Latest news with #Satyrex
News18
2 days ago
- Science
- News18
Genital Structure Of Newly Discovered Spider Species Stuns Scientists
Last Updated: In the new tarantula species, males have palps up to 5 cm long — as long as their legs and nearly four times their body's upper part, far larger than in common tarantulas Four new species of tarantula, a group of large and often hairy spiders, have been discovered, and one feature in particular has caused a stir in the scientific community: their unusually large reproductive organs. Spiders do not possess a traditional penis. Instead, male spiders collect sperm from a duct attached to their abdomen and transfer it into the female using hand-like appendages called palps. In these newly identified species, the palps are so large that researchers were left stunned. The largest male has palps measuring 5 centimetres in length, as long as his legs and 3.85 times the size of the upper part of his body. In comparison, a common tarantula's palps are typically only twice as long as its upper body. These four species have been classified under a newly created genus named Satyrex. The name draws from the satyrs of Greek mythology, mischievous male spirits known for their distinctive features, while 'rex' means 'king'. The largest species is Satyrex ferox ('ferox' meaning 'fierce'), recognised for its aggressive nature. The second, S. arabicus, was found in the Arabian Peninsula. The third, S. somalicus, was discovered in Somalia. The fourth, S. speciosus, stands out for its striking colours and beauty. The question puzzling scientists is why these tarantulas have evolved such oversized palps. Research suggests they serve as a protective advantage for males. The extended reach allows males to mate while keeping a safe distance from the female, reducing the risk of being attacked. In many spider species, mating is not without danger as females are known to kill and consume males afterwards. Long palps act as a safeguard, giving males a better chance of survival while still fulfilling their reproductive role. This remarkable discovery, published in the journal ZooKeys, is being hailed as a striking example of evolution, where an organism has developed a unique adaptation that not only aids reproduction but also ensures its own survival. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
National Geographic
5 days ago
- Science
- National Geographic
These tarantulas may have evolved huge genitalia to fend off bloodthirsty females
Researchers have uncovered a new tarantula genus called Satyrex where males may have evolved longer sex organs to avoid getting eaten by fierce females. A female from the species Satyrex ferox is pictured above. Photograph By Premysl Fabianek When scientists discover a new species, they usually name it after the creature's most notable characteristic. So why did a group of scientists recently name a newly discovered genus of tarantulas after satyrs, the famously well-endowed half-goat men from Greek mythology? Like a satyr, the new species have massive members that dwarf those of all other tarantulas, scientists explain in a study published last month in the journal ZooKeys. Females in this genus are extremely aggressive, so scientists speculate that their males evolved ginormous genitals to keep a safer distance during mating. 'New species are found quite regularly, but finding large-sized spiders with such bold behavior and such unique features, that doesn't happen every day,' says Alireza Zamani, an arachnologist at the University of Turku in Finland and co-author of the new find. 'There's a lot that we don't know about our planet.' Female tarantulas (Satyrex somalicus pictured) are known to eat males after sex. Photograph By Premysl Fabianek Chowing down on their mates may give females (Satyrex arabicus pictured) an energy boost to raise a clutch of eggs. Photograph By Mohssin Fageeh Last year, Zamani was poring over old records of tarantula sightings when he noticed something strange. The scientific record, the citizen science platform iNaturalist, and even social media sites were all teeming with reports of tarantulas with massive sex organs in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. Tarantulas, like all spiders, don't have penises; they have palps. Located near the spider's mouth, palps are leg-like appendages that are used for everything from mating to feeding. Males have structures on their palps known as palpal bulbs. The bulbs look like boxing gloves and function like syringes. When it's time to mate, males deposit sperm onto one of their webs and then transfer it to their papal bulbs. Once they have a female in their grasp, they will insert one of their palps into the female's genital opening and deposit their sperm. While palp size varies species to species, the palps that Zamani was seeing were unlike any he had seen before. He contacted researchers in Africa and the Middle East, and eventually got his hands on eight preserved specimens, their impressive palps intact, as well as photos and videos of them in the wild. By studying their structure and DNA, Zamani and his colleagues were able to determine that these tarantulas not only belonged to four new species but also comprised an entirely new genus. They dubbed this new genus Satyrex, which is a combination of Satyr and the Latin word rēx, meaning the spiders in this genus live underground and are 'highly defensive and highly aggressive,' Zamani says. The most aggressive of the bunch is Satyrex ferox. This spider, which is the largest in the genus, has palps that can reach a