Phormingochilus pennellhewlettorum Smith & Jacobi, 2015

Malaysia ♂♀
10.0/10 rating 1 vote
IUCN Status
IUCN Red List Status
Contribute Female Picture
Contribute Adult Male Picture
Contribute Spiderling Picture

Taxonomy and History

Scientific Name : Phormingochilus pennellhewlettorum
  • Described By: Smith & Jacobi, 2015
  • Researcher Profile: Andrew Smith, Michael A Jacobi
  • Genus: Phormingochilus
  • Etymology: The specific epithet is a patronym that combines the names of Mark Pennell and Dean Hewlett who together found this species.
  • Original Type Locality: The spider was brought down from a tall (60 foot or more) montane dipterocarp tree by a large tarantula hawk wasp (Pompilidae). This spider is native to the Kelabit Highlands of far northeastern Sarawak.

Specimen Records

Click each taxon to expand and collapse

Adult Male Activity

  • Revision of the genus Phormingochilus with the description of three new species from Sulawesi and Sarawak and notes on the placement of the genera Cyriopagopus, Lampropelma and Omothymus

    Andrew Smith, Michael A Jacobi ,2015

    Three new arboreal theraphosid spiders of the genus Phormingochilus Pocock, 1895 are here described from Sulawesi and Sarawak, Borneo: Phormingochilus carpenteri sp. nov., P. kirki sp. nov., and P. pennellhewletti sp. nov. The genus has been revised and historical species redescribed. The authors have also discussed the placement of the Ornithoctoninae genera Cyriopagopus Simon, 1887, Lampropelma Simon, 1892 and Omothymus Thorell, 1891 and, after an examination of the type material, concluded that Cyriopagopus is a senior synonym of the genus Haplopelma Simon, 1892 and that the genus Omothymus needs to be restored to house the arboreal Malaysian mainland species schioedtei (Thorell, 1891) and thorelli (Simon, 1901), which were formerly assigned to the genus Cyriopagopus but have now been restored to their original placement. We have also concluded, on examination of the type material that the female of Lampropelma violaceopes Abraham, 1924 from Southern Malaysia should be removed from the genus Lampropelma (whose distribution at present, we believe to be limited to Lampropelma nigerrimum from Sangihe (Sangir) Island) and placed in the genus Omothymus, whereas the male, from Penang, is deemed to be a misidentified specimen of Cyriopagopus (Omothymus) schioedtei.

    British Tarantula Society Journal 30(3): 25-48

This species is mentioned in the following resources :

Habitat and Type Locality

Latest Described Species

Latest Bibliography