Magnacrus tongmianensis (Zhu, Li & Song, 2002)

Described by Ming-Sheng Zhu, Da-Xiang Song, Ting-hui Li

♀ Female described ♂ Male described
Live specimen Live specimen © Hoang et al. (2025), fig. 14D, female in defensive posture at her burrow in Dak Lak, Vietnam. Photo: Quang Duy Hoang

Type Locality and Records

Type locality

Bibliography

Zhu, M., Li, T. & Song, D. (2002). A new species of the genus Citharognathus from China (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae). J. Hebei Univ. (nat. Sci.) 22: 370-373.
Hoang, Q. D., Yu, K., Wendt, I., West, R. C. & von Wirth, V. (2025). The new genus Magnacrus (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Ornithoctoninae) from Vietnam, with notes on Citharognathus hosei Pocock, 1895. Zootaxa 5701(3): 351-381.

Distribution

VietnamChina (?)

Type Locality: CHINA, Guangxi, Ningming County, Tongmian Township, as labelled - but see the note on the type locality

Etymology

The specific name refers to the type locality

Specimen Records (4)

MHBU-Ar.T0029 ♀ Holotype China

Tongmian Township, Ningming County, as labelled, Guangxi

January 2002 · col. Tinghui Li

Holotype female of Magnacrus tongmianensis. Hoang et al. (2025) argue this locality is wrong: Tongmian is a transit hub of the cross-border tarantula trade, a local collector reports these spiders were gathered near Buon Ma Thuot in Vietnam, and five expeditions to Tongmian found none. They conclude the types were probably escapees from a smuggling shipment. The coordinates are the labelled ones and should not be read as a natural occurrence.

MHBU-Ar.T0030 ♀ Paratype China

Tongmian Township, Ningming County, as labelled, Guangxi

January 2002 · col. Tinghui Li

Paratype female of Magnacrus tongmianensis, same data as the holotype, and subject to the same doubt about the locality.

TNU-THE-0005 ♂ Vietnam

Dak Lak Province, below 600 m, Dak Lak

col. Quang Duy Hoang

The specimen on which the first description of the male of Magnacrus tongmianensis is based. Body length 44.5 mm including chelicerae.

TNU-THE-0001 to 0003, 0007; SMNS-Aran-001566 ♀ Vietnam

Dak Lak Province, below 600 m, Dak Lak

col. Quang Duy Hoang

Females of Magnacrus tongmianensis from the only known living population. TNU-THE-0002 is the redescribed female. Collection dates are not given.