Plesiopelma

Plesiopelma
Unidentified Plesiopelma species
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Plesiopelma
Pocock, 1901[1]
Type species
P. myodes
Pocock, 1901
Species

11, see text

Synonyms[1]

Plesiopelma is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1901.[3] Plesiopelma species are particularly abundant along mountainous ranges, frequently living under stones. Both males and females live in silk tubes under stones with aggregate spatial distribution. The walls of these tunnels are covered by waterproof silk, protecting them from floods. In addition, there is a uniform saturated microclimate inside the tunnel, which protects the spiders from dehydration.[citation needed]

Species

As of May 2020 it contains eleven species, found in Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, and Argentina:[1]

Formerly included:

  • P. flavohirtum (Simon, 1889) (Transferred to Catanduba)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Gloor, Daniel; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Blick, Theo; Kropf, Christian (2020). "Gen. Plesiopelma Pocock, 1901". World Spider Catalog Version 20.0. Natural History Museum Bern. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  2. ^ Pérez-Miles, F.; et al. (1996). "Systematic revision and cladistic analysis of Theraphosinae (Araneae: Theraphosidae)". Mygalomorph. 1: 55.
  3. ^ Pocock, R. I. (1901). "Some new and old genera of S.-American Avicularidae". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 8 (7): 540–555. doi:10.1080/03745480109443359.


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