Hapalopus

Hapalopus is a genus of dwarf tarantulas first described in 1875 by Anton Ausserer. Originally a “catch-all” for several tiny, colorful Neotropical species, the group has been heavily revised as spider taxonomy has improved. Modern studies of the original type specimen and related species have tightened the definition of the genus and moved many mis-assigned species into new or better-defined genera.

Today, Hapalopus contains just a handful of small terrestrial tarantulas from northern South America, including the famous pumpkin patch spider, Hapalopus formosus. These revisions mean that while hobby names haven’t always kept up, the scientific concept of Hapalopus is now more stable and accurately reflects the true relationships of these beautiful little spiders.