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Trichopelma rudloffi

Cuba
IUCN Status

Type Locality : Cuba, Holguín Province, Farallones de Moa

Etymology : The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Jan-Peter Rudloff, collector of the species and many other specimens studied in this study.

11604

Male Activity

The spiders of the genus Trichopelma Simon, 1888 present in Cuba, are revised. Currently, the genus Trichopelma comprises 22 known species distributed in the Caribbean, and Central and the upper region of South America. Cuba currently hosts five valid species and, in this study, the descriptions of seven new species distributed throughout the island are presented: T. baracoense sp. nov. (♂♀, Guantanamo prov.), T. cheguevarai sp. nov. (♂, Ciego de Ávila prov.), T. citma sp. nov. (♀, Granma prov.), T. fidelcastroi sp. nov. (♂♀, Holguín prov.), T. granmense sp. nov. (♂♀, Granma prov.), T. rudloffi sp. nov. (♂♀, Holguín prov.) and T. soroense sp. nov. (♂♀, Artemisa prov.). Based on morphological characters, a cladistic analysis was performed, revealing the phylogenetic position of the new species compared to the species previously described. Based on this phylogeny, morphological characters and close proximity in distribution, T. banksia Özdikmen & Demir, 2012 syn. n., is proposed as a junior synonym of T. cubanum (Simon, 1903). The genus Thalerommata Ausserer, 1871 is reported from Cuba for the first time, with the description of T. anae sp. nov. (♂, Sancti Spíritus prov.).
Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 10(2): 347-399

Habitat and Type Locality