Rick C. West (born 3 December 1951) is a Canadian arachnologist and an expert on the taxonomy of tarantula spiders. West was born in Victoria, British Columbia. He has been interested in spiders since childhood, and collected his first tarantula, Aphonopelma eutylenum, at the age of 13. He worked primarily as a Chief Constable for a local Animal Humane Society, but also have been involved with the collecting, breeding, rearing and photography of theraphosid spiders. West has traveled to over 27 countries to document and study them in their environment, has been a host, presenter and co-producer in several tarantula documentaries and has also described several genera and species.
Described theraphosid taxa
Genera
Antikuna Kaderka, Ferretti, West, Lüddecke & Hüsser, 2021
Chinchaysuyu Ferretti, Chaparro, Ochoa & West, 2023
Crassicrus Reichling & West, 1996
Psednocnemis West, Nunn & Hogg, 2012
Species
Antikuna urayrumi Ferretti, Kaderka & West, in Kaderka et al., 2021
Antikuna valladaresi Ferretti, Kaderka & West, in Kaderka et al., 2021
Bistriopelma kiwicha Nicoletta, Chaparro, Mamani, Ochoa, West & Ferretti, 2020
Bistriopelma peyoi Nicoletta, Chaparro, Mamani, Ochoa, West & Ferretti, 2020
Chaetopelma persianum Zamani & West, 2023
Chinchaysuyu spinosa Ferretti, Chaparro, Ochoa & West, 2023
Citharacanthus meermani Reichling & West, 2000
Coremiocnemis hoggi West & Nunn, 2010
Coremiocnemis kotacana West & Nunn, 2010
Coremiocnemis obscura West & Nunn, 2010
Crassicrus lamanai Reichling & West, 1996
Cyclosternum palomeranum West, 2000
Ephebopus cyanognathus West & Marshall, 2000
Ephebopus foliatus West, Marshall, Fukushima & Bertani, 2008
Ephebopus rufescens West & Marshall, 2000
Hapalotremus apasanka Sherwood, Ferretti, Gabriel & West, 2021
Hapalotremus carabaya Ferretti, Cavallo, Chaparro, Ríos-Tamayo, Seimon & West, 2018 Hapalotremus chasqui Ferretti, Cavallo, Chaparro, Ríos-Tamayo, Seimon & West, 2018 Hapalotremus chespiritoi Ferretti, Cavallo, Chaparro, Ríos-Tamayo, Seimon & West, 2018 Hapalotremus hananqheswa Sherwood, Ferretti, Gabriel & West, 2021 Hapalotremus kaderkai Sherwood, Ferretti, Gabriel & West, 2021 Hapalotremus kuka Ferretti, Cavallo, Chaparro, Ríos-Tamayo, Seimon & West, 2018 Hapalotremus marcapata Ferretti, Cavallo, Chaparro, Ríos-Tamayo, Seimon & West, 2018 Hapalotremus perezmilesi Ferretti, Cavallo, Chaparro, Ríos-Tamayo, Seimon & West, 2018 Hapalotremus vilcanota Ferretti, Cavallo, Chaparro, Ríos-Tamayo, Seimon & West, 2018 Hapalotremus yuraqchanka Sherwood, Ferretti, Gabriel & West, 2021 Ischnocolus vanandelae Montemor, West & Zamani, 2020 Lyrognathus achilles West & Nunn, 2010 Lyrognathus fuscus West & Nunn, 2010 Lyrognathus giannisposatoi Nunn & West, 2013 Lyrognathus lessunda West & Nunn, 2010 Lyrognathus liewi West, 1991 (synonymous with Lyrognathus robustus Smith, 1988) Magnacarina aldana (West, 2000) Phlogiellus bogadeki Nunn, West & von Wirth, 2016 Phlogiellus johnreylazoi Nunn, West & von Wirth, 2016 Phlogiellus moniqueverdezae Nunn, West & von Wirth, 2016 Phlogiellus pelidnus Nunn, West & von Wirth, 2016 Psednocnemis brachyramosa (West & Nunn, 2010) Psednocnemis davidgohi West, Nunn & Hogg, 2012 Psednocnemis gnathospina (West & Nunn, 2010) Psednocnemis jeremyhuffi (West & Nunn, 2010) Tmesiphantes intiyaykuy Nicoletta, Ferretti, Chaparro & West, 2022
Eponymous Taxa
Species
Aelurillus westi Azarkina & Zamani, 2019 (Salticidae) Antillena rickwesti (Bertani & Huff, 2013) (Theraphosidae) Melloina rickwesti Raven, 1999 (Paratropididae) Phoneyusa westi Smith, 1990 (Theraphosidae)