whopping five centimeters (nearly two inches), making them nearly as long as its longest legs. Their name comes from the Latin word for "fierce." According to Zamani, this spider will assume a defensive posture at the slightest disturbance, raising its front legs and rubbing them together to make a hissing sound. The tarantula tango The researchers speculate that male members of Satyrex may have evolved their huge palps to avoid getting attacked and eaten by females during sex. For many tarantulas, mating is a deadly duel. During such bouts, males strive to inseminate and escape, while females fight to make a meal of their would-be suitors. (See a rare video of tarantula mating.) In nearly all tarantulas, including the new Satyrex species, males have evolved hooks on their front legs that they use to lock the female's fangs in place during mating to stop her from biting them. While these little hooks work for most tarantulas, Zamani suspects they alone are unlikely to protect members of Satyrex from their feisty females. Having huge palps may help male Satyrex spiders maintain a safe(ish) distance from females during mating, he says. 'I think it's a fascinating hypothesis that is very testable,' says Chrissie Painting, a behavioral ecologist who studies mating systems at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Painting, who was not involved with the study, says these spiders may be in the midst of an evolutionary arms race, with females evolving to become more aggressive in order to snag a snack that can sustain them in motherhood and males evolving better means of mating with them without getting eaten. While more research is needed to confirm this, Painting says, sexual cannibalism is a strong driver of evolution. In other spider species with sexual cannibalism, Painting points out, males have evolved the ability to transfer sperm extremely quickly to reduce their chances of getting eaten while getting it on. (Meet the tarantula named after Johnny Cash.) Having longer leg-like genitals may help male Satyrex tarantulas (Satyrex arabicus shown) keep a safe distance from feisty females during sex. Photograph By Mohssin Fageeh A broader web of spider diversity Zamani and his colleagues were surprised that the spiders they described in this study had gone undiscovered for so long. But our planet is home to over 1,000 species of tarantulas, and many have yet to be found. 'The reality is that the vast majority of Earth's biodiversity remains undocumented,' he says. When it comes to the range of weird spiders yet to be discovered, these tarantulas may just be the tip.
Gizmodo
7 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
Record-Setting Tarantulas Boast Longest Sex Organs to Avoid Getting Eaten by Females
Researchers have just identified four new species of tarantulas whose genitals are so long they had to make a new biological classification for them. Meet the Satyrex ferox, S. arabicus, S. somalicus, and S. speciosus. They hail from the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa and are so different from their closest relatives—on both the morphological and molecular level—that the team created a new genus for them, Satyrex. 'The genus name is a combination of Satyr, a part-man, part-beast entity from Greek mythology known for his exceptionally large genitals, and the Latin rēx, meaning king,' the researchers wrote in a study published last month in the journal ZooKeys. Like Satyrs, the males of the four new species, as well as a fifth Satyrex species, have the longest known palps of all tarantulas. Palps are limbs that male spiders use to, among other things, transfer sperm while mating. Technically, palps are not penises but rather secondary sex organs. Satyrex ferox, whose legspan is around 5.5 inches (14 centimeters), has male palps up to 2 inches long (5 cm). For comparison, that's almost as long as its longest legs. Since male spiders, unlike male humans, probably don't go around comparing their nether regions to each other, what's the point of adorning such lengthy junk? For S. ferox specifically, 'we have tentatively suggested that the long palps might allow the male to keep a safer distance during mating and help him avoid being attacked and devoured by the highly aggressive female,' Alireza Zamani, lead author of the study and an arachnologist from the University of Turku, said in a Pensoft blog post (Pensoft published ZooKeys). Yes, you read that right. View this post on Instagram'This species is highly defensive. At the slightest disturbance, it raises its front legs in a threat posture and produces a loud hissing sound by rubbing specialized hairs on the basal segments of the front legs against each other,' Zamani added. In fact, ferox means 'fierce.' In other words, Zamani and colleagues suggest S. ferox may have evolved to have such long genitals because it allows them to have sex without getting eaten by their partner. Talk about a love bite. In comparison, the other species' names are more boring. Researchers named S. speciosus for their beautiful colors and S. arabicus and S. somalicus for their regions of origin. According to the study, the new genus also includes a fifth Satyrex—a known species previously classified in the genus Monocentropus, now called S. longimanus. 'The much longer palps of S. longimanus and the four newly described species were among the primary characters that led us to establish a new genus for these spiders, rather than place them in Monocentropus,' Zamani concludes. 'So yes, at least in tarantula taxonomy, it seems that size really does matter.'
