Revisão taxonômica e análise cladística do gênero Eupalaestrus pocock, 1901

Abstract

Theraphosidae is the largest family in terms of species richness within the Infraorder Mygalomorphae. Combining homogeneous characters, lack of specialists and few studies, the taxonomy of the group is in a chaotic situation. The genus Eupalaestrus Pocock, 1901 has not been reviewed in the last 25 years, and since then, new species have been described, transferred to Eupalaestrus or relocated in other genera. In the present study, this genus is revised, its species are redescribed, diagnosed and illustrated. Eupalaestrus larae Ferretti and Barneche, 2012 is considered júnior synonym of Eupalaestrus campestratus (Simon, 1891). Eupalaestrus weijenberghi (Thorell,1894) is considered júnior synonym of Eupalaestrus guyanus (Simon, 1892). Two new species are described for Eupalaestrus: Eupalaestrus crassimetatarsis sp. n. and Eupalaestrus roccoi sp. n. Besides, a new genus Crassisetum gen. n. is described from the analysis of the available material of Eupalaestrus spinosissimus Mello-Leitão, 1923, resulting in the new combination Crassisetum spinosissimus comb. n. and a new species: Crassisetum gigantea sp. n. Finally, through the phylogenetic method, the relationship between the species of the genus, and these with other Theraphosidae genera is proposed. The genus Eupalaestrus is recovered as paraphyletic.