The genus Holothele Karsch, 1879: the identity of the type species (Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae)

ABSTRACT The genus Holothele Karsch, 1879 has a confusing taxonomic history, mainly due to a imprecise and outdated generic diagnosis, perpetuated since its original description. In this work, we propose a new diagnosis for the genus, redescribe the type species Holothele recta Karsch, 1879 and propose a few taxonomic changes. Holothele longipes is here considered as a senior synonym of Holothele recta Karsch, 1879, Stichoplastus sanguiniceps F. O. P.-Cambridge, 1898, Dryptopelmides rondoni Lucas & Bücherl, 1972, Dryptopelmides ludwigi Strand, 1907. We also provide updated geographic distribution records for Holothele longipes and propose the revalidation of Scopelobates Simon, 1903.

In this paper, based on the examination of type material and extensive collection specimens, we present a redescription of the type species of the genus, propose a few taxonomic rearrangements, report color variation of specimens from distinct localities and present a distribution map for the species.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Specimens from the following institutions were examined.Abbreviations, cities, countries and curator are as follows:  DIAgNOSIS.-Females can be distinguished by the spermathecae receptacula elongate, with a narrow base, slightly swollen at the apical end, bearing or not lobes on the inner ventral face, these lobes may vary in size and number (Figs 1F, G; 4A-F).Males are distinguished by the morphology of the palpal bulb, which is long, thin, and slightly curved (Fig. 1B-D), by the morphology of the tibial apophysis, formed by two branches, retrolateral with a tapering tip (Fig. 1E), and by the presence of a intercheliceral intumescense.Males differ from the small species from the Caribbean (H.sulfurensis Maréchal, 2005, H. culebrae, H. denticulata and H. shoemakeri) by the absence of a twisted embolus with small keels.Females differ from those species by the shape of spermathecae, which bear lobes (except the specimens inhabiting caves).
cOLORATION.-Males and females with legs and palps black; carapace covered with setae that may vary from red to black, setae around carapace red; abdomen covered with setae that vary from black to red; chelicerae covered with setae of the same color as those on carapace (Figs 2, 3).
DISTRIbuTION.-H.longipes occupies a wide geographic range of northern South America.It is distributed from the 0 m a.s.l. in Trinidad and Tobago, along the Caribbean coast of Colombia and Venezuela, and the Atlantic coast of Surinam, to above 2000 m a.s.l. on the eastern cordillera of Colombia.It is registered for Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Suriname (Fig. 5).
NATuRAL HISTORy.
-This species has managed to conquer different environments within a wide altitudinal gradient.It inhabits humid forests of the Brazilian and Colombian Amazon, Andean forests and grasslands, and coastal savannahs of Colombia and Venezuela.They have been found especially under rocks and logs, and also within human constructions.So its ecological plasticity is evident.Additionally, some specimens have been found inside the caves from Santander, Colombia.These specimens are only few females and juveniles, and show no troglomorphic adaptations.Therefore, it is possible to assume that these specimens are using caves as temporary refuge.Holothele : identity of the type species
Spermathecae formed by two receptacula longer than wide, without lobes.Scopula on metatarsi: I totally occupied, II 3/4 occupied, III half occupied and IV less than half occupied.Tarsal scopula I-IV divided.Tarsal claws with a median row of small teeth, clavate trichobothria in tow rows, divided by a central row of thin long setae.Tarsus IV cracked.Eyes: anterior row procurved, posterior slightly recurved, clypeus absent (note: the holotype specimen described above is a juvenile ♀, as already noted by Rudloff (1997), because it does not have well sclerotized genital opening and the divison of the anterior tarsal scopula is very wide.Moreover, the size of the specimen is very small, unlike the adult representatives of this species.Although it presents a spermathecae, it is well known that juvenile theraphosids have undeveloped receptacula (Schiapelli & Gerschman de Pikelin 1962).We, therefore, present a description based on the type material of Stichoplastus ravidus (junior synonym of H. longipes), in order to provide a description based on an adult specimen.

REMARkS
The examination of the holotype revealed the presence of a conspicuous dorsal abdominal patch of urticating setae type I and III, which clearly makes it a representative of the subfamily Theraphosinae.Interestingly, this feature had not been noticed before.This species is very similar to representatives of the genus Stichoplastoris Rudloff, 1997.The type specimen does not possess any stridulating setae, and therefore, the two Dominican genera Phormictopus Pocock, 1901 and Cyrtopholis Simon, 1892 could not accommodate it.However, without a comprehensive examination of the type material of the species currently included in the genus Stichoplastoris, any taxonomic rearrangement should not be proposed.Therefore, as a useful step towards revised nomenclature we remove this species from Holothele and revalidate Scopelobates.In this way, a taxonomic survey including Theraphosinae species from West Indies would clarify this issue.