Species Spotlight: Mexican Fireleg
OVERVIEW
Common name: Mexican Fireleg; Mexican Rustleg
Scientific name: Brachypelma boehmei
Range: Mexico
Conservation status: Endangered on the IUCN Red List, currently protected under CITES Appendix II.
INFORMATION
The Mexican Fireleg is a species of tarantula endemic to the western Guerrero State on the Pacific coast of Mexico. It is commonly known as the Mexican fireleg tarantula and is sought after for its brightly colored orange legs, making it a popular species for the pet trade. While exact numbers are unclear, this species is inferred to be in decline given ongoing habitat loss and degradation compounded by over-exploitation for trade (Fukushima et al., 2019).
The species is only known from a small coastal region of the Sierra Madre del Sur, east of the Balsas River Basin in western Guerrero State (Mendoza and Francke, 2017). Urbanization within the species' limited range has reduced the area, extent, and quality of its subtropical dry forest (xeric area with thorn forest) habitat. Based on this information, a significant decline in the species population size and the number of subpopulations is inferred.
THREATS AND CONSERVATION
Mexican Fireleg is highly desired in the pet trade. Harvesting pressure on wild populations is increasing because legal breeding in captivity is too low to meet demand. Although there is permitted legal trade of captive-bred live specimens, there is an unknown amount of illegal trafficking of live animals threatening the survival of this species (Fukushima et al., 2019).
Urbanisation and agricultural impacts also pose an ongoing threat to this species. Road, railroads, housing development and harvesting of crops also pose a threat to this species causing a decline in the area and quality of habitat and leading to severe fragmentation of the population. Like other Brachypelma species which occur in ranges around the north-south coastal Pacific highway, many males are run over while crossing roads during mating season (Fukushima et al., 2019). Local information indicates that some subpopulations have also been devastated by hurricanes.
Mexican Fireleg was listed in CITES Appendix II at CoP9 under Proposal 66 United States, inclusion in Appendix II of Brachypelma spp. (Fort Lauderdale, United States, 1994). There are no current quotas in place or CITES suspensions for this species.
Mexican Fireg was initially listed under Annex B in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1332/2005 of 9 August 2005 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein. Most recently the listing of this species was renewed under Annex B in Commission Regulation (EU) No 2019/2117 of 29 November 2019. There are no current EU suspensions or opinions for this species.
REFERENCES
Fukushima, C., Mendoza, J., West, R., Longhorn, S., Rivera Téllez, E., Cooper, E.W.T., Henriques, S. & Cardoso, P. 2019. Brachypelma boehmei (amended version of 2019 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T66081558A148681774.
Mendoza, J. and Francke, O., 2017. Systematic revision of Brachypelma red-kneed tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae), and the use of DNA barcodes to assist in the identification and conservation of CITES-listed species. Invertebrate Systematics, 31(2), pp.157-179.