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For several years, a tree-dwelling and very dark-coloured tarantula species from Panama has been known in the tarantula hobby scene under the term Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ (Pic 1). There was a belief that it could actually be Psalmopoeus reduncus (Karsch, 1880). In 2018, Gabriel reported on a very dark species of Psalmopoeus that he found ‘...in the cloud forest mountains of Panama...’ and which he apparently thought was identical to P. reduncus based on the colour variation that Valerio had given for this species in 1980. Whether the Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ is the form found by Gabriel and whether it belongs to the species Psalmopoeus reduncus, however, could apparently not yet be scientifically examined. Recently, however, we received two preserved adult males of this Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ from Christian Hirsch with the request to check whether it could be Psalmopoeus reduncus. He had apparently received the animals from the person who had introduced this species into the hobby from Panama under the aforementioned term.
The following taxonomic examination was based on the publications and revisions of the genus Psalmopoeus by Gabriel & Sherwood (2020) and by Cifuentes & Bertani (2022). A comparison of the structure of the stridulating organ and the arrangement of the stridulating setae on the palp coxa pl shows a similarity with the figures in Cifuentes & Bertani 2022 (cf. Pic. 2 and 3). When comparing the club-shaped stridulating setae on the palp coxa between Psalmopoeus reduncus and, for example, Psalmopoeus pulcher, which is also native to Panama, it can be seen that P. reduncus has shorter and fewer such setae.
Comparison of the bulb structure of the present males of Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ with the illustrations of the bulbs of the lectotype of Psalmopoeus reduncus in Gabriel & Sherwood 2020 (Figs. 17 – 20) and in Cifuentes & Bertani 2022 also shows a similarity within the range of the variation of the bulb structure given by these authors (compare Pic 4 with Pic 5 – 8).
The structure of the tibial apophyses and the spines on the large and small apophyses also show no significant differences from the figures in Cifuentes & Bertani (compare Pic 4 with Pic 9 - 11). However, it should be noted that in one of the two males there are two spines apically on the retrolateral side of the large apophysis (see Pic 9 & 10). By comparing the figures for P. reduncus in Gabriel & Sherwood 2020 (no spine ) and Cifuentes & Bertani 2022 (one spine), a certain variation seems to be quite common. One major difference to what appears to be known about Psalmopoeus reduncus in the scientific community is the darker colouration of the specimens that are named as Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’. However, this could simply be due to the adaptation of local populations of Psalmopoeus reduncus to the cooler and more humid climate of the Cordillera Central.
Resumé:
The tarantula species which is well known to the tarantula scene as Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ from Panama, does not differ significantly from Psalmopoeus reduncus in taxonomic terms. It is only darker in colour, but this could be an adaptation to the cooler and more humid habitat in the Cordillera Central of Panama. An integrative approach to clarify the relationship between Psalmopoeus reduncus and this Psalmpoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ could provide more clarity about the taxonomic status. In his 2018 work, Gabriel had suggested that genetic studies between the dark-coloured Psalmopoeus material, which may be identical to the Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ and which he found in the "cloud forest mountains of Panama", and the material that is classically known as Psalmopoeus reduncus in the tarantula scene, showed a genetic difference. Unfortunately, he does not provide any information as to which genetic markers were examined and how large the differences between the compared markers were in the alignment, so that from a genetic point of view, the question of the species identity of the Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ cannot be clarified. In terms of its morphology, it belongs taxonomically to Psalmopoeus reduncus.
Reference:
Cifuentes, Y. & Bertani, R. (2022). Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of the tarantula genera Tapinauchenius Ausserer, 1871, Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1985, and Amazonius n. gen. (Theraphosidae, Psalmopoeinae). Zootaxa 5101(1): 1-123.
Gabriel, R. (2018). Some notes and observations on the identity and breeding of Psalmopoeus reduncus (Karsch, 1880) (Araneae: Aviculariinae). Journal of the British Tarantula Society 32(3): 34-40.
