In Memoriam: Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) — A Life Devoted to the Study of Scorpions

Posted by
  Photo Credit: Le Parisien In Memoriam: Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) — A Life Devoted to the Study of Scorpions The passing of Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) is a deeply felt loss for those of us who share an interest in the study of scorpions and other arachnids. Throughout his life, he dedicated himself to documenting and preserving arachnological knowledge, contributing valuable work on scorpion taxonomy, distribution, and bibliography. His careful attention to the literature helped bring clarity and organization to a field whose history spans centuries and many languages. Gérard was also closely associated with the journal Arachnides , which became an important outlet for sharing research, faunistic records, and historical notes within the arachnological community. Through this work, he helped ensure that observations and studies—large and small—were preserved and made accessible to others with similar scientific interests. Beyond his scholarly contributions, Gérard was a humble and gen...

Taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Trichopelma Simon, 1888 (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Trichopelmatinae) in Cuba, with the descriptions of seven new species and a new species of Thalerommata Ausserer, 1875

Posted by

 


Taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Trichopelma Simon, 1888 (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Trichopelmatinae) in Cuba, with the descriptions of seven new species and a new species of Thalerommata Ausserer, 1875

Abstract

The spiders of the genus Trichopelma Simon, 1888 present in Cuba, are revised. Currently, the genus Trichopelma comprises 22 known species distributed in the Caribbean, and Central and the upper region of South America. Cuba currently hosts five valid species and, in this study, the descriptions of seven new species distributed throughout the island are presented: T. baracoense sp. nov. (♂♀, Guantanamo prov.), T. cheguevarai sp. nov. (♂, Ciego de Ávila prov.), T. citma sp. nov. (♀, Granma prov.), T. fidelcastroi sp. nov. (♂♀, Holguín prov.), T. granmense sp. nov. (♂♀, Granma prov.), T. rudloffi sp. nov. (♂♀, Holguín prov.) and T. soroense sp. nov. (♂♀, Artemisa prov.). Based on morphological characters, a cladistic analysis was performed, revealing the phylogenetic position of the new species compared to the species previously described. Based on this phylogeny, morphological characters and close proximity in distribution, T. banksia Özdikmen & Demir, 2012 syn. n., is proposed as a junior synonym of T. cubanum (Simon, 1903). The genus Thalerommata Ausserer, 1871 is reported from Cuba for the first time, with the description of T. anae sp. nov. (♂, Sancti Spíritus prov.).

Tamayo, D. R. (2024). Taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Trichopelma Simon, 1888 (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Trichopelmatinae) in Cuba, with the descriptions of seven new species and a new species of Thalerommata Ausserer, 1875. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 10(2), 347–399. https://doi.org/10.61186/jibs.10.2.347