Theraphosids of the World. Kepping and breeding in captivity

Subfamily Theraphosinae (Thorell, 1870)

Identification keys of genera of Subfamily Theraphosinae

(By: Perez-Miles et al. Systematic revision and cladistic analysis of Theraphosinae (Araneae: Theraphosidae). 1996. Mygalomorph 1: 33-68)

This is a speciouse group from the New World showing high diversity in the southern region of North America, Central and South America.

Representatives of the subfamily Theraphosinae characterizes in the presence of urticating hairs of types I and/or III and/or IV. The palpal bulb has a large subtegulum, extended and with keels present. Also there're no stridulating organ between outer surface of chelicerae and the inner surface of the coxa of the palp. Both surfaces are smooth or at most with scanty hairs.

Stridulating organ between the basal segments of the palp and leg I also absent.

Key	Feature	Key or genera name
1	Type IV urticating hairs present	2
	Type IV urticating hairs absent	6
2	Coxa of leg I with stridulatory setae	Grammostola
	Coxa of leg I without stridulatory setae	3
3	Digitiform apophysis on the base of the tegulum (fig. 1)	Homoeomma
	Palpal bulb without digitiform apophysis	4
4	Retrolateral basal nodule on metatarsus I in males (fig. 2), metatarsus I closing between the tibial apophysis. Female with spiral spermathecae (fig. 3)	Plesiopelma
	Metatarsus I without nodule	5
5	Paraemboliс apophysis present (fig. 4)	Cyriocosmus
	Paraemboliс apophysis absent	Paraphysa
6	Labium with few cuspules (less than 15)	7
	Labium with numerous cuspules (more than 20)	8
7	Palpal bulb with embolus subcylindrical (fig. 5), spiral, female with two separated spermathecal receptacles	Melloleitaoina
	Palpal bulb with embolus subcylindrical, curved (fig. 6). Metatarsus I strongly curved, single spermathecal receptacles	Hapalotremus
8	Palpal bulb as in fig. 7	Euathlus
	Palpal bulb not as fig. 7	9
9	Palpal bulb as in fig. 8	Tmesiphantes
	Palpal bulb not as in fig. 8	10
10	Spiniform hairs on the retrolateral face of coxae. Type I urticating hairs present	11
	Retrolateral face of coxae without such spiniform hairs	12
11	Stridulatory setae on the prolateral face of trochanter I	Citharacanthus
	Stridulatory setae on the prolateral face of trochanter I absent	Aphonopelma
12	Palpal bulb with one keel wider than the others	13
	Palpal bulb with subequal keels	14
13	Males without tibial apophyses, female with one fused spermathecae	Metriopelma
	Males with two tibial apophyses and metatarsus I strongly curved	Hapalopus
14	Palpal bulb and spermathecae as in fig. 9 and 10	Cyclosternum
	Palpal bulb and spermathecae not as in fig. 9 and 10	15
15	Embolus with bifid apex	Schizopelma
	Embolus apex not bifid	16
16	Type I urticating hair present	17
	Type I urticating hair absent	29
17	Only one tibial apophysis, embolus corkscrew shaped (fig. 11, 12), two subspherical spermathecae (fig. 13)	Acanthoscurria
	Two or no tibial apophyses	18
18	Males without tibial apophyses, female with two spermathecae (fig. 14, 15)	Nhandu
	Female with single or two spermathecal receptaculum	19
19	Female with notched spermatheca (fig. 16, 17). Males without tibial apophyses	Sericopelma
	Males with two tibial apophyses	20
20	Tibia IV of males highly incrassate, palpal bulb and spermathecae as in fig. 18 and 19	Eupalaestrus
	Tibia IV of male not incrassate	21
21	Palpal bulb and spermathecae as in fig. 20, 21	Vitalius
	Palpal bulb and spermathecae not as in fig. 20 and 21	22
22	Stridulatory setae on the trochanter and coxa of leg I	Phormictopus
	Stridulatory setae on trochanter or coxa of leg I, or absent	23
23	Stridulatory setae only on trochanter	24
	Stridulatory setae only on coxa or absent	25
24	Carapace with spherical foveal process	Sphaerobothria
	Carapace without spherical foveal process	Cyrtopholis
25	Palpal bulb as in fig. 22	Lasiodora
	Palpal bulb not as in fig. 22, no stridulatory setae	26
26	Femur III incrassate, palpal bulb as in fig. 23	Megaphobema
	Femur III not incrassate	27
27	Palpal bulb as in fig. 24	Pamphobeteus
	Palpal bulb not as in fig. 24	28
28	Palpal bulb and spermathecae as in fig. 25 and 26	Xenesthis
	Palpal bulb and spermathecae as in fig. 27 and 28	Brachypelma
29	Males without tibial apophyses, stridulatory setae absent	Theraphosa
	Males with two tibial apophyses, stridulatory setae on coxa II	Pseudotheraphosa

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Acanthoscurria Aenigmarachne Aphonopelma Bonnetina Brachypelma Chromatopelma Citharacanthus Clavopelma Crassicrus Cyclosternum Cyriocosmus Cyrtopholis Euathlus Eupalaestrus Grammostola Hapalopus Hapalotremus Hemirrhagus Homoeomma Lasiodora Lasiodorides Magulla Maraca Megaphobema Melloleitaoina Metriopelma Neostenotarsus Nesipelma Nhandu Ozopactus Pamphobeteus Paraphysa Phormictopus Plesiopelma Proshapalopus Pseudhapalopus Reversopelma Schismatothele Schizopelma Sericopelma Sphaerobothria Stichoplastoris Theraphosa Thrixopelma Tmesiphantes Vitalius Xenesthis

Acanthoscurria Aenigmarachne Agnostopelma Ami Aphonopelma Bonnetina Brachypelma Chromatopelma Clavopelma Crassicrus Cubanana Cyclosternum Cyriocosmus Cyrtopholis Euathlus Eupalaestrus Grammostola Hapalopus Hapalotremus Hemirrhagus Homoeomma Kochiana Lasiodora Lasiodorides Magulla Maraca Megaphobema Melloleitaoina Metriopelma Mygalarachne Neostenotarsus Nesipelma Nhandu Ozopactus Pamphobeteus Paraphysa Phormictopus Plesiopelma Proshapalopus Pseudhapalopus Reversopelma Schismatothele Schizopelma Sericopelma Sphaerobothria Stichoplastoris Theraphosa Thrixopelma Tmesiphantes Vitalius Xenesthis