We will gladly undertake free sex/species determination of african Theraphosdiae. For this we need well preserved exuviae or a dead alcohol preserved specimen. Feel free to contact us for For more information.

 

 

Key of the genera of the subfamily Harapctirinae:

1. Retrolateral surface of chelicerae with distinct scopula 2
   • Scopula absent on retrolateral chliceral surface Harpactirella
2. Upper prolateral surface of chelicerae with distinct scopula 3
   • Scopula absent on upper prolateral cheliceral surface 4
3. Prolateral surface of maxilla with several large, plumose stridulatory strikers; discrete row of bristles below retrolateral cheliceral scopula present Harpactira
   • Stridulatory strikers absent on prolateral surface of maxilla; discrete row of bristles below retrolateral cheliceral scopula absent Trichognathella
4. Distal segment of posterior spinneret subconical (Fig. 95 ) Idiothele
   • Distal segment of posterior spinneret digitiform (Fig. 108 ) 5
5. Ventral darkening on palpi and leg I-II present; ventral darkening on leg III-IV absent Fovea strongly procurved and/or with distinct protuberance 8
   • Venter of palpi and leg I-IV uniformly coloured 6
6. Females 7
   • Males 9
7. Tibia IV incrassate (viewed dorsally) (Fig. 71 , 79 ); DPD (distal prodorsal) spine on metatarsi III and IV absent Eurcratoscelus
   • Tibia IV not incrassate; DPD spine on metatarsi III and IV present Pterinochilus
8. Chelicerae clothed in grey velvety setae without long emergent setae; legs I-II and Palpi robust (Fig. 14 ) Augacephalus
   • Chelicerae with numerous long emergent setae; legs I-II and palpi not robust Ceratogyrus
9. Metatarsus I with DPV (distal proventral) tumid protubarance (Fig. 72 , Fig. 14 ); DPD spine on metatarsi III and IV absent Eucratoscelus
   • Metatarsus I without DPV tumid protuberance; DPD spine on metatarsi III and IV present 10
10. Tibia I without DPV tibial apophysis or, if present, apophysis megaspine reduced (Figs. 8 , 18 ) Augacephalus
    • Tibia I with well-developed DPV tibial apophysis surmounted by well-developed megaspine (Figs. 109 ) Pterinochilus

 

 

Key to the species of Pterinochilus:

1. Females ( of P. alluaudi unknown) 2
   • Males 6
2. Spermathecae with single terminal lobes (Fig. 150 ) 3
   • Spermathecae without terminal lobes (Fig. 107 ) 5
3. Scopula on prolateral face of palpal tochanter bisected by longitudinal line of stiffened setae (Fig. 137 ) P. simoni
   • Scopula on prolateral face of palpal trochanter not bisected by longitudinal line stiffened setae (Fig. 126 ) 4
4. Retrolateral cheliceral scopula large, composed of well-developed plumose setae (Fig. 147 ); overall coloration brown P. vorax
   • Retrolateral cheliceral scopula small, composed of more weakly-developed plumose setae (Fig. 115 ); overall coloration pale grey P. lugardi
5. DPL (distal prolateral) margin of maxilla with line of stiffened spike setae (Fig. 126 ); spermathecae curved inwards (Figs. 127 , 128 , 129 ) P. murinus
   • DPL margin of maxilla without line of stiffened spike setae, if setae present in this postion not stiffened; spermathecae rounded distally, usually splayed outwards (Figs. 105 , 106 , 107 ) P. chordatus
6. Scopula on prolateral face of palpal trochanter bisected by longitudinal line of stiffened setae (Fig. 137 ); carapace covered with pale, woolly seate; palpal bulb as in Figs. 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 und 135 P. simoni
   • Scopula on prolateral face of palpal trochanter not bisected by longitudinal line of stiffened setae (Fig. 126 ) 7
7. DPL margin of maxilla with line of stiffened spike setae (Fig. 126 ); embolus filiform, mid-inflected and acuminate (Fig. 123 ) P. murinus
   • DPL margin of maxilla without line of stiffened spike setae, if setae present in this position not stiffened; embolus shorter, not distinctly mid inflected 8
8. Palpal bulb squat, cross section of embolus triangular in shape (Figs. 97 , 98 ) P. alluaudi
   • Palpal bulb not squat, embolus not triangular in cross section 9
9. Metatarsus of leg I straight (Fig. 110 ) P. lugardi
   • Metatarsus of leg I laterally flexed* (Fig. 148 ) 10
10. Embolus with inflected tip (Figs. 101 , 102 ) P. chordatus
    • Ebolus without inflected tip (Figs. 144 , 145 ) P. vorax
11. * Small male specimens of both P. chordatus and P. vorax can possess a straight metatarsus I. In such cases P. vorax is distinguished by its flexed embolus and P. chordatus by its inflected embolis tip. Both P. chordatus and P. vorax are darker in coloration than P. lugardi.

