Vitalius

Vitalius is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by S. Lucas, P. I. da Silva Jr. & Rogério Bertani in 1993.^[2]

Phylum:Arthropoda

Subphylum:Chelicerata

Class:Arachnida

Order:Araneae

Quick facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

Vitalius

V. paranaensis in Paraná, Brazil

V. ornatissimus in Tocantins, Brazil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Theraphosidae
Genus:	Vitalius Lucas, Silva & Bertani, 1993^[1]
Type species
V. sorocabae (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
Species
11, see text

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Distribution

The described species are mainly endemic to Brazil, with V. paranaensis reaching into Argentina.^[1]

Diagnosis

They can be distinguished from other tarantulas by the lack of stridulating hairs on the prolateral side of coxa 1 and in the palpal bulb. By the absence of scopula on the side of femur 1, and metatarsus 1 closing between the male spur branches.^[3]

Taxonomy

V. wacketi was elevated to monotypic genus Tekoapora in 2023.^[4]

Species

female V. buecherli
V. chromatus
V. lucasae
male V. nondescriptus

As of October 2025^[update], this genus includes eleven species:^[1]

Vitalius australis Galleti-Lima, Hamilton, Borges & Guadanucci, 2023 – Brazil
Vitalius buecherli Bertani, 2001 – Brazil
Vitalius chromatus (Schmidt, 2004) – Brazil
Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) – Brazil
Vitalius lucasae Bertani, 2001 – Brazil
Vitalius ornatissimus Bertani & Motta, 2024 – Brazil
Vitalius paranaensis Bertani, 2001 – Brazil, Argentina
Vitalius restinga Bertani, 2023 – Brazil
Vitalius sapiranga Bertani, 2023 – Brazil
Vitalius sorocabae (Mello-Leitão, 1923) – Brazil (type species)
Vitalius vellutinus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) – Brazil

In Synonymy

V. cephalopheus (Piza, 1944) = Vitalius vellutinus (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. cesteri (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. communis (Piza, 1939) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. cucullatus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. exsul (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. melanocephalus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius sorocabae (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. melloleitaoi = Vitalius nondescriptus (Mello-Leitão, 1926)
V. mus (Piza, 1944) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. piracicabensis (Piza, 1933) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. sylviae (Sherwood, Gabriel & Brescovit, 2023) = Vitalius sorocabae (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. urbanicola (Soares, 1941) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
V. ypiranguensis (Soares, 1941) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923)

Nomina dubia

V. platyomma (Mello-Leitão, 1923) - Brazil
V. rondoniensis (Mello-Leitão, 1923) - Brazil
V. tetracanthus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) - Brazil