Hemirrhagus is a genus of Mexican tarantulas that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1903. It is considered a senior synonym of Spelopelma. Species of the genus Hemirrhagus are 5 to 12 cm long, usually black in colour, the urticating hairs on the opisthosoma are arranged in one dorsomedian patch, two dorsal paramedian patches, or two lateral patches. It is unique amongst the theraphosine genera because of the retrolateral coxal heels, the shape of the male palpal bulb, and the urticating hairs on the abdomen are reduced or completely missing. It is the only genus with epigean, troglophile and troglobitic species.
Distribution Hemirrhagus tarantulas are all found in Mexico all of them are largely distributed from Tamaulipas in the north to Chiapas in the south, primarily in the mountainous regions of Sierra Madre Oriental, Eje Volcánico Transversal, Sierra Norte de Oaxaca, and Sierra Madre Sur. All of these tarantulas are found in individual caves, with multiple species living in the same cave. The species are found in cave systems between 100m to 1900m above sea level. Most of them are found in central Mexico and the northern part of south Mexico.
Species
it contains twenty-seven species, all found in Mexico: Hemirrhagus akheronteus Mendoza & Francke, 2018 – Mexico Hemirrhagus benzaa Mendoza, 2014 – Mexico Hemirrhagus billsteelei Mendoza & Francke, 2018 – Mexico Hemirrhagus cervinus (Simon, 1891) (type) – Mexico Hemirrhagus chilango Pérez-Miles & Locht, 2003 – Mexico Hemirrhagus coztic Pérez-Miles & Locht, 2003 – Mexico Hemirrhagus diablo Mendoza & Francke, 2018 – Mexico Hemirrhagus elliotti (Gertsch, 1973) – Mexico Hemirrhagus embolulatus Mendoza, 2014 – Mexico Hemirrhagus eros Pérez-Miles & Locht, 2003 – Mexico Hemirrhagus franckei Mendoza, 2014 – Mexico Hemirrhagus gertschi Pérez-Miles & Locht, 2003 – Mexico Hemirrhagus grieta (Gertsch, 1982) – Mexico Hemirrhagus guichi Mendoza, 2014 – Mexico Hemirrhagus kalebi Mendoza & Francke, 2018 – Mexico Hemirrhagus lochti Estrada-Alvarez, 2014 – Mexico Hemirrhagus mitchelli (Gertsch, 1982) – Mexico Hemirrhagus nahuanus (Gertsch, 1982) – Mexico Hemirrhagus ocellatus Pérez-Miles & Locht, 2003 – Mexico Hemirrhagus papalotl Pérez-Miles & Locht, 2003 – Mexico Hemirrhagus perezmilesi García-Villafuerte & Locht, 2010 – Mexico Hemirrhagus pernix (Ausserer, 1875) – Mexico Hemirrhagus puebla (Gertsch, 1982) – Mexico Hemirrhagus reddelli (Gertsch, 1973) – Mexico Hemirrhagus sprousei Mendoza & Francke, 2018 – Mexico Hemirrhagus stygius (Gertsch, 1971) – Mexico Hemirrhagus valdezi Mendoza, 2014 – Mexico
References