Distribution and natural history of Mexican species of Brachypelma and Brachypelmides (Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae) with morphological evidence for their synonymy

Abstract

This comparision of Brachypelmides and Brachypelma species is based on newly collected spiders and more than 100 specimens from five museum collections. The results show that there are six endemic species of Brachypelma in western Mexico (B. auratum, B. baumgarteni, B. boehmei, B. emilia, B. pallidum, B. smithi), presenting a gap in their distribution only where Brachypelmides klaasi is found. Brachypelma vagans is distributed along both coasts of Mexico and Brachypelmides ruhnaui is found in the central part of Mexico. Notes on natural history, a morphological comparison of 27 characters of these genera, and a discussion of the generic affinities are included.