DOI: 10.3897/asp.84.e181294

Authors: Oscar M. Quispe-Colca, Nelson E. Ferretti, Juan C. Chaparro, José A. Ochoa, Rick C. West

Abstract: 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 encircling the filiform trichobothria, an apical crown of long spines on the metatarsi of all legs in both sexes and scopula of tarsi IV slightly developed, restricted to the margins due to the presence of long ventral setae. Males and females show genitalic features that resemble those of Hapalotremus Simon, 1903, but differ by the development of copulatory bulb keels and the aspect of the spermathecae. We also present data on the natural history and distribution of the species.

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DOI: 10.3897/asp.83.e171040

Authors: Maite Allegue, Nicolás Peralta-Seen, Nelson Ferretti

Abstract: The present study contributes to the understanding of the diversity within the tarantula genus Euathlus Ausserer, 1875. Through a combination of cladistic, molecular, and morphological analyses, three new species are described: Euathlus basalticus sp. nov. from Neuquén, Euathlus kupal sp. nov. from Mendoza, and Euathlus susanae sp. nov. from the La Pampa-Mendoza provinces. Additionally, the female of Euathlus tenebrarum Ferretti, 2015 is described for the first time, revealing that the previously attributed female of this species belongs to E. basalticus sp. nov. Phylogenetic trees from both morphological and molecular datasets are presented. Preliminary molecular analyses reveal the identity and support the proposal of the species treated here. Morphological analyses found considerable diversity within Euathlus, particularly in genitalic structures, challenging the general assumption of morphological homogeneity among mygalomorph spiders. Cladistic analyses recovered the genus Phrixotrichus within Euathlus, though this hypothesis could not be tested with molecular data due to the lack of available sequences for Phrixotrichus. These results suggest that future taxonomic revisions may be complemented once molecular data become available. Altogether, our results provide new insights into the systematics and diversity of Euathlus and highlight the importance of integrative approaches for unraveling evolutionary relationships within this group.

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