Phormictopus cancerides
Encyclopedia
The Hispaniolan Giant Tarantula (Phormictopus cancerides) is a tarantula
native to the Dominican Republic
, where it is called Cacata; Haiti
, where it is called Araignée-crab; and Cuba
, where it is rare. It occurs from the West Indies to Brazil
. During the day they hide under rocks and debris and come out at night to look for prey. Their fangs are quite formidable at more than 2 centimeters long, and when they pierce the body of its victim, venom is injected which paralyzes and breaks down the body tissue of the prey, allowing the tarantula to suck up the liquefied insides. Its venom
is very painful to humans; however, no healthy adult has ever died after it.
Their most dangerous predator is the pepsis wasp, commonly called the Tarantula hawk. Locally it is known as a Matacacata (The Tarantula-killer). This is a very large wasp, with an iridescent blue-green body and orange-red wings that grows to about 2 inches or more in length. It captures the spider in its burrow or sometimes in the open and stings it to paralyze it and then lays its eggs on the abdomen. The wasp will drag its victim to a safe place to incubate its young. Once the larva
e hatch they will feed on the alive but paralyzed tarantula until it dies.
Its colour makes the spider, despite the fact they can defend themselves by biting or more commonly by kicking the urticating hair
s from its abdomen, an attractive pet
. They can be kept easily in a terrarium that measures at least four times its leg span in length. The terrarium should be furnished with a substrate, a water dish and a hiding place, otherwise they will dig a burrow. They should be kept at temperatures of between 22 and 28 °C which can even decrease under 20 °C in the night which is uncommon in tropical tarantulas – the difference between temperature during the day and the night is important if one wants to breed this species (Kovařík, 2001), and a diet of four to six crickets
every two weeks.
Tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to...
native to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, where it is called Cacata; Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, where it is called Araignée-crab; and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, where it is rare. It occurs from the West Indies to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. During the day they hide under rocks and debris and come out at night to look for prey. Their fangs are quite formidable at more than 2 centimeters long, and when they pierce the body of its victim, venom is injected which paralyzes and breaks down the body tissue of the prey, allowing the tarantula to suck up the liquefied insides. Its venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
is very painful to humans; however, no healthy adult has ever died after it.
Their most dangerous predator is the pepsis wasp, commonly called the Tarantula hawk. Locally it is known as a Matacacata (The Tarantula-killer). This is a very large wasp, with an iridescent blue-green body and orange-red wings that grows to about 2 inches or more in length. It captures the spider in its burrow or sometimes in the open and stings it to paralyze it and then lays its eggs on the abdomen. The wasp will drag its victim to a safe place to incubate its young. Once the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e hatch they will feed on the alive but paralyzed tarantula until it dies.
Its colour makes the spider, despite the fact they can defend themselves by biting or more commonly by kicking the urticating hair
Urticating hair
Urticating hairs, i.e. stinging hairs, are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, some New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. Urtica is Latin for "nettle", and hairs that urticate are characteristic of this type of plant, and many other plants in...
s from its abdomen, an attractive pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
. They can be kept easily in a terrarium that measures at least four times its leg span in length. The terrarium should be furnished with a substrate, a water dish and a hiding place, otherwise they will dig a burrow. They should be kept at temperatures of between 22 and 28 °C which can even decrease under 20 °C in the night which is uncommon in tropical tarantulas – the difference between temperature during the day and the night is important if one wants to breed this species (Kovařík, 2001), and a diet of four to six crickets
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
every two weeks.
Subspecies, NO LONGER VALID
- Phormictopus cancerides cancerides (Latreille, 1806)—Haiti
- Phormictopus cancerides centumfocensis (Franganillo, 1926)—Cuba
- Phormictopus cancerides tenuispina Strand 1906—South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...