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Hunky tarantulas now growing GIANT record-breaking sex organs & mega ‘palp' saves them from being gobbled by lusty mate
Their 'exceptionally large' sexual organs are not there to impress potential partners... HUNG FROM A WEB Hunky tarantulas now growing GIANT record-breaking sex organs & mega 'palp' saves them from being gobbled by lusty mate Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NEWLY discovered tarantulas have shocked scientists due to their "exceptionally large" manhood. The spiders' sexual organs measure in at record length to fend off "highly aggressive" mates that try to eat them after doing the deed, experts believe. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Satyrex ferox tarantula is packing a record-breaking whopper Credit: Bobby Bok 4 Sample C shows the species' sexual organ compared to other tarantulas Credit: Zamani el al / ZooKeys Four new species of tarantula have been identified and one is packing record-long genitalia. Scientists noticed they had much larger palps, which is the appendages used by male spiders to transfer sperm during mating. The biggest of the bunch is almost as big as its legs. These newly found tarantulas, named Satyrex ferox, have a legspan of about 5.5 inches while its palp can reach a length 2 inches. And yet researchers don't believe their sexual organs have grown to impress mates. Instead, they suspect it's to protect them from being eaten post sex. 'The males of these spiders have the longest palps among all known tarantulas," explained Dr Alireza Zamani of the University of Turku, who led the study into them. "We have tentatively suggested that the long palps might allow the male to keep a safer distance during mating and help him avoid being attacked and devoured by the highly aggressive female." Scientists aptly named the species Satyrex ferox, which is a combination of "Satyr" a part-man, part-beast figure from Greek mythology with exceptionally large genitalia. The "Rex" part is Latin for king, while "ferox" means fierce. CREEPY SQUALL-IES Horror moment 'spider rain' falls from sky in terrifying phenomena… but experts reveal REAL reason for bizarre spectacle "This species is highly defensive," Dr Zamani added. "At the slightest disturbance, it raises its front legs in a threat posture and produces a loud hissing sound by rubbing specialised hairs on the basal segments of the front legs against each other." The others have been called Satyrex arabicus, Satyrex somalicus and Satyrex speciosus. All types live underground in burrows at the base of shrubs or between rocks. The study was published in the journal ZooKeys, is called 'Size matters: a new genus of tarantula with the longest male palps'. 4 The Satyrex arabicus was also discovered Credit: Ibrahim Mohssin Fageeh
Daily Mail
05-08-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Meet the spiders with 'exceptionally large' genitalia: Male tarantulas have evolved record-long sexual organs - to avoid being killed by feisty females during mating
They're some of the most awe-inspiring creatures in the animal kingdom. But if these spiders weren't already extraordinary enough, scientists have just discovered they boast another impressive feature. Four new species of tarantula have been identified in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa - and they've evolved the longest genitalia of their kind. Rather than a display of dominance, experts believe their record-breaking appendages have developed to help them avoid being killed by females during mating. 'Based on both morphological and molecular data, they are so distinct from their closest relatives that we had to establish an entirely new genus to classify them, and we named it Satyrex,' said Dr Alireza Zamani of the University of Turku, who led the study. This name is a combination of two words - 'Satyr', which is a part-man, part-beast figure from Greek mythology with exceptionally large genitalia, and the Latin word 'rex' which means king. 'The males of these spiders have the longest palps among all known tarantulas,' Dr. Zamani said. Palps - which look like two legs at the front of the body, near the face - are the specialized appendages used by male spiders to transfer sperm during mating. Satyrex ferox, the largest of the four new species, has a legspan of about 14 cm (5.5 inches) and a male's palp can reach a length of 5 cm (2 inches). This makes it almost as long as its longest legs, the researchers said. 'This species is highly defensive', Dr Zamani added. 'At the slightest disturbance, it raises its front legs in a threat posture and produces a loud hissing sound by rubbing specialized hairs on the basal segments of the front legs against each other. 'We have tentatively suggested that the long palps might allow the male to keep a safer distance during mating and help him avoid being attacked and devoured by the highly aggressive female.' The name ferox, therefore, was chosen because it means 'fierce'. As for the others in the group, the researchers named S. arabicus and S. somalicus after their respective regions of origin. Meanwhile S. speciosus gets its name from its bright and beautiful coloration. The new genus also includes an older species, S. longimanus, originally discovered in Yemen in 1903 and previously placed in a different genus. All members of the new genus are fossorial, which means they live underground. They can mostly be found in burrows at the base of shrubs or between rocks. The study, published in the journal ZooKeys, is called 'Size matters: a new genus of tarantula with the longest male palps'. WHAT ARE TARANTULAS AND WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THEM? Tarantulas are hairy and generally large spiders most commonly found in the US, Mexico and tropical America. The largest species of tarantula are found in South America and belong to the genus Theraphosa. They are almost three inches long (7.5cm) and has been known to even capture small avian prey. Female tarantulas have a more stocky body than a male and is covered in a light brown or tan hair The male is thinner and lankier, with black hair covering most of the body and reddish hairs on its abdomen. Tarantulas have two body parts, the cephalothorax and the abdomen, eight walking legs and two pedipalps that are used for touching and moving prey. Tarantulas are very sensitive to vibrations in the ground that may indicate the presence of prey or danger. They are equipped with urticating hairs on their abdomen which can be released by kicking with the back legs; these hairs irritate the nose and eyes of would-be attackers. Tarantulas live in dry, well-drained soils in open areas throughout the desert and grassland areas. All North American tarantulas are ground-dwellers although some other species live in trees, cliffs, caves, or in crops like bananas and pineapples. Some tarantula species are endangered because of habitat destruction and over-collection for the pet trade. Tarantulas are nocturnal hunters. They feed primarily on insects like grasshoppers, beetles, other small spiders and arthropods, and will sometimes eat small lizards. They will attempt to overcome anything of the right size that moves in their range. Most tarantulas have weak venom.
