From a developer point of view... just some advice. First make a list of all the characteristics. Then decide what order they should be in. Then we create a database. Then the software

It's a nice idea and one I have certainly thought about trying in the past purely as a paper chasing exercise however, even just having a usable key that only goes down to genus level is a massive ball ache as some genera are only known by a single sex.
I'd start with RAVEN, 1985 and go from there.
Even just within the Theraphosinae there is a lack of information as you can see by the data matrix here that is based on the Perez-Miles et al., 1996 revision.

The Duke has a thread discussing the Taxo of a tarantula and you have a microscope then by all means. Problem is tarantulas change colour etc during their growth cycle which might make it really hard a DNA card might be the best option, but then you will have to have all the tarantulas DNA strings and you will need a facility to test the DNA of your Tarantula. So far the hobby has been run on trust.

Trusting the buyer / breeder / friend etc

I have already started this with tagging the species in our tarantupedia. I also have a filtering system based on the characteristics of tarantula. I have been playing around with it and it works well.

If you guys go to the main tarantupedia page www.tarantulas.co.za/tarantupedia/ you will see the filter on the left hand side.

Now i will require more information form you guys as to what to add to the filter? This means i will need to add more fields to the tarantupedia (characteristics). I need specifics as to what will benefit and not just be junk info.

What i think i need to add to start with is the colour field. Taki and I have started the project of capturing (picture and video) every tarantulas important areas like the carapace which would allow us in future to select say Pamphobeteus fortis (Colombian Brown) and Pamphobeteus nigricolor (Blue Bloom) and then it will result in comparing every picture and information.

Oh well time will tell...

I hasten to remind you that this project has been afoot since before 1758 when Linneas published Systemae Naturae..., 10th ed., revised. As I write this, that's 254 years!

And, the project still isn't complete! Nor is there any indication that it will be complete soon. Especially since there are so many species yet to be discovered and/or named, so many species that are misnamed or carrying more than one name, etc. And, since the names seem to change about as often as we change our socks!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we have a huge mess on our hands. Even with the relatively few species that you may have as pets in SA, this project will require a monumental effort to establish, and then a continuing, obsessive effort to maintain.

I am not very optimistic about it.

( :evil: I just love being an old curmudgeon! )