Etymology : The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Willis J. Gertsch, arachnologist and former curator of the Department of Insects and Spiders of the AMNH, who collected the holotype.
The poorly known mygalomorph genus Thalerommata Ausserer, 1875 is redescribed and rediagnosed. Thalerommata
gracilis Ausserer, 1875 (type species) and T. macella (Simon, 1903) are rediagnosed. Thalerommata meridana (Chamberlin
& Ivie, 1938) is considered a nomen dubium. Six new species are described: T. squamea n. sp., T. huila n. sp., T. splendens
n. sp., T. pecki n. sp., T. maculata n. sp., and T. gertschi n. sp. Thalerommata is transferred from Barychelidae to
Theraphosidae and considered closely related with Trichopelma Simon, 1888, with which it shares the biserially dentate
superior tarsal claws in males in combination with non-incrassate PLS. The genus is distributed from northern South-
America to the Caribbean.
