Kingdom Animalia Class Arachnida Suborder Mygalomorphae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Araneae Family Theraphosidae People also search for Aphonopelma zionis | |
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Bay area blonde tarantula aphonopelma smithi
Aphonopelma smithi, also known as the Bay Area Blond tarantula, is regarded by some sources as an endemic spider to Northern California, found in California interior chaparral and woodlands habitats, and by other sources as synonymous with Aphonopelma iodius.
The Bay Area Blond tarantula spider lives in an underground burrow lined with silk for most of its life, until it is about 7 years old when it reaches maturity. At this time the males leave the burrow to find mates. Males can be found on Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County, looking for mates, from September to early October. Many people go to Mount Diablo to watch the tarantulas at this time of year.
A 2016 study of Aphonopelma species found in the United States concluded that morphological and molecular analyses failed to distinguish A. smithi (among other species) from A. iodius, and so reduced it to a synonym.