Ephebopus murinus
| Skeleton tarantula | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Ephebopus |
| Species: | E. murinus |
| Binomial name | |
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Ephebopus murinus (Walckenaer, 1837) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The skeleton tarantula, Ephebopus murinus, is a species of spider belonging to the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas), sub-family Aviculariinae. A New World species, it is native to several South American countries. Its common name is derived from the skeleton-like markings on its legs.
The species was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1837 as Mygale murina. In 1892, Eugène Simon placed it in his genus Ephebopus.Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge described it as Santaremia pococki in 1896 (creating a new genus). Later Reginald Innes Pocock (1903) synonymised S. pococki with E. murinus, which remains the species' accepted scientific name to date.
The generic name, Ephebopus is derived from the Greek meaning "youth(ful)" plus "foot", and the specific name, murinus is from the Latin meaning "mouse-colored".
The adult E. murinus usually grows to a leg span of about 11–12 cm (4.5 inches), though females can grow as large as 15 cm (6 inches).
The legs are black, the abdomen is small and brown, and the carapace is coffee colored or golden. The leg striping is similar to that of Aphonopelma seemani, but more yellowish in colour.
E. murinus is a terrestrial, semi-fossorial, lowland forest-dwelling species native to northern Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname.
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