When Tarantula Venom Comes from a Misnamed Spider: The Importance of Taxonomic Accuracy in Theraphosid Toxinology

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  When Tarantula Venom Comes from a Misnamed Spider: The Importance of Taxonomic Accuracy in Theraphosid Toxinology I am very happy to share my most recent publication in Toxicon. This is a particularly meaningful publication for me because it brings together two areas that have become an important part of my work and personal interests: tarantulas and toxinology. At first glance, taxonomy and venom research may seem like two very different fields. In reality, they are closely connected. Before we can properly study the venom of a spider, we need to know which spider we are actually studying. Why the Name Matters A scientific name is much more than a label attached to an animal. It connects that animal to everything we report about it, including its biology, distribution, behavior, venom, toxins, and even its potential medical importance. When a tarantula is incorrectly identified, or when an outdated name continues to be used without considering changes in taxonomy, the problem ca...

Description of two new huntsman spiders from Vietnam (Araneae, Sparassidae)

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Description of two new huntsman spiders from Vietnam (Araneae, Sparassidae)

Abstract

Two new species of the sparassid genera Heteropoda Latreille, 1804 and Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 are described from Vietnam: Heteropoda taygiangensis sp. nov. (♂) from Quang Nam Province and Pseudopoda tadungensis sp. nov. (♀) from Dak Nong Province. The new Pseudopoda species is described and diagnosed based on both morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding. DNA barcode data (COI) are provided for both new species.

Zhang H, Hoang QD, Lei S (2025) Description of two new huntsman spiders from Vietnam (Araneae, Sparassidae). ZooKeys 1236: 129-140. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1236.145146 

Please access here while the DOI is resolved: https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/145146/list/9/