Psalmopoeus is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Theraphosidae Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...

'' containing various

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...

s. The genus is native to

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

, Colombia,

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, Guyana,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...

, Costa Rica,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, Guatemala and Honduras. All of these tarantulas are arboreal in nature, '' Psalmopoeus victori'' being the first arboreal

Venom

These species are believed to be relatively

venomous Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

, and research in the venom of '' P. cambridgei'' shows it to be similar to

capsaicin Capsaicin (8-methyl-''N''-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) ( or ) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus ''Capsicum''. It is a chemical irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burnin ...

, the molecule causing irritation in chilli peppers.Anitei, Stefan (2006).
Chili Peppers, as Strong as Tarantula Venom.
' Science. These molecules activate sensory cells to send pain signals to the brain. Genetic engineers are working on blocking the receptors that are activated by these molecules.

Diagnosis

The species of this genus can be distinguished from all others by the lyriform organ in the prolateral maxillae, composed of a singular row of thick hairlike bristles. They also own hairs on the base of the

chelicerae The chelicerae () are the mouthparts of the subphylum Chelicerata, an arthropod group that includes arachnids, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. Commonly referred to as " jaws", chelicerae may be shaped as either articulated fangs, or similarl ...

, also having short hairs in the retrolateral side of the

pedipalp Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the second pair of appendages of chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to the chelicerae ("jaws") an ...

trochanter and femur.

List of species

, the

World Spider Catalog The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...

accepted the following species: *''

Psalmopoeus cambridgei ''Psalmopoeus cambridgei'', the Trinidad chevron tarantula, is a species of spider in the family Theraphosidae, endemic to Trinidad. Its venom is the source of psalmotoxin and vanillotoxin which are classified as inhibitor cystine knot proteins. ...

'' Pocock, 1895 (

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...

) –

*'' Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus'' Pocock, 1903 – Colombia and

*'' Psalmopoeus emeraldus'' Pocock, 1903 – Colombia *'' Psalmopoeus irminia'' Saager, 1994 –

, Guyana and

*'' Psalmopoeus langenbucheri'' Schmidt, Bullmer & Thierer-Lutz, 2006 –

*'' Psalmopoeus maya'' Witt, 1996 -

*'' Psalmopoeus plantaris'' Pocock, 1903 – Colombia *'' Psalmopoeus pulcher'' Petrunkevitch, 1925 –

and Colombia *'' Psalmopoeus reduncus'' (Karsch, 1880) –

, Costa Rica and

*'' Psalmopoeus victori'' Mendoza, 2014 –

, Guatemala and Honduras

In synonymy

* ''Psalmopoeus copanensis'' Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 = '' Psalmopoeus victori'' * ''Psalmopoeus intermedius'' Chamberlin, 1940 = '' Psalmopoeus reduncus'' * ''Psalmopoeus petenensis'' Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 = '' Psalmopoeus victori'' * ''Psalmopoeus rufus'' Petrunkevitch, 1925 = '' Psalmopoeus pulcher'' * ''Psalmopoeus sandersoni'' Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 = '' Psalmopoeus victori''

Nomen dubium

* ''Psalmopoeus affinis'' Strand, 1907 -

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

References

External links

Giant Spiders
{{Taxonbar, from=Q139889 Theraphosidae Spiders of Mexico Spiders of Central America Spiders of South America Theraphosidae genera