Phormingochilus

Genus Phormingochilus Pocock, 1895

Genus status. Type species - Phormingochilus everetti Pocock, 1895.

Representatives of genus Phormingochilus are characterized within following features:
Outer side of chelicerae furnished with a dense pad of plumose setae, below which are approximately six long, stout, barbed, plumose setae. Trochanter of pedipalp also has a plumose setae, of coxa – stout spines. No tibial spurs on leg I of the mature male. Embolus stout at base tapering gently towards the apex with a keel on underside. Ocular tubercle as wide as the foveal groove and the clypeus is narrow. Carapace/ caput low. The foveal groove shallow, straight and wide. Leg I stouter or slightly stouter than leg IV, both long. Spermatecae with twin seminal receptacles.

The genus was first described by Reginald Pocock in 1895 to house a number of specimens contained in the British Museum collection. His interest was probably aroused by a specimen despatched to him by Mr. A. Everett in 1894, collected from Kuala Lama, Northern Borneo (Kalimantan).

On examining the collection he discovered a number of other specimens of the same group from north west Burma, a large female having been collected by Mr. Everett in 1888 from the Labuan region (he told that found this specimen in a birds nest "in which it had killed a young bird"). It was obvious that there're two distinct new species from Borneo (Kalimantan) which Pocock desided to name: everetti - in owner to collector and tigrinus – based on the yellow-reddish stripy appearence of the smaller species.

For some reason Pocock overlooked a third specimen collected by Arthur Adams, scientist surveying the Borneo coastline. The collection site is listed as Serea (north west coast, south of Labuan). Subsequently this specimen was described by Andrew М. Smith as a male of Ph. everetti.

The german arachnologist Strand described in 1906 the third species of this genus, named it after the german geologist Dr. Fuchs - Ph. fuchsi, which type was believed to be lost but has discovered in 1993 in collection of Weisbaden Natural History Museum.

The genus is presented by three species of medium and big sized tarantulas leading arboreal lifestyle. They lives in hollows and holes in trees in tropical selva forests. Being active at night time their similar to arboreal tarantulas of genus Poecilotheria from Sri Lanka and India. It is doubtful if the spiders spins silk tubes like Poecilotheria spp. and southamerican Aviculariinae.

Keeping conditions. They're not kept in hobby. Biology of the species weakly studied.

Ostensibly, brought by Ray Gabriel (Great Britain) from Kalimantan in 2000 specimen was not appeared to be Ph. everetti, which under further studies turn out to be a none-described species of genus Cyriopagopus, earlier not known from the Island.

Probably, keeping conditions of representatives of the genus must be the same as for Poecilotheria spp..

Distribution: All species are endemics to Indinesia.

The present data indicates that the genus is present at Borneo and Sumatra. Additional material extends the distribution north to Malaysia (Kelantan) and south east to Celebes (Kena, north eastern part). Supposedly also the genus ranges the length of the Java Sea, but there're no any data which can extends the genus to the Phillippines or south beyind Timor.
 

* According to information of Tom Larsen (author of photo) and Soren Rafn (pers. com.) the specimen is identificated as Ph. everetti mistakenly.

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