On a new genus of dwarf tarantulas (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae) endemic from Peru: evidence from morphology and molecular phylogeny, with description of three new species

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  On a new genus of dwarf tarantulas ( Araneae : Mygalomorphae : Theraphosidae ) endemic from Peru: evidence from morphology and molecular phylogeny, with description of three new species Abstract Recent field campaigns conducted in Peru along with the examination of museum specimens allowed us to identify small tarantulas that do not fit with any known Theraphosidae genera. Morphology and additional molecular evidence from the mitochondrial gene COI led us to propose Kiskalla gen. nov . from southern Peru, at Puno region. Three new species of Kiskalla gen. nov . ( K. ignacioi sp. nov ., K. yeisoni sp. nov . and K. zukuapasanka sp. nov .) are herein described, diagnosed and illustrated. Kiskalla gen. nov . differs from the known Theraphosinae genera in the presence of lateral stripes on the abdomen and a small dorsal arrowhead-shaped patch of type III urticating setae, presence of a large number of spines on all legs, short and stout setae on the dorsal metatarsi encirc...

Unveiling high solifuge diversity: Review of the genus Pseudocleobis Pocock, 1900 (Ammotrechidae) in Chile with the description of nine new species

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Unveiling high solifuge diversity: Review of the genus Pseudocleobis Pocock, 1900 (Ammotrechidae) in Chile with the description of nine new species

Abstract

The Pseudocleobis from Chile are revised. Pseudocleobis morsicans (Gervais, 1849) and P. chilensis Roewer, 1934 are considered species inquerenda. Pseudocleobis andinus (Pocock, 1899) is removed from the Chilean fauna, and its previous records are considered misidentifications. Pseudocleobis alticola Pocock, 1900 is recorded from Chile for the first time. Nine new species are described, Pseudocleobis elongatus n. sp., P. atacamensis n. sp., P. puna n. sp., P. krausi n. sp., P. choros n. sp., P. lalackama n. sp., P. mumai n. sp., P. cekalovici n. sp. and P. escuadra n. sp. The species can be distinguished by the male chelicera morphology. We discuss the relationship of Chilean Pseudocleobis with other species of the genus, based on morphology. This work increases the number of known Chilean solifuge species by almost 70%, revealing the high degree of diversification of this group in Chile.

Iuri HA, Ojanguren-Affilastro AA, Maury EA, Alfaro FM, Camousseigt-Montolivo B, Pizarro-Araya J (2025) Unveiling high solifuge diversity: Review of the genus Pseudocleobis Pocock, 1900 (Ammotrechidae) in Chile with the description of nine new species. PLoS ONE 20(1): e0309776. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309776