The first spider we filmed
Our 2018 journey through Colombia began with a colleague showing us places where he had observed tarantulas. A small theraphosine near Medellin became one of the first spiders we documented on video: Aguapanela arvi.
A defensive display in the moss
Several spiders occupied retreats in a mossy setting. When disturbed at the entrance, individuals raised the front of the body and exposed the chelicerae. We did not see them brush urticating setae. The old unlisted field video remains in the supporter section below.
What science has added
Perafán, Cifuentes, and Estrada described Aguapanela arvi and its genus in 2015. The World Spider Catalog accepts it as the type species and only accepted member of Aguapanela [1, 2].
Aguirre-Cano and colleagues published new records in 2026 from the Colombian departments of Caldas, Quindío, and Risaralda. Their study used biological collections, field observations, and citizen-science records. It also documented interactions with a parasitoid wasp and an arthropod-pathogenic fungus [3]. These broad records expand the known distribution without adding a precise site to this article.
The spiders and the first field video
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Supporters can continue with the original bonus photographs and video.
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References
- [1] World Spider Catalog (2026). World Spider Catalog, version 27. Natural History Museum Bern. Aguapanela arvi species record. doi:10.24436/2.
- [2] Perafán, C., Cifuentes, Y. & Estrada-Gómez, S. (2015). Aguapanela, a new tarantula genus from the Colombian Andes. Zootaxa 4033(4): 529-542. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4033.4.4.
- [3] Aguirre-Cano, D., Moreno-García, R., Parra-Giraldo, A., Carmona-Aguirre, B., Palacios-Castro, S. & Álvarez-Arellano, D. (2026). New data on the distribution of Aguapanela arvi in Colombia through collections and citizen science, with notes on natural history. Fragmenta entomologica 58(1): 165-172. doi:10.13133/2284-4880/2005.
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