Four new species of tarantulas have been discovered in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. But these aren't just any tarantulas.
The genus name is a combination of Satyr, a part-man, part-beast figure from Greek mythology with exceptionally large genitalia, and the Latin word rēx, meaning "king."
But why "king," and why a Satyr? "The males of these spiders have the longest palps among all known tarantulas," Dr. Zamani says. Palps are the specialized appendages used by male spiders to transfer sperm during mating.
In Satyrex ferox, the largest species in the genus with a legspan of about 14 cm, the male palp can reach an incredible length of 5 cm, which is almost four times longer than the front part of the body, and almost as long as its longest legs.
The name ferox means "fierce," and it fits. "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," Dr. Zamani explains.
"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."