Sericopelma embrithes (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936) Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936

Gabriel, Ray & Longhorn, Stuart J., 2015, Revised generic placement of Brachypelmaembrithes (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936) and Brachypelmaangustum Valerio, 1980, with definition of the taxonomic features for identification of female Sericopelma Ausserer, 1875 (Araneae, Theraphosidae), ZooKeys 526, pp. 75-104 : 78-80

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Theraphosidae

Sericopelma embrithes (Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936) comb. n.

Eurypelma embrithes Chamberlin & Ivie, 1936: 7 (D female)

Avicularia embrithes Raven, 1985: 146, 148, 151 (T f from Eurypelma ).

Aphonopelma embrithes Schmidt, 1993: 78 (T f from Eurypelma = Avicularia ).

Brachypelma embrithes Smith, 1994: 160 (T f from Eurypelma = Avicularia ).

Description.

Female (Holotype AMNH): Total length including chelicerae 58.6. Carapace, length 27.6, width 23.2. Caput, high. Ocular tubercle, length 2.6, width 3. An terior row procurved, posterior row recurved. Eyes ALE> AME, AME> PLE, PLE> PME. Clypeus; 0.9, clypeal fringe long. Fovea, deep transverse. Maxillae, with 100-120 cuspules, covering approximately 60% of proximal edge. Labium, length 3.2, width 4.4, with 40-60 labial cuspules most separated by less than 0.5 - 1 times the width of a single cuspule. Labio-sternal mounds separate. Sternum, damaged with three pairs of sigilla. Femur IV with a dense pad of plumose hair on retro-lateral surface, pro-lateral surfaces of trochanter/femur of anterior legs lacking stridulatory setae. Tarsi I–IV densely scopulate. Metatarsal scopulae, I 88%, II 83%, III 64%, IV 15% of the length of the segment, IV divided. Lengths of leg and palpal segments see Table 2. Spination: femurs I, III, IV, 0-0-2 palp d 0-0-1, patella I, palp, II, III 0-2-0, IV 0-3-0, tibia 1 d 0-2-0, v 0-0-3, II d 1-2-0, v 1-1-3, III d 2-2-2, v 0-2-3 (apical), tibia IV d 4-3-2, v 2-1-2, palp d 0-1-2, metatarsus I 0-0-1, II v 0-0-2 (apical), III d 2-3-2, v 4-0-5 (apical), IV d 3-2-2, v 5-5-9 (5 apical). Posterior lateral spinnerets, with three segments, basal 4.4, medial 3.7, digitiform apical 6.1.Lateral median spinnerets, with one segment. Spermathecae, single domed receptacle apically swollen (Fig. 1). Urticating hairs (not from holotype) type I and III.

Colour. Type specimen alcohol faded brown. Live freshly moulted specimens from type locality are an overall blackish with longer red hairs on the abdomen, with grayish hairs on the dorsal trochanter, coxae and edges of the carapace, and two converging stripes on patella in older specimens (Fig. 2). These colours fade to overall brown with subdued russet abdominal hairs after a few months and the first dry season (RG pers.obs.).

Distribution.

Only known from type locality Barro Colorado Island, = Lake Gatun/ Canal Zone, Districto La Chorrera, Provincia de Panamá, República de Panamá [DMS = 9°09'00"N, 79°50'41"W].

Remarks.

Originally, this species was described by "Carapace is decidedly longer than wide. Median depression transverse; deep" and "barely a trace of scopula on metatarsus IV". Our examination confirmed these features, but lead us to conclude identification as Sericopelma as defined here, including presence of an apically swollen unilobar spermathecae (Fig. 1, see also Figs 3-5, 7-9, contrast 13-16). The type locality of Barro Colorado Island is the site of a Smithsonian Institute field-centre; hence there is a large series of specimens from type locality assignable to Sericopelma embrithes (Fig. 2) in the MCZ, MIUP and PMY (supplementary material). It is possible that Sericopelma embrithes ( Chamberlin and Ivie 1936) is a junior synonym of another Sericopelma sp. such as Sericopelma commune Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 or Sericopelma panamanum (Karsch, 1880). Unfortunately, the mature male of Sericopelma embrithes remains unknown. However, geographic considerations can be vital to make confident decisions about both generic and species identities as many tarantulas have narrow distributions, and we contend these older named Panamanian species were collected in distant western Panama, namely ‘Chiriquí’, likely the cool highlands near Volcán Baru and Boquete (Prov. de Chiriquí) where Europeans would acclimatize (rather than the small modern village of Chiriquí, Prov. de Chiriquí). Conversely, Sericopelma embrithes from Barro Colorado Island (Prov. de Panamá) is within the central Canal Zone, a distance of over 300 km from ‘Chiriquí’ (Specifically ca. 320 km from Panama City to Boquete).