Taxonomic notes on the tarantula genus Heterothele Karsch, 1879 (Araneae: Theraphosidae) with a new synonymy, resurrection of H. longipalpis Karsch, 1879, two nomina dubia, and description of a new species from Tanzania
Arachnology 20 (4): 623-639.
Abstract
The historically enigmatic yet distinctive genus Heterothele Karsch, 1879 is revised. Heterothele affinis Laurent, 1946 syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of Heterothele honesta Karsch, 1879. Heterothele longipalpis Karsch, 1879 stat. rev. et comb. nov. is revalidated from the synonymy with H. gabonensis (Lucas, 1853), and H. villosella Strand, 1907 stat. rest. is revalidated from its previous status as a nomen dubium. Conversely, H. ogbunikia Smith, 1990 is proposed as a species inquirenda based on the fact it is not an adult female, but rather an immature male, and H. atropha Simon, 1907 and H. decemnotata (Simon, 1891) are proposed as nomina dubia. Redescriptions of the type specimens of H. honesta Karsch, 1879 (type species), H. darcheni (Benoit, 1966), H. hullwilliamsi Smith, 1990, H. longipalpis Karsch, 1879 stat. rev. et comb. nov., H. ogbunikia Smith, 1990 species inquirenda, and H. spinipes Pocock, 1897 are presented. Heterothele maxima sp. nov. from Tanzania is described as new.