12.11.2024
The identity of Hapalopus sp. “Guerilla” has been clarified!
Some time ago, a publication by Sherwood et al. (2024) was released that dealt with the identity of some Hapalopus species from Colombia. In this paper, several new Hapalopus species were described. Now, we wanted to find out whether the Colombian Hapalopus species present in the tarantula community, which are mostly given common names, are described in this new paper. Since we had documented spermathecae of Hapalopus sp. “Guerilla” in the past (pic 1) and an adult male of this species preserved in alcohol could be used for examination (pic 2), we first looked at this species.
It was quickly determined that most of the taxonomically useful characters of Hapalopus sp. “Guerilla” apply perfectly to the newly described species Hapalopus guerreroi.
The spermathecae form of Hapalopus guerreroi is described by Sherwood et al. (2024) as a “T-shaped spermathecal receptacle”. In fact, the sclerotized area of the spermathecae could have been better described as pear-shaped (see Pic 3). The slightly bulging areas on the right and left in the upper part of the spermathecae shown are remarkably in the spermathecae of H. guerreroi. The same spermathecal shape is found in the female Hapalopus sp. “Guerilla” (Pic 2). Occasionally, Hapalopus sp. “Guerrilla” is offered in various tarantula online shops as Hapalopus vangoghi, another newly described Hapalopus Species! We believe this species name to be incorrect because the spermathecae of H. vangoghi does not show a pear-shaped or "T-shaped" sclerotized area, but a rounded sclerotized area (pic. 4). Furthermore, should it later turn out that H. vangoghi and H. guerreroi are one and the same species and need to be made synonymous, the name “guerreroi” would be valid for the Hapalopus sp. “Guerilla”, because it would have priority over “vangoghi” (see ICZN § 23.2.)!
If one compares the information for the differentiation of Hapalopus males in Sherwood et al. (2024) on page 11 “Diagnosis” with the present male of Hapalopus sp. “Guerilla”, one finds all the characters for the species Hapalopus guerreroi confirmed. The structure of the keels on the bulb of H. sp. “Guerilla” (pic. 5) is virtually identical to the information and illustrations provided by Sherwood et al. (2024) for Hapalopus guerreroi (pic. 6). Likewise, the structure of the tibial apophysis in the present male (pic. 7) is identical to that of H. guerreroi (pic. 6). Just as with H. guerreroi, the examined male of H. sp. “Guerrila” has only one so-called “metatarsal pit” (see pic. 7, green circle). It is remarkably that the present male of H. sp. “Guerrila” has two spines on the ventral large tibial apophysis. These are not shown in Sherwood et al. (2024). However, in Fig. 8 B & C in Sherwood et al. (2024) a hole in the cuticula can be seen at the same place in which probably at least one spine was innervated. Since the number and position of spines in tarantulas can vary greatly, we do not consider this difference to be noteworthy. According to Sherwood et al (2024), the cymbial aopophysis is only normally developed in Hapalopus guerreroi compared to Hapalopus platnicki and Hapalopus formosus, in which it is “well developed” (Fig. 6). The present male of H. sp. “Guerilla” apparently also has a similarly weaker cymbial apophysis as the Hapalopus guerreroi male examined by Sherwood et al. (2024) (pic. 5).
Resumé:
The examination and determination of the species of Hapalopus known in the tarantula community as Hapalopus sp. “Guerilla” showed that it is the species described this year by Sherwood et al. (2024) as Hapalopus guerreroi, since the essential taxonomic characters of the examined material of Hapalopus sp. “Guerilla” matches the description and figures of Hapalopus guerreroi in Sherwood et al. (2024).
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