Urupelma dianae
Peru
Type Locality : Peru, Cusco, between Phiry near Ollantaytambo and Abra Málaga
Etymology : The specific name is a patronym in honour of Diana Silva Dávila, curator of Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, for her help and the chance to study amazing Peruvian tarantulas
11579
Male Activity
The Peruvian tarantula Homoeomma peruvianum (Chamberlin,
1916) is revised. As the type specimens do not fit the diagnostic
characters of Homoeomma Ausserer, 1871, especially because of
the different palpal bulb morphology in males and the shape of
spermathecae in females, H. peruvianum (Chamberlin, 1916) was
transferred into the newly established genus Urupelma gen. n.,
which is herein described, diagnosed and illustrated. Eleven new
species of Urupelma gen. n. (U. sanctitheresae sp. n., U. sanctimariae
sp. n., U. awanqay sp. n., U. ashaninka sp. n., U. atarraz sp. n., U.
megantonianum sp. n., U. machiguenga sp. n., U. pampas sp. n., U.
johannae sp. n., U. veronicae sp. n., and U. dianae sp. n.) are herein
described, diagnosed and illustrated. The monophyly of Urupelma
gen. n. is supported by a molecular phylogenetic analysis focused
on the tarantulas with urticating setae of type III and III+IV and
based on three genes: the nuclear 18S and 28S, and the mitochon-
drial COI gene. Apart from the support of the new genus and some
existing valid genera, the molecular phylogeny also sheds light on
the dynamic evolutionary history behind the adaption to high
montane environments in tarantulas.
Journal of Natural History 57(41-44): 1710-1824