Phormictopus

Phormictopus is a genus of spiders in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas) that occurs in the West Indies, mainly Cuba and Hispaniola, with three species probably misplaced in this genus found in Brazil and Argentina.[1][2]

Phormictopus
adult female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Phormictopus
Pocock, 1901[1]
Type species
Mygale cancerides
Latreille, 1806[1]
Species

See text.

Description

Phormictopus species are quite large spiders; for example a female of Phormictus auratus had a total body length of 73 mm (2.9 in) with the longest leg (the fourth) being 74 mm (2.9 in) long.[3] They have stridulating organs on the coxae and trochanters of the pedipalps and first pair of legs. Males have two apophyses (projections) on the tibia of the first pair of legs, and urticating hairs of type I. Females have a two-part spermatheca, and urticating hairs of types I and III.[2]

Taxonomy

The genus Phormictopus was erected by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1901. He transferred Mygale cancerides, first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1806, to his new genus as the type species.[1] When Jan-Peter Rudloff reviewed the genus in 2008, it included 14 species. He reduced this number to seven definitely belonging to the genus, and described five more. Three species were considered misplaced in Phormictopus, but no definite alternative placement was provided. With these exclusions, the genus is probably restricted to the West Indies.[2]

Species

As of May 2016, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species, including three considered by Rudloff to be misplaced:[1]

Definite
  • Phormictopus atrichomatus Schmidt, 1991 – probably Hispaniola
  • Phormictopus auratus Ortiz & Bertani, 2005 – Cuba
  • Phormictopus bistriatus Rudloff, 2008 – Cuba
  • Phormictopus cancerides (Latreille, 1806) (type species) – West Indies to Brazil
  • Phormictopus cautus (Ausserer, 1875) – Cuba
  • Phormictopus cochleasvorax Rudloff, 2008 – Cuba
  • Phormictopus cubensis Chamberlin, 1917 – Cuba
  • Phormictopus fritzschei Rudloff, 2008 – Cuba
  • Phormictopus jonai Rudloff, 2008 – Cuba
  • Phormictopus melodermus Chamberlin, 1917 – Hispaniola
  • Phormictopus platus Chamberlin, 1917 – USA or Hispaniola
  • Phormictopus schepanskii Rudloff, 2008 – Cuba
Probably misplaced
  • Phormictopus australis Mello-Leitão, 1941 – Argentina
  • Phormictopus brasiliensis Strand, 1907 – Brazil
  • Phormictopus ribeiroi Mello-Leitão, 1923 – Brazil
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References
  1. "Gen. Phormictopus Pocock, 1901". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2016-05-22.
  2. Rudloff, J.P. (2008), "Zur Kenntnis der Gattung Phormictopus Pocock, 1901 - einem Faunenelement der Großen Antillen (Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae)" (PDF), Arthropoda (in German), 15 (4): 2–51
  3. Ortiz, D. & Bertani, R. (2005), "A new species in the spider genus Phormictopus (Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae) from Cuba" (PDF), Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, 11: 29–36, retrieved 2016-05-22

Further reading
  • Rudloff, J.P. (2004). "Terraristischer steckbrief der vogelspinnengattung Phormictopus (Pocock 1901)". Arthropoda. 12 (4): 17–22.
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