A Revision of the Genus Hermacha Simon, 1889 (Mygalomorphae: Entypesidae), in southern Africa with Revalidation of Hermachola Hewitt, 1915, and Brachytheliscus Pocock, 1902

RIOS TAMAYO, DUNIESKI; GOLOBOFF, PABLO A

AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES

AMER MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY

Lugar: New York; Año: 2021

0003-0082

The southern African species of the mygalomorph spider genus Hermacha Simon, 1889, arerevised. Eight species are redescribed: H. brevicauda Purcell, 1903; H. caudata Simon, 1889; H.evanescens Purcell, 1903; H. fulva Tucker, 1917; H. lanata Purcell, 1902; H. nigrispinosa Tucker,1917; H. sericea Purcell, 1902; and H. tuckeri Raven, 1985. The female of H. sericea and the maleof H. evanescens are described for the first time. Three new species are described: H. septemtrionalis, sp. nov., H. maraisae, sp. nov., and H. montana, sp. nov. On the basis of their genital morphology H. curvipes Purcell, 1902, and H. nigra Tucker, 1917, are considered incertae sedis.Pionothele capensis Zonstein, 2016, was found to be conspecific with H. brevicauda and is synonymized. The genera Brachytheliscus Pocock, 1902, and Hermachola Hewitt, 1915, are revalidatedand redescribed. Hermacha capensis (Ausserer, 1871) and H. crudeni Hewitt, 1913, are transferredto Hermachola. Hermachola crudeni (Hewitt, 1913), originally described from a female, and Hermachola grahami Hewitt, 1915, originally described from a male, were found to be conspecificand synonymized. A new species, Hermachola lyleae, sp. nov., is also described. New morphological characters for the diagnoses of these genera and a dichotomous key for all species consideredhere are provided. Known distributions are mapped and, where available, ecological data areincluded. With the exception of H. caudata and H. mazoena Hewitt, 1915, all species are endemic