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The newly described tarantula Aphonopelma jacobii lives in Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains. Its males have bright orange or red hairs on the abdomen—the “fiery orange backside” in the headline—but researchers identified the species using genetic, anatomical, behavioral, and distributional evidence, not color alone.
What is the new orange tarantula called?
The species is Aphonopelma jacobii, described in a 2024 peer-reviewed taxonomic paper by Hamilton, Hendrixson, and Silvestre Bringas. It belongs to the Marxi group of tarantulas. The specific name honors Michael A. Jacobi, who helped with field trips and collected important specimens.
The phrase “Enchanted Mountain Wilderness” is not the locality name used in the study. The paper places the species in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona; it does not establish that the spider was found in a wilderness area by that name.
How did researchers identify it as a new species?
From a tentative identification to a new species
During a field trip in late October 2018, researchers found tarantulas in mixed conifer forest at about 2,364 metres elevation. Based on where they were found, the spiders were initially assigned tentatively to A. chiricahua. Preliminary analysis of mitochondrial COX1 sequences indicated that they were genetically distinct. Researchers returned in late October 2019 and found specimens at two more populations.
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Multiple lines of evidence
The team combined morphology, mitochondrial COX1 sequences, genomic-scale ultraconserved element (UCE) data, behavior, and distribution. The nuclear genomic analysis identified A. jacobii as a distinct, monophyletic lineage and its sister lineage to A. marxi. It is also phylogenetically distinct from A. chiricahua, the other tarantula endemic to the Chiricahua Mountains. The abdominal color is noticeable, but it is not sufficient on its own to identify the species.
The paper also revises an earlier identification: apart from the male holotype, material examined in the original description of A. chiricahua had been misidentified. The authors reidentify relevant specimens as A. jacobii and redescribe A. chiricahua.
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What does Aphonopelma jacobii look like?
The study describes males as generally black, with bright orange or red setae—the hairs—on the abdomen. This coloration resembles that of male A. vorhiesi, so a black-and-orange appearance in a photograph is not enough to distinguish the two.
Among the mature male specimens examined, carapace length was 6.708–8.955 mm for A. jacobii, compared with 10.018–13.980 mm for A. vorhiesi. These are measurements from the study specimens, not a guarantee that every individual falls within those ranges. The paper reports mature male A. jacobii activity in October and November; morphology and genetic evidence, along with seasonal behavior, help distinguish it from similar species.
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Where does it live, and what is its habitat?
Aphonopelma jacobii is reported as endemic to the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona. Researchers found it in high-elevation mixed conifer forest. The paper reports that it is probably the only tarantula encountered in that forest habitat in the Chiricahuas.
At lower elevations, in oak and pine-oak woodlands, its distribution overlaps with A. chalcodes, A. chiricahua, A. gabeli, and A. vorhiesi. The authors describe several short-range endemic tarantulas occurring within this one Madrean Sky Island mountain range. The study gives a type locality along Forest Road 42D above Onion Saddle at 2,364 m; because the species is narrowly endemic and the authors raise collection concerns, that location should not be treated as a wildlife-viewing or collecting destination.
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What is known about its numbers and conservation?
The paper does not establish a wild-population estimate or formal conservation status for A. jacobii. The authors say distribution and abundance are difficult to assess because the spiders are challenging to find and parts of the mountain range remain unsampled. They recommend additional sampling and long-term monitoring.
The authors also raise concern that the species could be introduced into the pet trade. They note that locality information published for other Madrean Sky Island tarantulas was followed by those species appearing on pet-trade lists. This is a stated concern, not evidence in the paper that A. jacobii is currently for sale or protected under a particular law. Avoid collecting or encouraging collection of a narrowly endemic wild tarantula.
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How many specimens were studied?
The paper’s measurement datasets included 14 mature male and 6 mature female A. jacobii specimens. That is the number of study specimens used for measurements, not a count or estimate of how many spiders live in the wild.
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