The research will be submitted for publication in a specialized journal, and it is proposed that the species be named Hapalotremus otcai, in honor of the support received from ACTO.
Bolivian researchers reveal to science a possible new species of tarantula. The discovery resulted from the study “Diagnosis of the impact of illegal species trafficking on invertebrate populations in Bolivia”, requested by the Permanent Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (SP/OTCA), in coordination with the General Directorate of Biodiversity and Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment and Water of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
The outcome of this consultancy is a “Diagnosis of the current status of the populations of teraphosidae (tarantulas) in Bolivia and the impact of illegal trafficking on the group”. This study allowed for expanding the knowledge on the distribution of these species, in addition to the discovery of new species for science.
The researchers responsible for the description of the species ─ Juan Fernando Guerra Serrudo, who is an associate researcher of the Bolivian Fauna Collection and the National Museum of Natural History; and Natalie Herrera, a researcher at the Museum of Natural History of La Paz ─ stated that the group of teraphosids is one of the most unknown but fascinating groups due to its morphology, behavior, and interaction with other species.
Upon completion of the description and morphological analysis of the potential new species, the work will be submitted to an accredited scientific journal. Once published, the suggested name ─ Hapalotremus otcai ─ in honor of the ACTO will be official and will become part of the known biodiversity of Bolivia.
Tarantulas in Bolivia
The Plurinational State of Bolivia is considered one of the 15 megadiverse countries; however, there is still limited knowledge about biodiversity, and research and inventory efforts have focused mainly on vertebrates and higher plants.
Bolivia’s Red Book of Invertebrates (MMAyA 2020) lists 70 species under some threat category, but only considers three orders of insects (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera). This shows a preliminary or circumstantial knowledge of the conservation status of invertebrates in Bolivia. Nevertheless, of the species included in this first document, four invertebrate species are categorized in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Commonly called tarantulas, the family Theraphosidae, suborder Orthognatha (Mygalomorphae), comprises numerous tropical and subtropical taxa known as migalas, chilean rose, tarantulas, apasankas, pasankas, qampu kusi-kusi and qampu. According to Platnick’s World Spider Catalog 2021[3], approximately 1010 species are known worldwide, assigned to 152 genera.
There are still few studies conducted in Bolivia. On the one hand, Simon (1892) describes the first species, the Lasiodora boliviana, and in 1903, he described the Hapalotremus albipes. Later, in their research, Strand (1907) described three species of tarantulas for the valley and the mountain range of Sorata; Shiapelli & Gerschman (1962) cite three species of Theraphosidae; and Galiano (1979) mentions two species of Salticidae. On the other hand, in an expedition carried out in July 1993 in the departments of La Paz and Beni, Hoffer & Brescovit (1994) published a list of 41 families and 396 species. Several other species continued to be described by different researchers until 2021.
Guerra (2020), in a report in the Revista Escape of La Razón[4] newspaper, warns about the illegal trafficking of Bolivian species. Additionally, 30 species of Theraphosidae are listed for Bolivia. It is possible to estimate, however, that at least 50 species of tarantulas could be found in Bolivia, as shown in several studies from 2014 to 2021.
Based on the diagnosis carried out with the support of ACTO’s Bioamazon Project, the main threats identified for Theraphosidae are habitat loss, habitat degradation, overexploitation of wildlife, the impact of agrochemicals, and climate change.
This study was carried out to provide information on the Theraphosidae family. Diagnoses were made on the current status of the populations of the different species of tarantulas in Bolivia and the level of impact of illegal trafficking on the group. Also, a list of species subject to trafficking was prepared, along with technical data sheets on each species and the threats to each taxon.
Bolivia is a center of oro-hydrographic distribution, offering an infinite number of environments that host species of Theraphosidae, several of which are considered endemic. From a list of 32 species of Theraphosidae present in Bolivia, 15 of them occur in other countries and 17 are endemic to the country. Among those 32 species, 15 are offered on different websites, and several of them are bred in captivity, which shows the impact of trafficking of Theraphosidae species, not only in Bolivia, but also at the continental level.
*With information from Diagnóstico de los Theraphosidae de Bolivia – Propuesta Plan de Acción de los Invertebrados de Bolivia.
Published in the Bioamazon Newsletter, issue n. 17, September-October 2022
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[1] https://wsc.nmbe.ch/family/100/Theraphosidae
[2] https://www.la-razon.com/escape/2020/07/01/tarantulas-bolivianas-a-la-venta-en-internet/
