Answer
A locality label records the geographic source or established hobby line associated with a tarantula. It can preserve useful provenance and sometimes explains recurring colour or size differences within a species.
Keep locality separate from species
A locality label does not, by itself, make an animal a separate species. Keep the accepted scientific name as the species identification and store the locality alongside it.
Why provenance matters
Once a locality label is lost, appearance alone may not be enough to reconstruct it reliably. Keep the original seller information with the animal and any later transfers.
Buying labelled stock
Ask what the locality label is based on and whether it comes from an established captive line. Avoid stronger claims about purity or wild origin unless the records actually support them.
Record keeping
- Scientific name
- Locality or form label exactly as supplied
- Seller/source
- Date acquired
- Any old names used on the original record