Four new species of mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Halonoproctidae and Theraphosidae) from the Colombian Pacific region (Bahía Solano, Chocó)

Abstract

The Colombian Pacific coast is an amazing natural region, immersed in one of the most unknown biodiversity hotspots in the world. An expedition carried out in the north of this area, at the Jardín Botánico del Pacífico (JBP) in Bahía Solano, Chocó, focused on studying the diversity of the mygalomorph spider fauna, allowed us to discover four new species included in the families Halonoproctidae and Theraphosidae. The trapdoor species Ummidia solanasp. nov., and the theraphosids species Euthycaelus cunampiasp. nov. (Schismatothelinae), Melloina pacificasp. nov. (Glabropelmatinae), and Neischnocolus mecanasp. nov. (Theraphosinae) are illustrated, diagnosed, and described in detail. Photographs of somatic features and copulatory organs and a distribution map are provided. Morphological, taxonomical, and biogeographical aspects are discussed for each species. All these taxonomic novelties represent the first records of these genera for the region, expanding the range of geographic distribution of each of them. This work constitutes the first effort focused on characterizing the community of Mygalomorphae species in the Chocó Biogeographic Region.