Haplocosmia himalayana

Haplocosmia himalayana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Theraphosidae
Genus:	Haplocosmia
Species:	H. himalayana
Binomial name
Haplocosmia himalayana Pocock, 1899

Haplocosmia himalayana is a tarantula also known as the Himalayan banded earthtiger or the Himalayan purple-banded earth tiger tarantula.^[1] It was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1899, and as its common name implies, it is found in the Himalayas. This species has also been suggested as a pest controller,^[2]

Description

Males of this species can live up to 5 years and females up to 15 years. Females may grow up to 13 cm, while males only reach up to 6 cm. Both sexes have a light brown, grayish carapace and opisthosoma, with legs that are mostly dark brown with a tan patella.^[2]

Distribution

The species is found in the southern edge of the Himalayan foothills, in southern foothill of Nepal, e g. Chitwan, regions in India e.g. around the Dehradun district, a region of temperate climate with cold winters. It appears to prefer a temperature range of 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) and 65% of humidity.^[2]

Behavior

The species makes burrows in moist soil and constructs webs for seclusion. It feeds on other invertebrates, including their species, and is well adapted to kill large prey.^[2]

References

1. "Haplocosmia himalayana (Pocock, 1899)". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
2. Husain, Akhlaq (2020). "New Record of Himalayan Earth Tiger Tarantula Haplocosmia himalayana (Pocock, 1899) (Arachnida : Araneae : Theraphosidae) from Rajpur, Dehra Dun (Uttarakhand) with its Taxo-morphology, Distribution and Pest Controlling" (PDF). Research Trend. Retrieved December 11, 2022.