Aphonopelma Pocock, 1901

Hamilton, Chris A., Hendrixson, Brent E. & Bond, Jason E., 2016, Taxonomic revision of the tarantula genus Aphonopelma Pocock, 1901 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae) within the United States, ZooKeys 560, pp. 1-340 : 22-24

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Theraphosidae

Genus Aphonopelma Pocock, 1901

Rhechostica Simon, 1892: 162 (type species by original designation Homoeomma texense Simon, 1891). Suppressed as a senior synonym of Aphonopelma by ICZN Opinion 1637.

Dugesiella Pocock, 1901: 551 (type species by original designation Dugesiella crinita Pocock, 1901). First synonymized with Rhechostica by Raven (1985: 152).

Aphonopelma Pocock, 1901: 553 (type species by original designation Eurypelma seemanni Pickard-Cambridge, 1897). First synonymized with Rhechostica by Raven (1985: 149).

Delopelma Petrunkevitch, 1939: 567 (type species by original designation Eurypelma marxi Simon, 1891). First synonymized with Rhechostica by Raven (1985: 151).

Gosipelma Chamberlin, 1940: 4 (type species by original designation Gosipelma angusi Chamberlin, 1940). Originally described as a subgenus of Aphonopelma , but never elevated to full generic status. First synonymized with Rhechostica by Raven (1985: 153).

Chaunopelma Chamberlin, 1940: 30 (type species by original designation Delopelma radinum Chamberlin & Ivie, 1939). First synonymized with Rhechostica by Raven (1985: 151).

Apachepelma Smith, 1994: 45 (type species by original designation Aphonopelma paloma Prentice, 1992). First synonymized with Aphonopelma by Prentice (1997: 147).

Type species.

Eurypelma seemanni F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897; female holotype from Puerto Culebra, Pacific coast, W of Liberia, Guanacaste province, Costa Rica, coll. Dr. Seeman; deposited in BMNH. [examined]

Eurypelma seemanni F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897: 26.

Aphonopelma seemanni Pocock, 1901: 553.

Aphonopelma seemanni Valerio, 1980: 274.

Rhechostica seemanni Raven, 1985: 149.

Aphonopelma seemanni Smith, 1995: 141.

Diagnosis.

From Prentice (1997, p. 147)

"The genus Aphonopelma is distinguished from all other theraphosid genera by the following combination of characters: (1) no known external stridulation organs; (2) hair-like or spiniform plumose setae on the prolateral surface of the trochanter and femur of leg I and on the retrolateral surface of the coxa and trochanter of the pedipalp; (3) type I urticating setae only; (4) corresponding segments of all legs approximately the same width in females (femur III in males sometimes laterally swollen); (5) scopula of tarsus IV usually entire, if divided then only partially and narrowly by line of setae; (6) setae on the prolateral surface of coxa I hair-like and not basally swollen, spiniform and basally swollen, or distinctly stout and thorn-like; (7) metatarsus I flexing against the lower process of the tibial spur, with either the apex of the spur contacting the ventral surface of the metatarsus or the outer edge of the spur in the apical half contacting the prolateral surface of the metatarsus; (8) and the lower process of the tibial spur curving prolaterodistally and widening apically, usually equipped with at least one apical or preapical megaspine, and the upper shorter process less stout basally, relatively uniform in diameter throughout its length, and equipped on its inner surface with at least one stout, basally articulated megaspine."

Future nomenclatural status of Aphonopelma

Due to our inability to conduct fieldwork in Mexico and Central America, a comprehensive taxonomic revision of Aphonopelma (and other closely related genera) is not feasible at this time. However, we do anticipate future genus-level nomenclatural changes for those species found in the United States. As presently defined, we have reason to believe that Aphonopelma is not monophyletic. Our choice of outgroups places the Aphonopelma species from the United States closer to the genus Sericopelma than to the Central American species of Aphonopelma (Fig. 8). This has nomenclatural implications because the type species ( Aphonopelma seemanni ) from Costa Rica is undoubtedly grouped with the other Central American Aphonopelma material (pers. obs.). Unfortunately, it is not possible to resurrect a synonymized generic name (e.g., Dugesiella or Delopelma ) for the Aphonopelma species in the United States until researchers can more thoroughly sample material from Mexico and Central America (see Prentice 1997, Smith 2010).

Aphonopelma

within the United States

Aphonopelma anax (Chamberlin, 1940)

Aphonopelma armada (Chamberlin, 1940)

Aphonopelma atomicum Hamilton, sp. n.

Aphonopelma catalina Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond, sp. n.

Aphonopelma chalcodes Chamberlin, 1940

Aphonopelma chiricahua Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond, sp. n.

Aphonopelma eutylenum Chamberlin, 1940

Aphonopelma gabeli Smith, 1995

Aphonopelma hentzi (Girard, 1852)

Aphonopelma icenoglei Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond, sp. n.

Aphonopelma iodius (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1939)

Aphonopelma johnnycashi Hamilton, sp. n.

Aphonopelma joshua Prentice, 1997

Aphonopelma madera Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond, sp. n.

Aphonopelma mareki Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond, sp. n.

Aphonopelma marxi (Simon, 1891)

Aphonopelma moderatum (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1939)

Aphonopelma moellendorfi Hamilton, sp. n.

Aphonopelma mojave Prentice, 1997

Aphonopelma paloma Prentice, 1993

Aphonopelma parvum Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond, sp. n.

Aphonopelma peloncillo Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond, sp. n.

Aphonopelma phasmus Chamberlin, 1940

Aphonopelma prenticei Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond, sp. n.

Aphonopelma saguaro Hamilton, sp. n.

Aphonopelma steindachneri (Ausserer, 1875)

Aphonopelma superstitionense Hamilton, Hendrixson & Bond, sp. n.

Aphonopelma vorhiesi (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1939)

Aphonopelma xwalxwal Hamilton, sp. n.