New species of tarantula found

MANILA, Philippines - Scientists from the Museum of Natural History (MNH) of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños have discovered a new species of cave-dwelling tarantula on an island off the coast of Quezon.

The new species of the spider, Phlogiellus kwebaburdeos, was described in the recent issue of the Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology by MNH curators for spiders Aimee Lynn Dupo and Alberto Barrion along with their former student Joseph Rasalan.

The tarantula was discovered by Rasalan during one of his cave ecology studies at the Puting Bato cave complex on the Polillo Island Group, said Dupo in an article released at the MNH website.

The newly discovered species of the spider is the fifth of its kind that is found in the Philippines. Only 16 species of such are found in the Southeast Asian region.

“While most of its cousins inhabit just the forest floor, P. kwebaburdeos exhibits an unusual habit of colonizing the cave and should be further studied,” the scientists said.

According to Dupo, more intensive research is needed to properly document the true nature of tarantula diversity in the country.

“Caves are easily exposed to anthropogenic activities such as pollution and vandalism because they are usually unprotected,” she said.

“The Philippine Cave Law should be strictly implemented in Polillo because several of its caves have high biological value,” she added.