Dimorphism and population size of the Mexican redrump tarantula,Brachypelma vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Southeast Mexico

As a general rule, spiders exhibit sexual dimorphism and their populations may differ in size according to season duration and resourceavailability. However, few studies have focused on dimorphism in tarantulas. Mexican redrump tarantulas, Brachypelma vagans, listed in CITES,have an exceptionally wi...

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Main Authors: Yann Hénaut, Salima Machkour-M’Rabet, Holger Weissenbergerc, Roberto Rojo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 2015-09-01
Series:Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
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Online Access:https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/1404
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author Yann Hénaut
Salima Machkour-M’Rabet
Holger Weissenbergerc
Roberto Rojo
author_facet Yann Hénaut
Salima Machkour-M’Rabet
Holger Weissenbergerc
Roberto Rojo
author_sort Yann Hénaut
collection DOAJ
description As a general rule, spiders exhibit sexual dimorphism and their populations may differ in size according to season duration and resourceavailability. However, few studies have focused on dimorphism in tarantulas. Mexican redrump tarantulas, Brachypelma vagans, listed in CITES,have an exceptionally wide distribution. Surprisingly, there are no studies on the possible relationship between the abundance of tarantulas perpopulation and the geographical areas where they are present, or on how the distribution pattern of this spider may affect individual morphologicalcharacteristics. Furthermore, there are no studies on sexual dimorphism within the genus Brachypelma. The aim of the study is to determine theexistence of sexual and geographical dimorphism in populations of B. vagans. It was observed that the abundance of spiders per population mayvary according to the geographical areas where they were recorded. In six localities in southern Mexico, we recorded morphological data on adulttarantulas. Sexual dimorphism was clearly observed at the site that presented numerous spiders characterized by much smaller females. Since theresults of this study demonstrate differences in tarantula number of individuals per locality in southern Mexico, they make an important contributionto the conservation of this species.
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spelling doaj-art-69b94a15d8644e91b2e8895af3365e312025-08-20T02:59:01ZengUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoRevista Mexicana de Biodiversidad1870-34532007-87062015-09-0186310.1016/j.rmb.2015.07.003Dimorphism and population size of the Mexican redrump tarantula,Brachypelma vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Southeast MexicoYann HénautSalima Machkour-M’RabetHolger WeissenbergercRoberto RojoAs a general rule, spiders exhibit sexual dimorphism and their populations may differ in size according to season duration and resourceavailability. However, few studies have focused on dimorphism in tarantulas. Mexican redrump tarantulas, Brachypelma vagans, listed in CITES,have an exceptionally wide distribution. Surprisingly, there are no studies on the possible relationship between the abundance of tarantulas perpopulation and the geographical areas where they are present, or on how the distribution pattern of this spider may affect individual morphologicalcharacteristics. Furthermore, there are no studies on sexual dimorphism within the genus Brachypelma. The aim of the study is to determine theexistence of sexual and geographical dimorphism in populations of B. vagans. It was observed that the abundance of spiders per population mayvary according to the geographical areas where they were recorded. In six localities in southern Mexico, we recorded morphological data on adulttarantulas. Sexual dimorphism was clearly observed at the site that presented numerous spiders characterized by much smaller females. Since theresults of this study demonstrate differences in tarantula number of individuals per locality in southern Mexico, they make an important contributionto the conservation of this species.https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/1404BrachypelmaTarantulasDensityMorphometrySexual dimorphismConservation
spellingShingle Yann Hénaut
Salima Machkour-M’Rabet
Holger Weissenbergerc
Roberto Rojo
Dimorphism and population size of the Mexican redrump tarantula,Brachypelma vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Southeast Mexico
Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
Brachypelma
Tarantulas
Density
Morphometry
Sexual dimorphism
Conservation
title Dimorphism and population size of the Mexican redrump tarantula,Brachypelma vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Southeast Mexico
title_full Dimorphism and population size of the Mexican redrump tarantula,Brachypelma vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Southeast Mexico
title_fullStr Dimorphism and population size of the Mexican redrump tarantula,Brachypelma vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Southeast Mexico
title_full_unstemmed Dimorphism and population size of the Mexican redrump tarantula,Brachypelma vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Southeast Mexico
title_short Dimorphism and population size of the Mexican redrump tarantula,Brachypelma vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Southeast Mexico
title_sort dimorphism and population size of the mexican redrump tarantula brachypelma vagans araneae theraphosidae in southeast mexico
topic Brachypelma
Tarantulas
Density
Morphometry
Sexual dimorphism
Conservation
url https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/1404
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