Revised Taxonomic Placement of the Species in the Central American Genera Davus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892, Metriopelma Becker, 1878, and Schizopelma F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897, with Comments on Species in Related Genera (Araneae: Theraphosidae) Dedicated to the memory of Lesley Hedicker 1955–2011

• Published in: Arachnology Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 61 - 92
• Main Author: Gabriel, Ray
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: British Arachnological Society 01.07.2016
• Subjects: Araneae; Theraphosidae
• ISSN: 2050-9928; 2050-9936
• DOI: 10.13156/arac.2006.17.2.61

The genera Davus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892, Metriopelma Becker, 1878, and Schizopelma F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 are redefined. The genus AcentropelmaPocock, 1901 is removed from synonymy with StichoplastusSimon, 1903, and the genus EurypelmellaStrand, 1907b is removed from synonymy with Schizopelma F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 gen. rest. The holotype specimens of Davus fasciatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892, Metriopelma zebratumBanks, 1909, Metriopelma drymusetesValerio, 1982, Metriopelma breyeri Becker, 1878, Schizopelma bicarinatumF. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897, and conspecifics of Cyclosternum pentalorisSimon, 1888 are redescribed. Hapalopus ruficeps Simon, 1891 is removed from synonymy with Cyclosternum pentalorisSimon, 1888 and, along with Cyclosternum fasciatusO. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892 and Metriopelma zebratumBanks, 1909, are transferred to the genus Davus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892) comb. nov. Davus santossp. nov. is described. Davus ruficeps is regarded as senior synonym of Metriopelma zebratumsyn. nov., Metriopelma drymusetesValerio, 1982 is regarded as junior synonym of Davus fasciatusO. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892syn. nov. Davus mozinnaEstrada-Alvarez, 2014 is regarded as junior synonym of D. pentalorissyn. nov. The specimen of Metriopelma breyeri Becker, 1878 from the Natural History Museum, London, is formally nominated as topotype because the holotype is missing (see Discussion). Metriopelma familiare (Simon, 1889) and Metriopelma ledezmae Vol, 2000 are tentatively transferred to the genus CyclosternumAusserer, 1871comb. nov., while Metriopelma coloratusValerio, 1982 and Metriopelma variegatus (Caporiacco, 1955) are transferred to the genus HapalopusAusserer, 1875combs. nov. Metriopelma veloxPocock, 1903, Lasiodora trinitatis (Pocock, 1903), and L. trinitatis pauciaculeis (Strand, 1916) are transferred to the genus PseudhapalopusStrand, 1907acombs. nov. Metriopelma spinulosumO. Pickard-Cambridge, 1899 is transferred back to the restored genus AcentropelmaPocock, 1901comb. rest. along with Cyclosternum macropusAusserer, 1875, Schizopelma sorkiniSmith, 1995, and Lasiodora gutzkeiReichling, 1997, transferred from Lasiodora Koch, 1850 combs. nov. Hapalopus nigriventris (Mello-Leitão, 1939) is redescribed. Lasiodora tetricus (Simon 1889) is transferred from Lasiodora Koch, 1850 to the restored genus MiaschistopusPocock, 1897comb. rest. The genera NeischnocolusPetrunkevitch, 1925, with its single species Neischnocolus panamanusPetrunkevitch, 1925, and Barropelma Chamberlin (1940), with its single species Barropelma parviorChamberlin and Ivie, 1936, are removed from the synonymy of Lasiodora and restored gen. rest.