A newly described species of tarantula found in the depths of Malaysia’s forests may be exciting news for arachnologists, but its discovery could present legal ramifications for its describers. According to an investigation by Science, researchers may have unknowingly broken international laws when they sourced specimens from collaborators under questionable circumstances.
Publishing their work in the British Tarantula Society's journal, the researchers describe a new genus and species of a palm-sized tarantula called Birupes simoroxigorum – named for the collectors' three children Simon, Roxanne, and Igor – whose vibrant blue hues first inspired wildlife photographer Chien Lee to post photos of the spider online. In a Facebook post dated September 14, 2017, Lee said the spider was “hands down” the most beautiful tarantula he had ever come across in the wild.
“In fact, if I hadn’t seen it myself, I would have suspected someone went overboard with Photoshop,” he said, adding that Bornean Theraphosidae spider taxonomy is poorly understood and that arachnologists at the time thought it could have been a previously undescribed species. Roughly six weeks later, spider collectors reportedly known for finding, breeding, and selling rare species, collected and transported specimens to Europe.
The Forest Department of Sarawak alleges the collectors lacked necessary permits to collect or export wildlife – a statement study co-author Danniella Sherwood contends, arguing that she had “no reason to believe” the two dead specimens her team received were illegal. In her words to Science, they were taken “in good faith, meaning that we were told they were legally collected with all appropriate paperwork needed.” The collectors corroborate her statement, adding that the spiders were not smuggled out of Malaysia and that their driver mailed them to Europe with the “necessary documents”.
In their expose, Science writers say they reconstructed the timeline of events using public Facebook posts and online communications, writing that the team had been planning a trip to the area for months but implying they may have found the spider’s location by using descriptors displayed in Lee’s Facebook post.
“Discovered and photographed by Lars Fehlandt and Chien Lee in September 2017 in South Sarawak. Congratulations for awesome discovery guys,” wrote the collectors in a Facebook post. “Disclaimer: only few specimens were collected for scientific purposes and to start breeding project to introduce it to the hobby [sic] and hopefully we can reintroduce it within few years with much greater quantity then were collected to help its natural population.”
In the US, the Lacey Act makes it a crime to violate wildlife laws of another country, but there is no legislation in EU countries forbidding it. However, UK researchers are required to verify that the specimens they study are obtained under legal circumstances. As such, Oxford spokespersons who talked with Science told the publication that the arachnologists may have made a mistake that is “naïve in the extreme,” and they won’t house any specimens collected illegally.
IFLScience contacted both the research team and the Sarawak Forestry Department for comment but have not heard back at the time of publication.
[H/T: Science]
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