Aphonopelma paloma

Prentice, 1993

Paloma dwarf, Paloma Dwarf Tarantula

Aphonopelma paloma, commonly known as the Paloma dwarf, is the smallest known of tarantula, with a leg span of approximately 5 cm. This diminutive theraphosid is to southern Arizona and is notable for its extremely small burrow entrances, measuring only 5–10 mm in width. The species was described by Prentice in 1993 and is considered difficult to detect in the field due to its small size and cryptic habits.

Aphonopelma paloma by (c) Chris A. Hamilton, Brent E. Hendrixson, Jason E. Bond, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Aphonopelma paloma female ZooKeys 560 by Chris A. Hamilton, Brent E. Hendrixson, Jason E. Bond. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Aphonopelma paloma: /əˌfɒnoʊˈpɛlmə pəˈloʊmə/

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Identification

Distinguished from all other Aphonopelma by its exceptionally small size. The burrow entrance (5–10 mm width) is markedly smaller than those of tarantulas. Specimens require close examination to confirm identity, as small of larger species may appear similar.

Images

Habitat

Occurs in southern Arizona. Specific microhabitat details are limited, but the constructs small burrows in ground substrate.

Distribution

to southern Arizona, United States. Precise range boundaries are poorly documented due to the ' cryptic nature and difficulty of .

Behavior

Constructs and occupies small burrows with entrances measuring 5–10 mm in width. The small entrance size contributes to the being easily overlooked during surveys.

Human Relevance

Occasionally maintained in captivity by enthusiasts; one specimen was displayed at the Bohart Museum of open house as part of an educational exhibit.

Similar Taxa

Aphonopelma chalcodes in southern Arizona but substantially larger as ; burrow entrances correspondingly wider
Juvenile Aphonopelma spp. of larger may overlap in size with A. paloma, but attain much greater size at maturity

More Details

Conservation status

The ' restricted distribution and highly specific requirements may warrant attention, though no formal assessment has been published.

Research significance

The extreme miniaturization of this relative to other theraphosids makes it of interest for studies on body size evolution in mygalomorph .