Key to American subfamilies of the family THERAPHOSIDAE 

( Radan Kaderka )

 Updated: November 2008

1. Abdominal urticating hairs of the type II or palpal urticating hairs of the type V present,  males

    with 0, 1 or 2 tibial apohyses ........................................................... subfamily Aviculariinae

    - abdominal urticating hairs of the type II or palpal urticating hairs of the type V absent ........ 2

2. Abdominal urticating hairs of type I or type III or type IV or type VI present, embolus of male 

    palpal bulb with keels ................................................................... subfamily Theraphosinae

    - abdominal urticating hairs of type I or type III or type IV or type VI absent ......................... 3

3. Legs weakly spined or aspinose, scopulae of metatarsi I, II broader than tarsal scopulae,  

    scopulae of metatarsi IV if present divided by band of hairs, metatarsi IV and tibiae IV densely

    covered by exceptionally long and not contiguous hairs  (hair length more than diameter of leg

    segment), male palpal bulb with long embolus without keels, two tibial apophyses in males 

    present on leg I, urticating hairs absent ......................................... subfamily Sinurticantinae

    -  scopulae of tarsi III and IV divided by line or band of hairs, urticating hairs absent ...............

    .................................................................................................... subfamily Ischnocolinae

Note: The genera Hemiercus Simon, 1889 and Schismatothele Karsch, 1879 were synonymized with Holothele Karsch, 1879 by Raven, 1985 but removed from the synonymy of Holothele by Rudloff, 1997. Both genera differ from another genera of Ischnocolinae by fused three-dimensional structured spermathecae and by short stout embolus with keels (examined only male of Hemiercus sp. from Venezuela, Puerto Cabello). Male of Schismatothele lineata Karsch 1879 is unknown. Both genera also differ from another genera of Theraphosinae by absence of abdominal urticating hairs of the types I, III, IV and VI. Due to its systematic position the both taxa can be considered as phylogenetic link between the subfamilies Theraphosinae and Ischnocolinae. In this key they are classified in the subfamily Ischnocolinae (contra Rudloff, 1997).

Bibliography:

Cooke J. A. L., Roth V. D., Miller F. H. (1972) The Urticating Hairs of Theraphosid Spiders. American Museum Novitates 2498:1-42.

Marshall, S. D. & Uetz G. W. (1990) The pedipalpal brush of Ephebopus sp. (Araneae:Theraphosidae): evidence of a new site for urticating hairs. Bulletin of the British arachnological Society 8(4):122-124.

Pérez-Miles F. (1998) Notes on the systematics of the little known theraphosid spider Hemirrhagus, with a description of a new type of urticating hairs. The Journal of Arachnology 26:120-123.

Pérez-Miles F., Locht A. (2003) Revision and cladistic analysis of the genus Hemirrhagus Simon, 1903 (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae). Bulletin of the British arachnological Society, 12 (8): 365-375.

Raven Robert J. (1985) The Spider Infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): Cladistics and Systematics. Bulletin of The American Museum of Natural History. Volume 182: 1-180.

Rudloff J.-P. (1997) Revision der Gattung Holothele Karsch, 1879 nebst Aufstellung einer neuen Gattung  Stichoplastoris gen. nov. (Araneae, Theraphosidae) und Wiedereinsetzung einiger weiterer Gattungen der Mygalomorphae. Arachnologische Magazin 5(2):1-19.

Samm R., Schmidt G. (2008) Sinurticantinae subfamilia nov. - eine neue Unterfamilie der Theraphosidae (Araneae). Tarantulas of the World - 141/Mai 2008: 3-14.

Schmidt G., Rudloff J.-P. (2003) Die Vogelspinnen. Westarp Wissenschaften Hohenwarsleben: 104-114.