World Spider Catalog

Theraphosidae Thorell, 1869

Family | ACCEPTED

N.B.: for the year of description (1869 vs. 1870) see Sherwood et al., 2021: 396, Breitling, 2021b published a different opinion; Raven, 1994: 333 considered the Trichopelmatinae (genera Trichopelma and Psalistops) to belong to the Theraphosidae rather than to Barychelidae, but has not provided a phylogenetic argument for this change; Trichopelma was finally transferred to the Theraphosidae (Guadanucci, 2014: 514) as well as Psalistops (Mori & Bertani, 2020: 37), so in fact Trichopelmatinae is now transferred to Theraphosidae; the monophyly of Theraphosidae and of the most recognized theraphosid subfamilies was confirmed by Lüddecke et al., 2018 and by Foley et al., 2019.

Gen. Vitalius Lucas, Silva & Bertani, 1993 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:00291

type Pamphobeteus sorocabae Mello-Leitão, 1923; gender masculine

Transferred to other genera:

Vitalius chromatus (Schmidt, 2004) -- see Nhandu

Vitalius cristatus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) -- see Lasiodora

Vitalius insularis (Mello-Leitão, 1923) -- see Tekoapora

Vitalius litoralis (Piza, 1976) -- see Tekoapora

Vitalius longisternalis Bertani, 2001 -- see Pterinopelma

Vitalius masculus (Piza, 1939) -- see Tekoapora

Vitalius melloleitaoi (Bücherl, Timotheo & Lucas, 1971) -- see Crypsidromus

Vitalius nondescriptus (Mello-Leitão, 1926) -- see Crypsidromus

Vitalius roseus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) -- see Pterinopelma

Vitalius sylviae (Sherwood, Gabriel & Brescovit, 2023) -- see Nhandu

Vitalius vulpinus Schmidt, 1998 -- see Nhandu

Vitalius wacketi (Mello-Leitão, 1923) -- see Tekoapora

In synonymy:

Vitalius cephalopheus (Piza, 1944) = Vitalius vellutinus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bertani, 2001: 302, contra Bücherl, 1947a: 257, sub Pamphobeteus roseus)

Vitalius cesteri (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bertani, 2001: 298)

Vitalius communis (Piza, 1939) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bertani, 2001: 299, contra Bücherl, 1947a: 257, sub Pamphobeteus sorocabae)

Vitalius cucullatus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bücherl, 1947a: 258, sub Pamphobeteus cesteri)

Vitalius exsul (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bücherl, 1947a: 258, sub Pamphobeteus, but see Bertani, 2001: 310)

Vitalius melanocephalus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius sorocabae (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bücherl, 1947a: 257, sub Pamphobeteus)

Vitalius mus (Piza, 1944) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bertani, 2001: 299, contra Bücherl, 1947a: 257, sub Pamphobeteus tetracanthus)

Vitalius piracicabensis (Piza, 1933) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bücherl, 1947a: 258, sub Pamphobeteus cesteri)

Vitalius urbanicola (Soares, 1941) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bücherl, 1947a: 258, sub Pamphobeteus cesteri)

Vitalius ypiranguensis (Soares, 1941) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) (Bücherl, 1947a: 258, sub Pamphobeteus cesteri)

Nomina dubia:

Vitalius platyomma (Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 228, j, Brazil, originally in Pamphobeteus) -- Bertani, 2001: 309

Vitalius rondoniensis (Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 230, f, Brazil, originally in Pamphobeteus) -- Bertani, 2001: 309

Vitalius tetracanthus (Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 238, f, Brazil, originally in Pamphobeteus) -- Bertani, 2001: 309

Vitalius australis Galleti-Lima, Hamilton, Borges & Guadanucci, 2023 | | Brazil urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058359

Vitalius australis Galleti-Lima et al., 2023: 9, f. 10A-E (Dmf) Original description

Vitalius buecherli Bertani, 2001 | | Brazil urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:039199

