''Plesiopelma'' is a
genus of South American
tarantulas that was first described by
Reginald Innes Pocock
Reginald Innes Pocock F.R.S. (4 March 1863 – 9 August 1947) was a British zoologist.
Pocock was born in Clifton, Bristol, the fourth son of Rev. Nicholas Pocock and Edith Prichard. He began showing interest in natural history at St. Edward ...
in 1901.
''Plesiopelma'' species are particularly abundant along mountainous ranges, frequently living under stones. Both males and females live in silk tubes under stones with aggregate spatial distribution. The walls of these tunnels are covered by waterproof silk, protecting them from floods. In addition, there is a uniform saturated microclimate inside the tunnel, which protects the spiders from dehydration.
Species
it contains eleven species, found in
Paraguay,
Uruguay,
Brazil,
Venezuela, and
Argentina:
*''
Plesiopelma aspidosperma''
Ferretti & Barneche, 2013 –
Argentina
*''
Plesiopelma gertschi''
( Caporiacco, 1955) –
Venezuela
*''
Plesiopelma imperatrix''
Piza, 1976 –
Brazil
*''
Plesiopelma insulare''
( Mello-Leitão, 1923) – Brazil
*''
Plesiopelma longisternale''
(Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1942) – Argentina,
Uruguay
*''
Plesiopelma minense''
(Mello-Leitão, 1943) – Brazil
*''
Plesiopelma myodes''
Pocock, 1901 (
type
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) – Uruguay
*''
Plesiopelma paganoi''
Ferretti & Barneche, 2013 – Argentina
*''
Plesiopelma physopus''
(Mello-Leitão, 1926) – Brazil
*''
Plesiopelma rectimanum''
(Mello-Leitão, 1923) – Brazil
*''
Plesiopelma semiaurantiacum''
( Simon, 1897) –
Paraguay, Uruguay
Formerly included:
*''P. flavohirtum''
(Simon, 1889) (Transferred to ''
Catanduba'')
See also
*
List of Theraphosidae species
References
Theraphosidae genera
Spiders of South America
Taxa named by R. I. Pocock
Theraphosidae
{{Theraphosidae-stub