Arachnid · GBIF taxon 2153618
Missouri Tarantula
Aphonopelma hentziAlso known as Texas Brown Tarantula, Oklahoma Brown Tarantula
Missouri tarantulas spend most of their lives inside deep, silk-lined soil burrows that shield them from harsh weather and predators. During late summer and autumn afternoons, mature males venture out to roam fields and roads in search of females. When threatened, these docile spiders raise their front legs high in warning or scrape microscopic, irritating hairs off their abdomens.
TerrestrialBurrowingNocturnal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Crickets
- Grasshoppers
- Beetles
Predators
- Tarantula Hawks
- Skunks
- Opossums
ThreatsHabitat loss, road mortality during breeding migrations, pesticide exposure
HabitatsDry prairies, rocky glades, oak woodlands, pastures
Life spanFemales 20–30 years, males 7–10 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyTheraphosidae
- SpeciesAphonopelma hentzi
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskVery high
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is very high
- Delivers a bee-sting-like bite and sheds itchy urticating hairs; observe from a safe distance.
- Why it is dangerous
- Fangs inject mild venom causing bee-sting-like pain, while kicked abdominal hairs induce severe skin and eye irritation.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Recognizable by a thick, dark brown body with a leg span reaching up to 13 centimeters.
- What to do
- Keep a respectful distance and step back immediately if the spider rears its front legs into a threat pose.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Watch for roaming males crossing countryside roads during warm early autumn evenings.
- Precaution: Never disturb silk-lined burrow entrances located under rocks or logs.
- Safety: Avoid touching abdomen bristles, which cause intense itchiness and eye irritation.
Predator (c) Seth Wollney, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Chris A. Hamilton, Brent E. Hendrixson, Jason E. Bond, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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