She is not pretty, but she is ours: a new species of spider for the island of Hispaniola

[Dolores]

The discovery of another species of tarantula is not very exciting to arachnophobes, but to the curious and ecologically conscientious folks, it is good news.

The Antillena miguelangeli is the second tree-dwelling tarantula to be discovered on La Hispaniola. It was found in the province of Valverde, in the northwestern part of the Dominican Republic, along the banks of the Gurabo river in the Wildlife Refuge located there.

The new species was found by Gabriel de los Santos, from the Museum of Natural History in Santo Domingo and the Brazilian expert, Rogerio Bertani from the Butantan Institute.

So far, this species is known to only inhabit areas in the Dominican Republic. Actually, the first species of this tree-dwelling spider was found over 10 years ago in Pedernales.

These large spiders (some two inches or five centimeters of body length) weave silken nests...

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[NALs]

I’m sure many of those “new” cacatas have been killed by people since before 1492. That the scientists didn’t notice them until now doesn’t mean no one had seen them before. Of course, most people don’t care what type they are. A cacata is a cacata.

 

[NanSanPedro]

I’m sure many of those “new” cacatas have been killed by people since before 1492. That the scientists didn’t notice them until now doesn’t mean no one had seen them before. Of course, most people don’t care what type they are. A cacata is a cacata.

Is cacata how you say spider in Dom Spanish?

 

[M4kintosh]

Is cacata how you say spider in Dom Spanish?

Yes. We said it that way. Cacata, aka Phormictopus cancerides.

 

[Peterj]

Is cacata how you say spider in Dom Spanish?

Yes, cacata is used for this big spider, small(er) ones are called arañas.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Yes, cacata is used for this big spider, small(er) ones are called arañas.

To be clear, cacata is a term for the Hispaniola-indigenous tarantula, phormictopus cancerides (as Macintosh stated above). Cacata specifically refers to this class of spider. Araña is simply the Spanish language word for spider. I would agree that the Dominicans refer to all others (ie not cacata) as arañas.