A new species discovery just in time for tarantula appreciation day 2023

The Persian Gold Tarantula (Chaetopelma persianum) is a recently discovered species found in northwestern Iran. Its unique woolly, golden hairs were observed and studied on a single specimen, confirming that it was a previously unknown species.

The discovery of this species was published in ZooKeys on Tarantula Appreciation Day, the 8th of August. The Persian Gold Tarantula belongs to the Chaetopelma genus, which is found in Crete, Sudan, and the Middle East. It is one of the two tarantula genera in the Mediterranean region.

This newly described species is the first record of Chaetopelma in Iran and the third known species of tarantula in the country. Its discovery also expands the known range of Chaetopelma spiders by approximately 350 km to the east.

The species is named Chaetopelma persianum, paying homage to Iran’s historical name, Persia. The authors propose calling it the “Persian Gold Tarantula”.

The Persian Gold Tarantula is a burrower and inhabits high elevations in well-vegetated mountainous regions of the northern Zagros Mountains. The specimen used for the species description was found in a self-made ground burrow on sloped rocky ground surrounded by sparse vegetation.

The discovery of the Persian Gold Tarantula began with local nature enthusiast Mehdi Gavahyan, who photographed a wandering male spider and sent the photo to Dr. Alireza Zamani. Recognizing that the spider could be a new species, Dr. Zamani asked Gavahyan to team up with Amir Hossein Aghaei and collect specimens for further examination. However, they were only able to collect and send a single female specimen, which was used for the species description.

Thanks to citizen scientists and naturalists, the researchers obtained photos of two male spiders from the same genus in close proximity to the type locality of the new species. One male was found in Sardasht, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, and the other in the surroundings of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Further examination of collected material is needed to confirm if these males belong to Ch. persianum.

The researchers emphasize the importance of comprehensive investigations and further collection efforts in unexplored regions to expand our understanding of Chaetopelma spiders and their taxonomy and distribution.

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