Pamphobeteus cesteri Schmidt, 1986: 59, f. 95 (m, misidentified)

Vitalius buecherli Bertani, 2001: 307, f. 22, 121-124, 187-188 (Dmf) Original description

Vitalius buecherli Peters, 2003: 305, f. 1203, 1206-1207 (mf)

Vitalius buecherli Schmidt, 2003l: 193, f. 530-532 (mf)

Vitalius buecherli Peters, 2005b: 118, f. 370-375 (mf)

Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) | | Brazil urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:039200

Pamphobeteus holophaeus Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 239 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:057649]

Pterinopelma dubium Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 188 (Dm) Original description

Pamphobeteus cesteri Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 236 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:002498]

Pamphobeteus cucullatus Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 237 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058353]

Pamphobeteus exsul Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 240 (Df; nomen dubium per Bertani, 2001: 310) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058354]

Pamphobeteus piracicabensis Piza, 1933a: 119 (D) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058356]

Pamphobeteus communis Piza, 1939a: 6, f. 7-9 (Dm) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058352]

Pamphobeteus urbanicolus Soares, 1941: 265, f. 6-7 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058357]

Pamphobeteus ypiranguensis Soares, 1941: 268, f. 8-12 (Dm) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058358]

Pamphobeteus mus Piza, 1944: 274, pl. 2 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058355]

Pamphobeteus cesteri Bücherl, 1947a: 258 (S of Pamphobeteus cucullatus, P. exsul, P. piracicabensis, P. urbanicola and P. ypiranguensis)

Eurypelma dubium Bücherl, 1957: 393, f. 43-43a (m)

Pamphobeteus cesteri Bücherl, 1957: 402, f. 84 (m)

Pamphobeteus tetracanthus Bücherl, 1957: 403, f. 89-89a (m, misidentified)

Eurypelma dubium Schmidt, 1986: 50, f. 59-60 (m)

Pamphobeteus tetracanthus Schmidt, 1986: 59, f. 100-101 (m, misidentified)

Pamphobeteus holophoeus Eckardt, 1992: 24, f. a-e (f)

Vitalius cesteri Lucas, Silva & Bertani, 1993: 245 (T from Pamphobeteus)

Aphonopelma dubium Schmidt, 1993d: 78, f. 176-177 (m)

Vitalius tetracanthus Schmidt, 1993d: 100, f. 303-304 (m, misidentified)

Vitalius cesteri Schmidt, 1993d: 98, f. 306 (m)

Vitalius tetracanthus Schmidt, 1997g: 20, f. 226, 231 (m, misidentified)

Vitalius cesteri Schmidt, 1997g: 20, f. 228 (m)

Vitalius tetracanthus Schmidt, 1999f: 15, f. 37 (m, misidentified)

Vitalius tetracanthus Bertani, 2000: 30, f. 4 (m, misidentified)

Vitalius cesteri Peters, 2000b: 130, f. 379 (m)

Vitalius tetracanthus Peters, 2000b: 135, f. 403-404 (m)

Vitalius dubius Bertani, 2001: 298, f. 10-11, 23, 91-100, 182-183 (mf, removed from S of V. wacketi, contra Bücherl, Timotheo & Lucas, 1971: 129, sub Pterinopelma, S of Vitalius cesteri, V. communis and V. mus)

Vitalius dubius Peters, 2003: 306, f. 1209, 1213-1214 (mf)

Vitalius dubius Schmidt, 2003l: 193, f. 533-535 (mf)

Vitalius tetracanthus Schmidt, 2003l: 195, f. 551-552 (m [after Bücherl, 1957: 403, f. 89-89a], misidentified)

Vitalius dubius Peters, 2005b: 119, f. 376-381 (mf)

Vitalius dubius Borges et al., 2025: 531 (S of Pamphobeteus holophaeus, removed from S of Eupalaestrus spinosissimus, rejecting Bertani, 2001: 283)

