Khantao xinhuaensis (Zhu & Zhang, 2008)

♀ Female described ♂ Male described

Live specimen © Yu et al. (2026, fig. 2) — living female KYUARA#1850 from Tongbiguan. Photo: Yunjie Zhang

Type Locality and Records

Type locality

Original Description

Zhu, M. & Zhang, R. (2008). Revision of the theraphosid spiders from China (Araneae: Mygalomorphae). Journal of Arachnology 36: 425-447.

Distribution

China

Type Locality: CHINA: Yunnan Province, Tengchong County, 25°01'N,98°03'E, Xinhua village

Adult Male Activity

Collection months of 1 adult male specimen record, against the rainfall where they live

Adult males collected

Mean monthly rainfall and temperature 2001–2020 near the type locality, 85 m. MERRA-2 via NASA POWER. Northern hemisphere seasons.

Synonyms

Selenocosmia xinhuaensis Zhu & Zhang, 2008

Specimen Records (2)

MHBU-Ar.T0034 ♂ Holotype China

Tengchong, Xinhua Village, 25°01'N 98°03'E, Yunnan

January 2005 · col. XC

Holotype male of Selenocosmia xinhuaensis Zhu & Zhang, 2008, now Khantao xinhuaensis. Re-examined by Yu et al. (2026), who transferred the species to Khantao.

KYUARA#1850 ♀ China

Dehong, Yingjiang County, Tongbiguan, near Kai Bang Ya Lake, Yunnan

October 2024 · col. KY

The first known female of Khantao xinhuaensis, raised and matured in captivity in May 2025, and photographed alive.

Bibliography (2)

Zhu, M. & Zhang, R. (2008). Revision of the theraphosid spiders from China (Araneae: Mygalomorphae). Journal of Arachnology 36: 425-447.

Yu, K., von Wirth, V., West, R. C., Zhang, S. & Zhang, F. (2026). Khantao gen. nov., a new genus of Selenocosmiinae Simon, 1889 from western Yunnan of China (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae). Zootaxa 5853(2): 151-188.