Discovered New species ?


Hong Kong Tarantula

Theraphosidae Gen. Sp.
collected Taiwai, Shatin, New Territories, 1998/1/1



From Mr. Rick West, Canada 1996.Sep.11

"There are two theraphosid species (not counting Haplopelma minax which has been reported over the border into Rep. of China from N. Vietnam) described in the Rep. of China. Chilobrachys tschankhoensis Schenkel, 1962, 2 juv. from Tschank Hoa and Chilobrachys hubei Daxiang & Jingzhao, 1988, 2 males from Badong County, Hubei Province. The specimens collected and sent to me from Hong Kong were identified as Selenocosmia sp. by Dr. Robert Raven, Queensland Museum. Good luck on your search. Check with local herp people who may have seen these mygalomorph spiders and can save you time turning over hundreds of rocks! Thank you. Rick"



I found out Fr. Anthony Bogadek - first "discoverer" in Hong Kong, and got reply mail from him ! 1997.Oct.22


"About the spider, I cannot remember exactly but it must be (one of the) Natural Reserves. I found it under stones inside a poorly constructed web. The spiders was about (1 inch body length). Uniformly brown in color and hairy all over. You just have to turn over large boulders and the chances are that you will find these or the black (mygalomorph ?) spider."



Finally discovered !! 1997.Nov.15

One fine day in autumn, I went with my daughter for hike to ShinMun Reservoir, New Territories. We were walking along forest roads at the edge of Hong Kong-highest Mt. Tai Mo Shan, turning rocks around one after another. After a few hours of trial, we found it !! Two small Mygalomorphae-looking spiders were found under the rock, inside the fine silk tubes. One was black with long spinnerettes, looking like a Diplurid (3cm legspan). Another was light brown and 1.5 cm legspan, obviously spiderling but looked more like a Theraphosid (Selenocosmia-type form).

A few days later, I found the same Theraphosid-looking spiderling (legspan 2cm) while I just tried to turn some rocks along the road in my office compound (which used to be small valley with the stream). It seems the species is quite common in the New Territories. Question is how big it would grow. There are report of 10cm legspan Selenocosmia from China but...

I put them in plastic cases, where they built silk web and occasionally bit mealworm's heads. I am waiting them to moult and grow bigger and bigger !



Moulted !! 1997.Dec..23

It moulted safely ! Still transparent-looking light brown color in legs. After several moults, it might be possible to identify the species from shed skin (when it is bigger enough). Friend of mine scanned the picture and Mr. Rick West in Canada kindly gave me his opinion that this is definitely Family Theraphosid (Genus not yet identified).



Lucky start of the Year ! 4cm legspan tarantula found !! 1998.Jan.1

Oh, it was right under my nose... When I was searching the soil under the trees around my house compound, I found a silk tube web along the tree root. I digged and a spider dashed from the hide. "That's it !!"... Carefully remove the fallen leaves and I found spider folding its legs like it's dead. It can not be mistaken anything else than a tarantula. 23mm body length and 40mm legspan. It bites aggressively tweezers... very Asian. ^_^;

Good start of the Year !! I may be able to report later this year the newly discribed species from Hong Kong !


Made egg sac ! 1998.Mar.14

She was gravid, and layed an egg sac on Mar.14 in an underground burrow. Sac was about 5mm diameter orbit, whose surface was not smooth. So with only 4cm (1 3/4 inches) legspan, it was matured adult female. "Singaprean Spiders" refers to a burrowing species Phlogiellus inermis whose body length is 20mm, showing threre're small burrowing tarantulas around Southeast Asia region.



Ate its own egg sac ! 1998.Mar.15

Well, she ate eggs the following day. Nothing remained. It is said that infirtile eggs are often eaten by mother to absorb protain. Interestingly this spider loves adult mealworm most, then criclets, but doesn't take larvae mealworm.



Moulted and found to be Selenocosmia sp. 1998.Jun.22

Adult female moulted, right after I slightly highten temprature and moisture. Color became lighter. After having examined the shed skin I sent to, Rick West told me that This is most likely be Selenocosmia sp. undiscribed species.

I am back from Hong Kong, so this was quite precious live specimen. She lived upto early 1999 and died. Preserved specimen was sent to Rick West for future description.

Other "Selenocosmids"

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