Vitalius lucasae Bertani, 2001 | | Brazil urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:039202

Vitalius lucasae Bertani, 2001: 308, f. 125-128 (Dmf) Original description

Vitalius lucasae Schmidt, 2003l: 193, f. 539-541 (mf)

Vitalius lucasae Schmidt, 2007c: 100, f. 6 (f)

Vitalius ornatissimus Bertani & Motta, 2024 | | Brazil urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:063461

Vitalius ornatissimus Bertani & Motta, 2024: 2, f. 1-16 (Dmf) Original description

Vitalius paranaensis Bertani, 2001 | | Brazil, Argentina urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:039203

Vitalius paranaensis Bertani, 2001: 306, f. 117-120, 186 (Dmf) Original description

Vitalius paranaensis Peters, 2003: 308, f. 1222, 1224-1225 (mf)

Vitalius paranaensis Schmidt, 2003l: 193, f. 542-544 (mf)

Vitalius restinga Bertani, 2023 | | Brazil urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:059206

Vitalius restinga Bertani, 2023a: 8, f. 24-41 (Dmf) Original description

Vitalius sapiranga Bertani, 2023 | | Brazil urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:059205

Vitalius sapiranga Bertani, 2023a: 2, f. 1-19 (Dmf) Original description

Vitalius sorocabae (Mello-Leitão, 1923) | | Brazil urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:002503 TYPE SPECIES

Pamphobeteus sorocabae Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 233 (Df) Original description

Pamphobeteus melanocephalus Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 234 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058351]

Pamphobeteus sorocabae Bücherl, 1947a: 257 (S of Pamphobeteus melanocephalus)

Pamphobeteus sorocabae Bücherl, 1957: 403, f. 88-88a (m)

Pamphobeteus sorocabensis Bonnet, 1958: 3315 (unjustified emendation)

Pamphobeteus sorocabae Schmidt, 1986: 59, f. 98-99 (m)

Vitalius sorocabae Lucas, Silva & Bertani, 1993: 243, f. 1-3 (mf, T from Pamphobeteus)

Vitalius sorocabae Schmidt, 1993d: 100, f. 308-309 (m)

Vitalius sorocabae Pérez-Miles et al., 1996: 59, f. 49-50 (mf)

Vitalius sorocabae Schmidt, 1997g: 20, f. 230, 232-233 (mf)

Vitalius sorocabae Bertani, 2000: 30, f. 33-34 (m)

Vitalius sorocabae Peters, 2000b: 134, f. 397-399 (mf)

Vitalius sorocabae Bertani, 2001: 292, f. 17, 74-82, 178 (mf)

Vitalius sorocabae Peters, 2003: 310, f. 1236-1239, 1241-1242 (mf)

Vitalius sorocabae Schmidt, 2003l: 140, f. 227, 229-230 (mf)

Vitalius sorocabae Bertani, 2023b: 110 (S of Nhandu sylviae; revalidated by Sherwood et al., 2026a: 522)

Vitalius vellutinus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) | | Brazil urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:039204

Pterinopelma vellutinum Mello-Leitão, 1923a: 186, f. 112-113 (Dm) Original description

Pamphobeteus cephalopheus Piza, 1944: 273, pl. 1 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:058350]

Pamphobeteus cephalopeus Brignoli, 1983c: 133, 139 (lapsus)

Vitalius vellutinus Bertani, 2001: 302, f. 101-111, 184 (mf, removed from S of V. wacketi, contra Bücherl, Timotheo & Lucas, 1971: 129, sub Pterinopelma, S of Pamphobeteus cephalopeus)

Vitalius vellutinus Peters, 2003: 311, f. 1243, 1246-1248 (mf)

Vitalius vellutinus Schmidt, 2003l: 195, f. 553-554 (mf)

Vitalius vellutinus Peters, 2005b: 121, f. 388-393 (mf)