Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895

Cifuentes, Yeimy & Bertani, Rogerio, 2022, Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of the tarantula genera Tapinauchenius Ausserer, 1871, Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1985, and Amazonius n. gen. (Theraphosidae, Psalmopoeinae), Zootaxa 5101 (1), pp. 1-123 : 62-64

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5101.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0FD7126B-77A7-4B99-A0E7-04298368C3C4
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6822271
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03BF87CE-A30B-FFDB-FF5E-FEEAFA75FEE7
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895
status

Treatment

Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895 View in CoL View at ENA

( Figs 19 View FIGURE 19 , 145–310 View FIGURE 145 View FIGURES 146–153 View FIGURES 154–157 View FIGURES 158–169 View FIGURES 170–173 View FIGURES 174–176 View FIGURES 177–182 View FIGURES 183–191 View FIGURES 192–195 View FIGURES 196–204 View FIGURES 205–213 View FIGURES 214–215 View FIGURE 216 View FIGURES 217–224 View FIGURES 225–228 View FIGURES 229–235 View FIGURES 236–237. 236 View FIGURES 238–245 View FIGURES 246–249 View FIGURES 250–255 View FIGURES 256–267 View FIGURES 268–271 View FIGURES 272–275 View FIGURES 276–283 View FIGURES 284–287 View FIGURES 288–292 View FIGURES 293–300 View FIGURES 301–304 View FIGURES 305–306 View FIGURES 307–310 )

Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895: 170 View in CoL , 178, pl. 10, fig. 3; 1901: 547; 1903: 84; Pickard-Cambridge F. 1896: 896 (= Santaremia , in part, S. longipes View in CoL ); Simon 1903: 959, 960; Mello-Leitão 1923: 314, 391; Petrunkevitch 1928: 82; Roewer 1942: 256; Bonnet 1958: 3798; Raven 1985: 118; World Spider Catalog 2021.

Tapinauchenius: Karsch, 1880: 387 View in CoL (in part: T. reduncus View in CoL ); Pickard-Cambridge. F: 1897: 14, 40.

Santaremia: Pickard-Cambridge F. 1896: 749 (in part, S. longipes = P. cambridgei ).

Type species. Psalmopoeus cambridgei Pocock, 1895 View in CoL by monotypy.

Diagnosis. The species of Psalmopoeus can be distinguished from Ephebopus by lacking a urticating setae pad on the prolateral distal femur of palp. They differ from Tapinauchenius and Amazonius n. gen. by the presence of a maxillary lyra with one row of thick bristles in conjunction with a row of long filiform setae strikers on the base of the ventral chelicera, before the teeth row ( Figs 156–157 View FIGURES 154–157 ); presence of short coverage setae densely grouped and smooth setae on the retrolateral side of the trochanter palp and femur, and on the prolateral and retrolateral sides of the same articles of leg I ( Figs 1–2 View FIGURES 1–4 , 8–13 View FIGURES 5–13 ).

Distribution. Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Ecuador and Brazil.

Composition. Psalmopoeus cambridgei Pocock, 1895 , Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus Pocock, 1903 , Psalmopoeus emeraldus Pocock, 1903 , Psalmopoeus irminia Saager, 1994 , Psalmopoeus langenbucheri Schmidt, Bullmer & Thierer-Lutz, 2006 , Psalmopoeus plantaris Pocock, 1903 , Psalmopoeus pulcher Petrunkevitch, 1925 , Psalmopoeus reduncus ( Karsch, 1880) , Psalmopoeus victori Mendoza, 2014 .

Redescription. Carapace longer than wide, cephalic region slightly raised. Cephalic and thoracic striae conspicuous. Fovea straight, deep. Chelicerae without rastellum. Retrolateral side of chelicerae with densely grouped short and ordered coverage setae ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1–4 ). Strikers:1–3 lines of 4–9 spaced, long filiform setae disposed on ventralbasal portion of chelicera before the teeth row ( Fig. 157 View FIGURES 154–157 ). Eye tubercle slightly raised or raised, wider than long. Clypeus absent. Anterior eye row straight. Labium wider than long, with ca. 87–195 cuspules concentrated on anterior third center. Maxillary lyra well-developed, formed by a line of thick setae ( Fig. 156 View FIGURES 154–157 ). Maxilla sub-rectangular, anterior lobe distinctly produced into conical process, inner angle bearing ca. 105–240 cuspules. Labiosternal groove shallow, flat, with two slightly separate sigilla. Sternum longer than wide, posterior angle acute, not separating coxae IV. Sigilla: three pairs, posterior oval, anterior small, all one diameter or less from margin, some pairs sometimes not evident. Leg formula: I=IV II III (most species), or I = II = IV III ( P. cambridgei and P. irminia males). Laterally directed setae on metatarsi and tibiae in males. Clavate trichobothria on distal 2/3 of tarsi. Scopula of tarsi and metatarsi I–II very extended laterally giving them a spatulate appearance. Femora IV without retrolateral scopula. Stridulatory setae absent on coxae of legs. Short and ordered coverage setae densely grouped on the retrolateral side of the maxillae/coxae, trochanter and proximal part of femur of palp and prolateral side of the same articles of leg I ( Figs 1–2 View FIGURES 1–4 ). Legs with spines on ventral apical tibiae and metatarsi, without central spines. ITC absent; STC with small denticles. Posterior lateral spinnerets digitiform. Urticating setae lacking. Male tibiae I with tibial apophysis with two processes, retrolateral longer than prolateral, metatarsi I folds on retrolateral side of tibial apophysis. A protuberance behind retrolateral process.Tibiae II lacking apophysis. Globose bulb with small subtegulum; prominence on prolateral tegulum weakly developed ( P. ecclesiasticus ) or developed (other species). Embolus not flattened, lacking keels, long, ending in curved tip ( P. reduncus and P. victori ) or straight (other species). Embolus proximal portion straight in frontal view. Cymbium sub-triangular in retrolateral view, with almost equal lobes, without developed rounded process on retrolateral lobe. Spermathecae straight, completely separated, elongate with well defined projections or lobes on apical and middle area (except P. reduncus and P. victori ). All species showing ontogenetic changes on abdominal pattern. Brownish juveniles lacking metallic green or blue sheen, with black tarsi contrasting with other lighter articles.

