Psalmopoeus
Genus of spiders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Psalmopoeus is a genus of the family Theraphosidae containing various species of tarantulas. The genus is native to South America, Central America, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico.
| Psalmopoeus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Psalmopoeus irminia (female) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895[1] |
| Type species | |
| Psalmopoeus cambridgei Pocock, 1895 | |
| Species | |
|
20, see text | |
All of these tarantulas are arboreal in nature, Psalmopoeus victori being the first arboreal tarantula of Mexico.
Diagnosis
The species of this genus can be distinguished from all others of the New World by lyra (stridulatory hairs) on the prolateral maxillae, composed of a singular row of chitinous hairlike rods.[2] They also own hairs on the base of the chelicerae, also having short hairs in the retrolateral side of the pedipalp trochanter and femur.[3]
Venom
These species are believed to be relatively venomous, and research in the venom of P. cambridgei shows it to target the same nociceptor as capsaicin, the molecule causing irritation in chilli peppers.[4] These molecules activate sensory cells to send pain signals to the brain. Genetic engineers are working on blocking the receptors that are activated by these molecules.[4]
List of species
As of March 2026[update], the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species:[1]
- Psalmopoeus cambridgei Pocock, 1895 (type species) – Trinidad and Tobago
- Psalmopoeus chronoarachne Peñaherrera-R. & León-E., 2023 - Ecuador
- Psalmopoeus copanensis Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 - Honduras
- Psalmopoeus drolshageni Sherwood, Gabriel, Peñaherrera-R., Guerrero-Campoverde, León-E., Falcón-Reibán, Fajardo-Torres, Picón-Rentería & Cisneros-Heredia, 2025 - Costa Rica
- Psalmopoeus ecclesiasticus Pocock, 1903 – Colombia and Ecuador
- Psalmopoeus intermedius Chamberlin, 1940 - Panama
- Psalmopoeus irminia Saager, 1994 – Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil
- Psalmopoeus langenbucheri Schmidt, Bullmer & Thierer-Lutz, 2006 – Venezuela
- Psalmopoeus petenensis Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 - Guatemala
- Psalmopoeus pristirana Dupérré & Tapia, 2024 - Ecuador
- Psalmopoeus pulcher Petrunkevitch, 1925 – Panama and Colombia
- Psalmopoeus reduncus Karsch, 1880 – Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama
- Psalmopoeus sandersoni Gabriel & Sherwood, 2020 - Belize
- Psalmopoeus satanas Peñaherrera-R. & León-E., 2023 - Ecuador
- Psalmopoeus victori Mendoza, 2014 – Mexico
- Psalmopoeus wallacea Sherwood, Gabriel, Peñaherrera-R., Guerrero-Campoverde, León-E., Falcón-Reibán, Fajardo-Torres, Picón-Rentería & Cisneros-Heredia, 2025 - Honduras
- Psalmopoeus zombie Sherwood, Peñaherrera-R., Gabriel, Guerrero-Campoverde, León-E., Falcón-Reibán, Fajardo-Torres, Picón-Rentería & Cisneros-Heredia, 2025 - Colombia
Species inquirenda
In synonymy
- Psalmopoeus longipes F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896 = Psalmopoeus cambridgei
- Psalmopoeus rufus Petrunkevitch, 1925 = Psalmopoeus pulcher
Nomen dubium
- Psalmopoeus affinis Strand, 1907 - West Indies
