Richard Gallon
I got my first tarantula (a Brachypelma vagans spiderling) in 1989 while a was still at school.
In 1995 I had the opportunity to visit a remote part of Uganda with my father. During this trip I conducted field research on a Pterinochilus species, but soon discovered that it could not be identified to species because of the poor state of theraphosid taxonomy at that time. I mentioned this to my university supervisor and he suggested that I should revise the genus. It took several years of private research to finally discover that the species I had seen in Uganda was Pterinochilus chordatus. Since then I have worked on revising the taxonomy of all of Africa's theraphosid spiders, describing several new species and genera in the process.
My taxonomic research is done in my spare time (as a hobby), as I work full time in a Local Biological Records Centre. I edit the British Arachnological Society Newsletter and undertake spider research contracts for the Welsh Government, as well as studying the British arachnid fauna.
The British Tarantula Society lecture in Budapest
| Lecturer | Event |
|---|---|
| Welcome | |
| Ray Hale | Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace: Two minds, one theory |
| Stuart Longhorn | Tarantulas of Mexico and nearby, focused on Brachypelma |
| Peter Kirk | The Spiders Of Borneo |
| Richard Gallon | The Diversity of Africa's Tarantulas |
| Ray Gabriel | Tarantulas of Panama and Nicaragua |
| Andrew Smith | 1641 - The Year Tropical Tarantulas Arrived in Europe |
| Dinner |