The subfamily of Theraphosinae displays the biggest group of tarantulas in the world – comprising species from the Americas with urticating setae. Recent studies suggest grouping by tribe, defining common ancestors, and clustering closely related genera and species together.
![Xenesthis sp. [poss. X. immanis (Ausserer, 1875)], female (blue morph), Colombia. (Photo D. Knafeljc)](https://birdspiders.ch/wp-content/gallery/theraphosidae/1_Xenesthis-sp.-poss.-X.-immanis-Ausserer-1875-female-blue-morph-Colombia.-Photo-D.-Knafeljc.jpg?t=1674086472 "Xenesthis sp. [poss. X. immanis (Ausserer, 1875)], female (blue morph), Colombia. (Photo D. Knafeljc)")
Additional blog posts
- Davus pentaloris and Other Davus Tarantulas of Central America
- Brachypelma emilia: Mexican Redleg Tarantula in the Wild
- Brachypelma albiceps: the Mexican Golden Red Rump Tarantula
- Xenesthis immanis and the Xenesthis Species Explained
- Hapalotremus: the high-Andes tarantulas
Additional links & references
- Overview of Theraphosinae at Tarantupedia / https://www.tarantupedia.com/theraphosinae
- Pérez-Miles, F. & Perafán, C. (2020). Theraphosinae. In: Pérez-Miles, F. (ed.) New World Tarantulas. Zoological Monographs, 6, pp. 121-151. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-48644-0_5
Explore this site
For the broader family, see the Theraphosidae overview. You can also browse the Tarantula Gallery.
Related species pages
- Brachypelma auratum, the Mexican flame knee tarantula
- Tliltocatl epicureanus, a tarantula recorded near its published type locality in Yucatan
- A Theraphosa encounter in Suriname, an unidentified field record
- Biggest Spider in the World: Goliath Birdeater Facts
- Tliltocatl albopilosus, the curly hair tarantula (formerly Brachypelma albopilosum)