Lyrognathus

Lyrognathus is a genus of Asian tarantulas that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1895.^[2]

Lyrognathus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Theraphosidae
Subfamily:	Selenocosmiinae
Genus:	Lyrognathus Pocock, 1895[1]
Type species
L. crotalus Pocock, 1895
Species
7, see text

Species

As of March 2020^[update] it contains seven species, all found in Asia:^[1]

• Lyrognathus achilles West & Nunn, 2010 – Borneo
• Lyrognathus crotalus Pocock, 1895 (type) – India
• Lyrognathus fuscus West & Nunn, 2010 – Borneo
• Lyrognathus giannisposatoi Nunn & West, 2013 – Indonesia (Sumatra)
• Lyrognathus lessunda West & Nunn, 2010 – Indonesia (Lombok)
• Lyrognathus robustus Smith, 1988 – Malaysia
• Lyrognathus saltator Pocock, 1900 – India

In synonymy:

• L. liewi West, 1991 = Lyrognathus robustus Smith, 1988
• L. pugnax Pocock, 1900 = Lyrognathus crotalus Pocock, 1895

Description

They are large tarantulas, grey or black in color. They have thick dense brushes of setae along the fourth tibia and metatarsi. The fourth coxa has an entirely hirsute retrolateral surface. The fourth metatarsus of females features an undivided scopula.^[3]

Behaviour

They are fossorial, constructing tubular burrows in loose clayey soil. They utilize organic debris/vegetation to make the mouth of the burrow.^[3]

See also

• List of Theraphosidae species