Overview

• A ZooKeys paper published August 4, 2025, defines genus Satyrex to encompass four newly discovered species and one reclassified tarantula.
• Male Satyrex spiders exhibit palps 2.23–3.85 times longer than their carapace, setting a new record among tarantulas.
• In Satyrex ferox from Oman, male palps extend up to 5 cm on a body with a 14 cm legspan and the species hisses while raising its front legs in defense.
• All Satyrex species are fossorial, living in underground burrows beneath shrubs or between rocks across the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa.
• Researchers propose that extreme palpal elongation evolved to keep males at a safer distance and reduce the risk of cannibalism during mating.