A revision of Neodiplothele (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Barychelidae)

Abstract

based on a female from Cabeceira do Paraguaçu, state of Bahia. BÜCHERL et al. (1971) redescribed N. fluminensis, presented an illustration of the male palpal bulb for the first time and observed that N. leonardosi was a juvenile specimen. RAVEN (1985) transferred Neodiplothele to Pycnothelinae (Nemesiidae) due to the presence of numerous keels on the bulb, small intercheliceral tumescence, absence of third tarsal claw and pseudosegmented tarsi of males. This transfer was rejected by GOLOBOFF (1995) who classified the genus back in Barychelidae, due to the well-developed claw tufts and tarsal claws without teeth, and included the genus in Sasoninae for sharing with Cosmopelma and Paracenobiopelma the presence of an intercheliceral tumescence and the bulb with low ridges. Examination of the type-material and a large number of specimens from several Brazilian collections have offered us the opportunity to revise the genus, describe the male of N. irregularis and N. picta for the first time, and also describe five new species, all from Brazil. Two informal groups of species are proposed based in genitals characters: irregularis group and picta group.