After a team of researchers from Auburn University discovered 14 new spider species in the Aphonopelma genus, all within the southwestern United States, they decided to name one, A. johnnycashi after the famous singer-songwriter, Johnny Cash. This unique family of spiders have been the subject of much attention around the world despite the fact that little is known about the hairy, large-bodied family.
"We often hear about how new species are being discovered from remote corners of the Earth, but what is remarkable is that these spiders are in our own backyard," Chris Hamilton, lead author of the study, said in a press release. "With the Earth in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, it is astonishing how little we know about our planet's biodiversity, even for charismatic groups such as tarantulas."
Tarantulas within the Aphonopelma genus are some of the most unique in the United States due to the extreme size differences between species - some have a leg span about as long as the face on an American quarter, whereas others reach six inches in leg span.
In order to gain a better understanding of the diversity and geographic distribution of these spiders, the team spent more than a decade searching deserts, mountains and other locations in the southwestern United States, studying almost 3,000 specimens in the process and making the project the most comprehensive taxonomic study ever conducted on a group of tarantulas.
The results revealed 29 different species in the United States, 14 of which are completely new, including A. johnnycashi. The name was chosen since it was discovered near California's Folsom Prison, referenced in Cash's song "Folsom Prison Blues," as well as the tendency of mature males to possess a solid black color, which references Cash's "man in black" style of fashion.
Although most of the species found in the study have large populations and distributions, some possess restrictive distributions and might require conservation efforts to prevent future extinction.
"Two of the new species are confined to single mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona, one of the United States' biodiversity hotspots," said Brent Hendrixson, co-author of the study. "These fragile habitats are threatened by increased urbanization, recreation and climate change. There is also some concern that these spiders will become popular in the pet trade due to their rarity, so we need to consider the impact that collectors may have on populations as well."
The findings were published in the Feb. 4 issue of ZooKeys.