Gabriel, R. & Sherwood, D. (2020). Revised taxonomic placement of some Mesoamerican Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895, with description of three new species (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Arachnology 18(4): 387-398
Valerio, C. E. (1979). Arañas terafósidas de Costa Rica (Araneae: Theraphosidae). II. Psalmopoeus reduncus, redescripción, distribución y el problema de dispersión en terafósidas. Revista de Biología Tropical 27: 301-308
The following taxonomic examination was based on the publications and revisions of the genus Psalmopoeus by Gabriel & Sherwood (2020) and by Cifuentes & Bertani (2022). A comparison of the structure of the stridulating organ and the arrangement of the stridulating setae on the palp coxa pl shows a similarity with the figures in Cifuentes & Bertani 2022 (cf. Pic. 2 and 3). When comparing the club-shaped stridulating setae on the palp coxa between Psalmopoeus reduncus and, for example, Psalmopoeus pulcher, which is also native to Panama, it can be seen that P. reduncus has shorter and fewer such setae.
Comparison of the bulb structure of the present males of Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ with the illustrations of the bulbs of the lectotype of Psalmopoeus reduncus in Gabriel & Sherwood 2020 (Figs. 17 – 20) and in Cifuentes & Bertani 2022 also shows a similarity within the range of the variation of the bulb structure given by these authors (compare Pic 4 with Pic 5 – 8).
The structure of the tibial apophyses and the spines on the large and small apophyses also show no significant differences from the figures in Cifuentes & Bertani (compare Pic 4 with Pic 9 - 11). However, it should be noted that in one of the two males there are two spines apically on the retrolateral side of the large apophysis (see Pic 9 & 10). By comparing the figures for P. reduncus in Gabriel & Sherwood 2020 (no spine ) and Cifuentes & Bertani 2022 (one spine), a certain variation seems to be quite common. One major difference to what appears to be known about Psalmopoeus reduncus in the scientific community is the darker colouration of the specimens that are named as Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’. However, this could simply be due to the adaptation of local populations of Psalmopoeus reduncus to the cooler and more humid climate of the Cordillera Central.
Resumé:
The tarantula species which is well known to the tarantula scene as Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ from Panama, does not differ significantly from Psalmopoeus reduncus in taxonomic terms. It is only darker in colour, but this could be an adaptation to the cooler and more humid habitat in the Cordillera Central of Panama. An integrative approach to clarify the relationship between Psalmopoeus reduncus and this Psalmpoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ could provide more clarity about the taxonomic status. In his 2018 work, Gabriel had suggested that genetic studies between the dark-coloured Psalmopoeus material, which may be identical to the Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ and which he found in the "cloud forest mountains of Panama", and the material that is classically known as Psalmopoeus reduncus in the tarantula scene, showed a genetic difference. Unfortunately, he does not provide any information as to which genetic markers were examined and how large the differences between the compared markers were in the alignment, so that from a genetic point of view, the question of the species identity of the Psalmopoeus sp. ‘Black Orchid’ cannot be clarified. In terms of its morphology, it belongs taxonomically to Psalmopoeus reduncus.
Reference:
Cifuentes, Y. & Bertani, R. (2022). Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of the tarantula genera Tapinauchenius Ausserer, 1871, Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1985, and Amazonius n. gen. (Theraphosidae, Psalmopoeinae). Zootaxa 5101(1): 1-123.
Gabriel, R. (2018). Some notes and observations on the identity and breeding of Psalmopoeus reduncus (Karsch, 1880) (Araneae: Aviculariinae). Journal of the British Tarantula Society 32(3): 34-40.
Gabriel, R. & Sherwood, D. (2020). Revised taxonomic placement of some Mesoamerican Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895, with description of three new species (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Arachnology 18(4): 387-398
Valerio, C. E. (1979). Arañas terafósidas de Costa Rica (Araneae: Theraphosidae). II. Psalmopoeus reduncus, redescripción, distribución y el problema de dispersión en terafósidas. Revista de Biología Tropical 27: 301-308
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