records: Female from Huachuca Mountains in FSCA.
Reference: None published.
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THERAPHOSIDAE (22 species)
The Theraphosidae contain the spiders most commonly referred to as "tarantulas". These are very large, hairy spiders, commonly seen crossing roads (males) in late summer and autumn. The family is still poorly known, despite the interest shown in them in the exotic pet trade, because they have few good morphological characters to use for taxonomic purposes. Cooke et al. (1972) tried to utilize the urticating hairs (observable as a patch on the dorsal posterior area of the abdomen) for taxonomic work, but they were only of limited use. Smith (1994) published a book on North American tarantulas. Unfortunately this book, while an impressive effort, does not solve the problems and may, in fact, cause a few more because of lack of study of series of specimens or a complete search of the literature. Roth lists four undescribed species (pers. comm.) as occurring in the Chiricahua Mountains, noting that two of them may have been described by Smith (1995), but they cannot be determined based on those descriptions.
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Aphonopelma apacheum Chamberlin
Size: Male 45 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Pima.
Habitat: Desert. scrub
Adults Collected: July.
Notes:
Records: Chamberlin 1940, Smith 1994.
Reference: Chamberlin 1940, Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma behlei Chamberlin
Size: Male 30 mm, female ?
General Distribution: Arizona and New Mexico.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Coconino; NM: San Juan.
Habitat: High Desert, blackbrush vegetation on virgin ungrazed region and pinyon-juniper woodland- to 7,000 ft.
Adults Collected: September.
Notes:
Records: Chamberlin 1940, Smith 1984.
Reference: Chamberlin 1940, Smith 1984.
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Aphonopelma chalcodes Chamberlin
Size: Male 55 mm, female 62 mm.
General Distribution: Southern Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Cochise, Pima.
Habitat: Sonoran Desert.
Adults Collected: July-August.
Notes: Collected at 2300-4500' in the Santa Catalina Mountains by Beatty (1961).
Records: Chamberlin 1940, Beatty 1961, Smith 1994.
Reference: Chamberlin 1940, Beatty 1961, Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma echinum (Chamberlin) (=Dugesiella e.)
Size: 40 mm.
General Distribution: Arkansas River Valley, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas.
Distribution in Area Covered: NM: Lincoln; TX: Brewster, Presido.
Habitat: Juniper-pinyon woodland and dry grassland.
Adults Collected: November.
Notes: Smith calls this species A. echinum and restricts it to the Arkansas River Valley and part of Colorado.
Records: Gertsch & Riechert 1976, Smith 1994, Dean 1996, Texas A & M.
Reference: Gertsch & Riechert 1976, Smith 1994, Dean 1996.
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Aphonopelma gabeli Smith
Size: Male 38 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Cochise, Pima.
Habitat: Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert.
Adults Collected: July
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
Reference: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma hentzi (Girard) (=Dugesiella h. )
Size: Male 35 mm, female 51 mm.
General Distribution: Louisiana N. to Kansas and W. to Arizona and Texas.
Distribution in Area Covered: NM: Lincoln.
Habitat: Lava beds.
Adults Collected: August
Notes: Record of later maturing male collected as subadult on July 16, 1991, from Valley of Fires St. Pk., identified by Rick West.
Smith restricts this species to Oklahoma; West has also identified this as common Kansas species.
Records: Rick West.
Reference: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma jungi Smith
Size: Male 38 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Cochise; NM: Hidalgo.
Habitat: Chihuahuan desert at base of Chiricahua Mts.
Adults Collected: August.
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
Reference: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma lithodomum Chamberlin
Size: Male 32 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Northern Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Coconino (House Rock)?
Habitat: Great Basin sage brush and shrub pine juniper woodland.
Adults Collected: September.
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
Reference: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma marxi (Simon)
Size: Male 20 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Utah and Colorado S. to California and Texas?.
Distribution in Area Covered: NM: Sandoval??
Habitat: ?
Adults Collected: ?
Notes: Smith does not think that the New Mexico record is valid. Type apparently lost. Description inadequate for determination.
Records: Smith 1994.
Reference: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma minchi Smith
Size: Male 53 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Maricopa.
Habitat: Sonoran Desert bajada.
Adults Collected: Mid-August.
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
Reference: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma paloma (Prentice) (=Apachepelma p.)
Size: Male 14.5 mm, female 16.2 mm.
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Pinal.
Habitat: Sonoran desert bajada with creosote, saguaro, ocotillo and palo verde scrub.
Adults Collected: November.
Notes: This is the smallest known U. S. species in the genus.
Records: Prentice 1992, Smith 1994.
Reference: Prentice 1992, Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma phasmus (Chamberlin)
Size: Male 24 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Coconino.
Habitat: Pristine range in Grand Canyon National Park.
Adults Collected: July-August.
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
References: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma punzoi Smith
Size: Male 36 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Graham.
Habitat: Transition between Chihuahuan and Sonoran Desert- pristine range, black brush.
Adults Collected: Mid-August.
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
References: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma rothi Smith [=rusticum (Simon)]?
Size: Male 44 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: SE "Apache Trail"
Habitat: Sonoran Desert.
Adults Collected: March
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
References: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma rusticum (Simon)
Size: Male 41 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Arizona S. into Mexico.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Yuma?
Habitat: Mexican central Gulf Coast scrubland.
Adults Collected: ?
Notes: Smith does not think that this species is found in the United States.
Records: Roth?
References: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma schmidti Smith
Size: Male 43 mm, female 61 mm..
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Maricopa? "Florence Junction"
Habitat: Upper bajada Sonoran Desert.
Adults Collected: August.
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
References: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma simulatum Chamberlin & Ivie
Size: Male 20 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Utah and New Mexico?
Distribution in Area Covered: NM: Sandoval.
Habitat: Pinyon-juniper woodland and grassland.
Adults Collected: July.
Notes: Smith does not think that this species is found in New Mexico, he records this only from the Colorado-Utah border.
Records: Smith 1994.
Reference: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma stahnkei Smith
Size: Male 54 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Maricopa.
Habitat: Sonoran desert.
Adults Collected: ?
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
Reference: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma steindachneri (Ausserer)
Size: Male 39 mm, female unknown.
General Distribution: Utah S. to New Mexico and Texas.
Distribution in Area Covered: NM: Eddy?; TX: Brewster, Pecos.
Habitat: Desert grassland.
Adults Collected: ?
Notes: Smith believes locality should be Pecos River, New Mexico.
Records: Vogel 1970, Smith 1994, Dean 1996.
Reference: Vogel 1970, Smith 1994, Dean 1996.
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Aphonopelma vogelae Smith
Size: Male 26 mm, female unknown
General Distribution: Utah S. to New Mexico and Texas.
Distribution in Area Covered: NM: San Juan.
Habitat: Pinus ponderosa and Quercus gambeli woodland.
Adults Collected: October.
Notes:
Records: Smith 1994.
Reference: Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma vorhiesi Chamberlin & Ivie
Size: Male 28 mm, female unknown
General Distribution: Arizona.
Distribution in Area Covered: AZ: Pima.
Habitat: Sonoran desert.
Adults Collected:
Notes: Collected at 3500-7600' in Santa Catalina Mountains by Beatty (1961).
Records: Beatty 1961, Smith 1994.
Reference: Beatty 1961, Smith 1994.
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Aphonopelma sp.
Size: General Distribution: SW New Mexico
Distribution in Area Covered: NM: Hidalgo.
Habitat: Riparian woodland.
Adults Collected:
Notes: Collected at 6000' in Peloncillo Mountains.
Records: NMSU Arthropod Museum, University of California-Riverside.
Reference: Not yet described.
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