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new species, taxonomic restorations, and reversal of four erroneous synonymies


Two new species of Tapinauchenius Ausserer, 1871 are described from Ecuador, T. dayuma sp. nov. and T. montufari sp. nov., based on distinctive spermathecae morphology, including the discovery of a novel spermathecal structure. These taxa represent new distributional records for the genus and suggest a potential trans-Andean speciation pathway for Andean thera phosids. Furthermore, four species of Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895 previously synonymized by Cifuentes & Bertani (2022) without sufficient justification and without examination of type specimens, are reinstated based on morphological and distributional evidence: Psalmopoeus intermedius Chamberlin, 1940 stat. rest. from Panama is removed from an incorrect synonymy with P. reduncus (Karsch, 1880) from Costa Rica; P. copanensis Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 stat. rest. from Honduras, P. petenensis Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 stat. rest. from Guatemala, and P. sandersoni Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 stat. rest. from Belize are all removed from incorrect synonymy with P. victori Mendoza, 2014 from Mexico. Psalmopoeus maya Witt, 1996 is validated as a legitimate name and not a nomen nudum, as erroneously claimed by Cifuentes & Bertani (2022), though it remains a species inquirenda. Two new species, P. drolshageni sp. nov. and P. zombie sp. nov., are described based on previously published but misidentified material. Notes are provided on Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus Pocock, 1903 sensu stricto. Additionally, a third new species, Psalmopoeus wallacea sp. nov., is described from Honduras based on newly reported material. Last, the distribution patterns of the subfamily Psalmopoeinae at the genus level is discussed, based on current records.

Peñaherrera-R, Pedro & León-E, Roberto J. & Guerrero-Campoverde, Ariel & Torres, Jaime & Sherwood, Danniella. (2025). Novel insights on Psalmopoeinae Samm & Schmidt, 2010 (Araneae: Theraphosidae): new species, taxonomic restorations, and reversal of four erroneous synonymies. Arachnology. 20. 491-508. 

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