#104 - LABELER TAPE & TAXONOMY

I'm sure you've considered it. Are theraphosid taxonomists sponsored by Dymo or Brother? Surely the constant changes to tarantula scientific names fuel a surge in label tape purchases. Maybe your old school and scrawl out barely legible IDs on masking tape. So maybe 3M is part of the big conspiracy. 

I recently co-authored a paper with Andrew Smith that changed the names of many Ornithoctoninae. Although our work focused on the arboreal tarantulas of places like Malaysia and Borneo, the revision affected terrestrial genera as well. Your Haplopelma became Cyriopagopus. Admittedly, we noted that future works by experts on these spiders (e.g. German Volker Von Wirth) may resurrect Haplopelma and perhaps Melopoeus. More label and masking tape sold. Among our changes your Cyriopagopus schioedtei became Omothymus schioedtei, which means that the still undescribed Cyriopaopus sp. hatihati should be called Omothymus sp. hatihati. Your Lampropelma violaceopes (until ten years ago known as Cyriopagopus sp. Blue) is now Omothymus violaceopes. Phormingochilus gained three new species and one - P. carpenteri - is likely what you've labeled as Cyriopagopus sp. Sulawesi. Cyriopagopus sp. Sumatra is likely Phormingochilus fuchsi. The changes go on. More Dymo tape is sold. 

I just updated my Tarantula Bibliography to include more recent changes to tarantula names. Go to Target or Wal-Mart and buy some more label tape. Holothele incei is now Neoholothele incei. Oligoxystre diamantinensis is now Dolichothele diamantinensis. Who the flock could pronounce "Oligoxystre" anyway?!?!?!

Genera change much more often than species. If you can't afford a $30 a month Dymo tape budget perhaps you should just label your terrariums with the specific epithet. Then again, gender declination must match. If a species is moved from a "feminine" genus to a "masculine" or "neuter" genus the suffix may change. For example, a dymolabelus might become a dymolabela. More revenue for the label companies. 

Here's a suggestion. Buy a dry erase marker. It will last a long time. Or buy removable adhesive Avery labels and computer print your ID tags. More money saved means more tarantulas purchased. 

All the best, MJ