<P> When theraphosids were encountered in the Americas, they were named "tarantulas", causing usage of the term to shift to the tropical spiders . Nevertheless, these spiders belong to the suborder Mygalomorphae, and are not closely related to wolf spiders . </P> <P> The name "tarantula" is also incorrectly applied to other large - bodied spiders, including the purseweb spiders or atypical tarantulas, the funnel - webs (Dipluridae and Hexathelidae), and the "dwarf tarantulas". These spiders are related to tarantulas (all being mygalomorphs), but are classified in different families . Huntsman spiders of the family Sparassidae have also been termed "tarantulas" because of their large size . In fact, they are not related, belonging to the suborder Araneomorphae . </P> <P> Tarantulas of various species occur throughout the United States, Mexico, in Central America, and throughout South America . Other species occur variously throughout Africa, much of Asia, and all of Australia . In Europe, some species occur in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy, and Cyprus . </P> <P> Some genera of tarantulas hunt prey primarily in trees; others hunt on or near the ground . All tarantulas can produce silk--while arboreal species typically reside in a silken "tube tent", terrestrial species line their burrows with silk to stabilize the burrow wall and facilitate climbing up and down . Tarantulas mainly eat large insects and other arthropods such as centipedes, millipedes, and other spiders, using ambush as their primary method of prey capture . Armed with their massive, powerful chelicerae tipped with long chitinous fangs, tarantulas are well - adapted to killing other large arthropods . The biggest tarantulas sometimes kill and consume small vertebrates such as lizards, mice, bats, birds, and small snakes . </P>

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