Poecilotheria is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Theraphosidae containing various species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of arboreal tarantula

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...

. This genus is known for vivid color patterns, fast movement, and potent venom compared to other tarantulas. The genus is native to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

 and India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. The name Poecilotheria is derived from Greek "poikilos" - spotted and "therion" - wild beast.

Species

P. formosa is the same species as P. nallamalaiensis. P. formosa was described by Pocock in 1899, while P. nallamalaiensis was described by Rao et al. in 2006, making P. formosa the older name and thus the senior synonym, and the valid name. GABRIEL, R. 2010. Poecilotheria nallamalaiensis Rao et al., 2006, a junior synonym of Poecilotheria formosa Pocock, 1899

External links

• Giant Spiders
• Poecilotheria pics