Neischnocolus panamanus
Neischnocolus panamanus is a species of spider in the tarantula family Theraphosidae, found in Costa Rica and Panama. It was first described in 1925 by Alexander Petrunkevitch. Ami bladesi is one of its synonyms.
Taxonomy
Neischnocolus panamanus was first described in 1925 by Alexander Petrunkevitch as the only species of his new genus Neischnocolus and hence the type species. Independently, Pérez-Miles et al. in 2008 described a new genus Ami which included the species Ami bladesi. In 2019, Pérez-Miles and co-authors discovered that Ami bladesi was identical to Petrunkevitch's Neischnocolus panamanus, whose holotype had been rediscovered, so that the genus Ami became a junior synonym of Neischnocolus.Pérez-Miles and co-authors also considered that Eurypelma parvior was synonymous with Neischnocolus panamanus. However, this was rejected in 2025, and Eurypelma parvior was treated as a separate species within Neischnocolus, N. parvior.
Description
Neischnocolus panamanus spiders are reddish brown overall. Females have a brown abdomen, males a light yellowish brown abdomen. Both males and females have lighter brown legs with cream bands between their segments. The female holotype has a total body length of. The carapace is long and wide. The abdomen is long and wide. The anterior row of eyes is slightly procurved, the posterior row slightly recurved. The fourth leg is longest at, the third shortest at. The tarsi of all the legs are densely scopulate, entirely so on the first and second legs, whereas the scopulae on the third and fourth legs are divided by a band of larger setae. Two features were formerly considered diagnostic of the genus Ami: modified Type 1 urticating hairs are present, and the spermathecae are of a distinctive shape.The male was initially described as Ami bladesi. The individual described is smaller than the female with a total body length of. The carapace is long and wide. As with the female, the fourth leg is longest at, the third shortest at. The tibia of the pedipalp has paired apophyses on the distal surface. There are two well-developed prolateral keels on the palpal bulb.