Tarantula
Videos
Tarantulas are a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. More than a thousand species have been identified, within almost 200 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used t
Opening to a tarantula burrow
Fangs of the tarantula Lasiodora parahybana from below
Fangs of the jumping spider Phidippus johnsoni, frontal view
Urticating hair
Videos
Urticating hairs or urticating bristles are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, almost all New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. Urtica is Latin for "
Young Grammostola rosea showing patch of urticating hairs, reflecting a camera flash
Urticating hairs of a stinging nettle
The larvae of Eutricha capensis (family Lasiocampidae) are practically covered with urticating hairs; the most potent are the stiff, short, orange-maroon bands across the thorax.
Larva of Lonomia obliqua, the most toxicologically-significant species, to mammals, of its genus; stings are a medical emergency and require treatment with antivenom.