Trichopelma


Trichopelma is a genus of South American and Caribbean tarantulas first described by Eugène Simon in 1888.

Taxonomy

This genus was erected by Eugène Simon in 1888 with Trichopelma illetabile and the type species Trichopelma nitidum. A major review of mygalomorph spiders by Robert J. Raven in 1985 led to the genus being greatly enlarged, merging it with other genera Hapalopinus, Leptofischelia, Merothele, Obaerarius and Stothis. Raven placed this expanded genus in the family Barychelidae. In 1994, he proposed moving Trichopelma to the related family Theraphosidae, but without any new evidence, the move was not generally accepted. In 2014 José P. L. Guadanucci carried out a morphological phylogenetic analysis of some mygalomorph genera, including Trichopelma. The study supported Raven's hypothesis, and the genus was moved to Theraphosidae as a member of a re-limited subfamily Ischnocolinae sensu stricto.

Species

it contains 29 species:Trichopelma affine - St. VincentTrichopelma baracoense Ríos-Tamayo, 2024 - CubaTrichopelma bimini Mori & Bertani, 2020 - BahamasTrichopelma cheguevarai Ríos-Tamayo, 2024 - CubaTrichopelma citma Ríos-Tamayo, 2024 - CubaTrichopelma coenobita - Venezuela, Trinidad and TobagoTrichopelma cubanum - Cuba
  • * = Trichopelma banksia Özdikmen & Demir, 2012
  • * = Trichopelma cubanum, transferred from StothisTrichopelma fidelcastroi Ríos-Tamayo, 2024 - CubaTrichopelma fulvum - Haiti
  • * = Trichopelma maculosus, transferred from PsalistopsTrichopelma gabrieli Mori & Bertani, 2020 - Dominican RepublicTrichopelma goloboffi Mori & Bertani, 2020 - CubaTrichopelma grande Ortiz & Fonseca, 2024 - Cuba Trichopelma granmense Ríos-Tamayo, 2024 - Cuba Trichopelma huffi Mori & Bertani, 2020 - Dominican RepublicTrichopelma illetabile Simon, 1888 - BrazilTrichopelma insulanum - US Virgin Is., Puerto Rico
  • * = Trichopelma arastellatum, transferred from Leptopelma
  • * = Trichopelma corozali, transferred from PsalistopsTrichopelma juventud Mori & Bertani, 2020 - CubaTrichopelma laselva Valerio, 1986 - Costa RicaTrichopelma laurae Mori & Bertani, 2020 - CubaTrichopelma loui Mori & Bertani, 2020 - Jamaica Trichopelma maculatum - Bahama Is.Trichopelma nitidum Simon, 1888 - HispaniolaTrichopelma platnicki Mori & Bertani, 2020 - Jamaica Trichopelma rudloffi Ríos-Tamayo, 2024 - Cuba Trichopelma soroense Ríos-Tamayo, 2024 - Cuba Trichopelma steini - VenezuelaTrichopelma tostoi Mori & Bertani, 2020 - Dominican RepublicTrichopelma venadense - Costa RicaTrichopelma zebra - Panama
There are three species categorized as nomina dubia :Trichopelma eucubanum Özdikmen & Demir, 2012 - Cuba, replacement name; originally Stothis maculata Franganillo, 1930Trichopelma scopulatum - Venezuela, originally in Leptostylus and changed to the replacement name LeptofischeliaTrichopelma spinosum - Cuba, originally in ''Stothis''