Key to Psalmopoeus species

Males

1 Maxillary lyra with curved setae in curved line ( Fig. 225 View FIGURES 225–228 ); copulatory palpal bulb with embolus more than 5 times longer than tegulum length in retrolateral view, with very curved second half portion of embolus ( Fig. 217 View FIGURES 217–224 )........... P. ecclesiasticus View in CoL

- Maxillary lyra with roughly straight setae in crescent line ( Fig. 154 View FIGURES 154–157 ); copulatory palpal bulb shorter than 4.5 times tegulum length, with slightly curved second half portion of embolus ( Fig. 146 View FIGURES 146–153 )........................................... 2

2 Embolus less than 2.5 times tegulum length in retrolateral view ( Fig. 183 View FIGURES 183–191 )........................................ 3

- Embolus more than 2.6 times tegulum length in retrolateral view ( Fig. 146 View FIGURES 146–153 )....................................... 4

3 Embolus lacking constriction in proximal part ( Figs 183–186 View FIGURES 183–191 ).......................................... P. reduncus View in CoL

- Embolus with constriction in proximal part (see Mendonza 2014: figs 18–20)............................... P. victori View in CoL

4 Retrolateral process of tibial apophysis broad at base, narrowing abruptly to tip ( Figs 242–244 View FIGURES 238–245 )................ P. pulcher View in CoL

- Retrolateral process of tibial apophysis narrow at base, tapering to tip ( Figs 150–152 View FIGURES 146–153 )............................... 5

5 Embolus less than 3 times tegulum length in retrolateral view ( Fig. 293 View FIGURES 293–300 ).............................. P. langenbucheri View in CoL

- Embolus more than 3 times tegulum length ( Fig. 146 View FIGURES 146–153 )........................................................ 6

6 Embolus slender and distal third curving gently to retrolateral side (dorsal view) ( Fig. 279 View FIGURES 276–283 ).................... P. irminia View in CoL

- Embolus thicker and distal third curving abruptly to retrolateral side (dorsal view) ( Fig. 149 View FIGURES 146–153 )............... P. cambridgei View in CoL

Females

1 Spermathecae lacking lobes, or with ill-defined lobe ( Fig. 191 View FIGURES 183–191 )................................................. 2

- Spermathecae with well-defined lobes ( Fig. 153 View FIGURES 146–153 )............................................................ 3

2 Spermathecae long, distal area well sclerotized ( Fig. 309 View FIGURES 307–310 ); long reddish setae over legs III, IV( Fig. 310 View FIGURES 307–310 ).......... P. victori View in CoL

- Spermathecae short, distal area medially sclerotized ( Fig. 191 View FIGURES 183–191 ); brownish setae over leg IV ( Fig. 216 View FIGURE 216 ).......... P. reduncus View in CoL

3 Maxillary lyra with curved setae ( Fig. 227 View FIGURES 225–228 ), spermathecae curved at apex ( Fig. 224 View FIGURES 217–224 )........... Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus View in CoL

- Maxillary lyra with roughly straight setae ( Fig. 156 View FIGURES 154–157 ), straight spermathecae at apex ( Fig. 153 View FIGURES 146–153 )........................ 4

4 Elongate spermathecae with sclerotized lobes ( Fig. 153 View FIGURES 146–153 ); abdomen dorsum of adults with color pattern or spot ( Fig. 177 View FIGURES 177–182 )... 5

- Triangular spermathecae with weakly sclerotized lobes, apical lobe very joined to lobes of the central area ( Fig. 300 View FIGURES 293–300 ); abdomen dorsum of adults lacking pattern or spots ( Fig. 305 View FIGURES 305–306 ).................................... Psalmopoeus langenbucheri View in CoL

5 Spermathecae broad, narrowing abruptly at tip ( Fig. 245 View FIGURES 238–245 ); abdominal color pattern with longitudinal central line connected with large black spot on posterior portion of abdomen ( Fig. 272 View FIGURES 272–275 ).................................... Psalmopoeus pulcher View in CoL

- Spermathecae tapering to tip ( Fig. 153 View FIGURES 146–153 ); abdominal color pattern with longitudinal dark line connected with transverse lines. ................................................................................................... 6

6 Spermatheca with long digitiform apical lobe and oval and very protruding lobes in its central area ( Fig. 153 View FIGURES 146–153 ); grayish to brownish general coloration with abdominal color pattern and orange spots on tarsi and metatarsi ( Fig. 177 View FIGURES 177–182 )................................................................................................... Psalmopoeus cambridgei View in CoL

- Spermatheca apical lobe rounded ( Fig. 283 View FIGURES 276–283 ); blackish coloration with abdominal color pattern and orange spots on tarsi and metatarsi conspicuous ( Fig. 288 View FIGURES 288–292 )......................................................... Psalmopoeus irminia View in CoL