History:

The genus Harpactira is the one of the first known theraphosidae from Africa, only Stromatopelma calceatum (FABRICIUS, 1793) was ealier found. In 1832 described Pierre André LATREILLE (*1762 - †1833) the species Mygale atra which was transfered in 1871 from Anton AUSSERER (*1843 - †1889) in the new etablished genus Harpactira. Habit of the typespecies was the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
Richard C. GALLON is working at the moment on a revision of the genera Harpactira and Harpactirella. Up to the publishing of this revision, there will be no detailed speciesinformation on the website.
In fact that the species of the genus Harpactira only occur in South Africa which has a strict export ban, the species of this genus can not or very rare be found in the hobby.
The genus enfolded at the moment 16 species.
Note: Sometimes there are some offers of called "Harpactira" (mostly H. tigrina and H. curvipes, sometimes H. gigas). Those offers should be in almost species of the genus Pterinochilus (mostly P. lugardi).
Harpactira spp. can distinguished from Pterinochilus by the present of distinct scopulae on the prolateral face of the chelicerae.

 

 

 

Key features of the genus:

• Scopulae on the chelicerae pro- and retrolateral present; scopulae is plumose
• Fovea transverse or slightly procurved
• small up to large Harpactirinae
• Distal segment of posterior spinneret digitiform (Fig. 108 )
• Tarsal scopulae undivided (s. P. chordatus )
• Metatarsal scopulae on leg I, II and III undivided (s. P. chordatus )
• Metatarsal scopulae on leg IV bisected longitudinally by band of stiffened setae (s. P. chordatus )
• Spermathecae paired

 

 

Species:

• Harpactira atra (LATREILLE, 1832) (Type species)
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira baviana PURCELL, 1903
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira cafreriana (WALCKENAER, 1837)
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira chrysogaster POCOCK, 1897
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira curator POCOCK, 1898
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira curvipes POCOCK, 1897
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira dictator PURCELL, 1902
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira gigas POCOCK, 1898
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira guttata STRAND, 1907
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira hamiltoni POCOCK, 1902
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira lineata POCOCK, 1897
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira lyrata (SIMON, 1892)
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira marksi PURCELL, 1902
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira namaquensis PURCELL, 1902
  Distribution: Namibia and South Africa
• Harpactira pulchripes POCOCK, 1901
  Distribution: South Africa
• Harpactira tigrina AUSSERER, 1875
  Distribution: South Africa

 

 

Synonyms:

Mygale funebra Walckenaer, 1837 = H. atra (Latreille, 1832)
Mygale funebris C. L. Koch, 1842 = H. atra (Latreille, 1832)
Mygale coracina C. L. Koch, 1841 = H. atra (Latreille, 1832)
Mygale villosa Walckenaer, 1837 = H. cafreriana (Walckenaer, 1837)
Planadecta lyrata SIMON, 1892 = Harpactira lyrata (SIMON, 1892)

H. chordata GERSTÄCKER, 1873 = Pterionchilus chordatus (GERSTÄCKER, 1873)
H. constricta GERSTÄCKER, 1873 = Eucratoscelus constrictus (GERSTÄCKER, 1873)
H. elevata KARSCH, 1878 = Pterinochilus murinus POCOCK, 1897