 

Key to the species of Augacephalus:

1. Females 2
   • Males 3
2. Spermathecae medially constricted, terminally circular in cross section (Figs. 16 , 17 ); sternum and coxae covered with dense black velvety seate; profile of carapace as in Fig. 13 A. junodi
   • Spermathecae flattened, sub-triangular (Figs. 5 , 6 , 7 ); sternum and coxae with dense black velvety setae with long emergent setae; profile of carapacae often stepped at fovea (Fig. 3 ) A. breyeri
3. DPV (distal proventral) tibial apophysis on leg I present, but surmounted megaspine weakly-developed (Fig. 8 ); palpal bulb as in Fig. 2 A. breyeri
   • DPV tibial aphophysis on leg I absent (Fig. 18 ); palpal buld as in Fig. 11 A. junodi

 

 

Key to the species of Eucratoscelus:

1. Female 2
   • Male 3
2. 2. Only tibia of leg IV incrassate (Fig. 71 ) E. constrictus
   • Tibia, metatarsus and tarsus of leg IV incrassate (Fig. 79 ) E. pachypus
3. Embolus strongly curved (viewed retrolaterally) (Fig. 69 ); carapace lengh/ocular tubercle with ratio c. 6.5 E. constrictus
   • Embolus slightly curved (viewed retrolaterally) (Fig. 76 ); carapace length/ocular tubercle with ratio c.5.5 E. pachypus

 

Key to the species of Ceratogyrus:

1. Fovea without distinct, laterally visible protuberance 2
   • Fovea with a low-set plug or laterally visible protuberance 11
2. Fovea procurved with pale sub-abdominal band 3
   • Fovea transverse without pale sub-abdominal band C. paulseni
3. Fovea surrounds a sunken, angled, hemispherical plane. Spermathecae not medially constricted as in Fig. 39 C. hillyardi
   • Fovea does not surround a sunken, angled, hemispherical plane. Spermathecae medially constricted as in Figs. 26 , 34 , 59 und 67 4
4. 3. Male 5
   • Female 8
5. Embolus strongly curved (Fig. 62 ) C. pillansi
   • Embolus not strongly curved as in Fig. 20 , 21 , 29 , 53 und 54 5
6. Embolus relatively thick and squat with two parallel retroventral sub-keels as in Fig. 29 C. ezendami
   • Embolus relatively slender and long without two parallel retroventral sub-keels as in Figs. 20 , 21 , 53 und 54 7
7. Embolic tip flexed when viewed retrolaterally as in Fig. 20 and 21 C. dolichocephalus
   • Embolic tip not flexed when viewed retrolaterally as in Figs. 53 and 54 C. meridionalis
8. Sub-abdominal band across anterior booklung covers only as in Fig. 25 . Region between posterior booklung covers same color as posterior region of abdomen C. dolichocephalus
   • Sub-abdominal band across anterior and posterior booklung covers as in Fig. 33 , 58 and 66 . Region between posterior booklung covers paler (maybe grizzled) than posterior abdominal coloration 9
9. Prolateral and ventral darkening absent on leg II as in Fig. 58 C. meridionalis
   • Prolateral and/or ventral darkening present on leg II as in Figs. 33 and 66 10
10. Ventral darkening on legs I and II as in Fig. 33 , and fovea crescentic (Fig. 31 ) C. ezendami
    • Ventral darkening on legs I and II as in Fig. 66 , and fovea "U” shaped as in Fig. 64 C. pillansi
11. Fovea bounds a low-set plug 12
    • Fovea bounds a laterally visible protuberance 13
12. Low-set plug rectangular and positioned anteriorly C. sanderi
    • Low-set plug round, domed and positioned medially as in Fig. 45 C. marshalli
13. 12. Protuberance a simple posterior extension of the caput C. dolichocephalus
    • Protuberance discrete, not a posterior extension of the caput 14
14. Protuberance conical and sub-vertical as in Fig. 46 C. marshalli
    • Protuberance inclined posterially or anteriorly 15
15. Protuberance inclined posterially 16
    • Protuberance inclined anteriorly C. brachycephalus
16. Protuberance broad and obtuse, strongly inclined posterially with anterior slope slightly curved C. bechuanicus
    • Protuberance slender, straight, conical, inclined posterially with anterior slope not curved C. darlingi

 

Anmerkung: Key adapted from DE WET & DIPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN (1991). It is advisable to note the sub-abdominal coloration prior to spermathecae dissection. Spiderlings of C. darlingi and C. bechuanicus resemble C. dolichocephalus. The male of C. hillyardi is unknown.