Return of a ghost: Rediscovery of the Trinidad Mahogany Tarantula Tapinauchenius latipes in Trinidad, W.I.

Abstract

The authors report on the September 2025 rediscovery of the Trinidad Mahogany Tarantula, a species that had not been reported  for over forty years. Researchers located juvenile and subadult specimens in a virgin montane rainforest during a biodiversity survey, confirming the spider still exists despite fears of its local extinction. The spider’s long absence from its historical range in the Arima Valley suggests significant population declines or habitat contraction.