Description of two new species of Plesiopelma (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae) from Argentina

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Two new species of Plesiopelma Pocock, 1901 from northern Argentina are described and diagnosed based on males and habitat descriptions are presented. Males of Plesiopelma paganoi sp. nov. differ from most of species by the absence of spiniform setae on the retrolateral face of cymbium, aspect of the palpal bulb. Plesiopelma aspidosperma sp. nov. differs from most species of the genus by the presence of spiniform setae on the retrolateral face of cymbium and it can be distinguished from P. myodes Pocock, 1901, P. longisternale (Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942 and P. rectimanum (Mello-Leitão, 1923) by the separated palpal bulb keels and basal nodule of metatarsus I very developed. It differs from P. minense (Mello-Leitão, 1943) by the shape of the palpal bulb and basal nodule on metatarsus I well developed. Specimens were captured in Salta province, Argentina, inhabiting high cloud forests of Yungas eco-region.KEYWORDS. Taxonomy, spiders, natural history, Neotropical, Yungas. RESUMEN. Descripción de dos nuevas especies dePlesiopelma (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae) de Argentina. Dos nuevas especies de Plesiopelma Pocock, 1901 del norte de Argentina son diferenciadas y se describen en base a ejemplares machos y se presentan descripciones de los ambientes. Machos de Plesiopelma paganoi sp. nov. difieren de la mayoría de las especies por la ausencia de setas espiniformes en la cara retrolateral del cymbium, por la forma del órgano palpar. Plesiopelma aspidosperma sp. nov. difiere del resto de las especies por la presencia de setas espiniformes en la cara retrolateral del cymbium y se distingue de P. myodes Pocock, 1901, P. longisternale (Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942 y P. rectimanum (Mello-Leitão, 1923) por las quillas del bulbo separadas y el nódulo basal del metatarso I muy desarrollado. Se diferencia de P. minense (Mello-Leitão, 1943) por la forma del órgano palpar y el nódulo basal del metatarso I desarrollado. Los especímenes se capturaron en la provincia de Salta, Argentina, habitando nuboselvas de altura en la eco-región de Yungas.

Increasing knowledge of Cymbiapophysa Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 (Araneae, Theraphosidae): general distribution, key to species, and three new species from Ecuador

“…Nevertheless, it would be advisable to evaluate the variation of these morphological characters in other species of Cymbiapophysa as also barb morphology with the use of Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The use of non-urticating setae morphology in Theraphosidae has already been used and currently appears reliable as a diagnostic character for some genera and species identification ( Ferretti and Barneche 2013 ; Galleti-Lima and Guadanucci 2018 , 2019 ; Kaderka et al 2021 ; Ferretti et al 2023 ). Currently in Andean taxa, maxillary spiniform setae are present in the following forms: (1) densely grouped in the posterior margin and median to apical section of the maxilla in Bistriopelma matuskai Kaderka, 2015, B.…”