The subfamily Trichopelmatinae of the family Theraphosidae Thorell, 1869 (tarantulas) comprise 31 described species. They are known only from the New World, particularly the Caribbean, Central and South America (Mori and Bertani 2020). However information on the ecology and behaviour of this group is sparse.
Trichopelma coenobita was originally described as Stothis coenobita Simon 1889, based on a female specimen from Venezuela. Decades later, a male T. coenobita was described for the first time, thanks to a new observation of a male-female pair on Trinidad in February 1964. In this report, we present two additional observations of this tarantula species on Trinidad, expanding its known geographic distribution. These findings supplement the following earlier records of their presence on the island: January 1945 and February 1968, location 10°21’N, 61°13’W; 10-22 February 1964 -Arima Valley; and 14-26 July 1978 - Blanchisseuse (Mori and Bertani 2020). West (1984) misidentified a specimen of T. coenobita from the Textel Station, Blanchissuese Road, as Cyriocosmus elegans, which also occurs there (Sherwood et al. 2022).
Most striking is the number of distinctive physical features, most notably the abdominal pattern, that distinguish T. coenobita from other sympatric theraphosids. Although Mori and Bertani (2020) described their physical characteristics in detail, not much could be said about Trichopelma coenobita reproduction, natural behaviour, prey preference and hunting strategies or conservation status.
