Vitalius is a genus of South American tarantulas that was first described by S. Lucas, P. I. da Silva Jr. & Rogério Bertani in 1993.
Distribution The described species are mainly endemic to Brazil, with V. paranaensis reaching into Argentina.
Diagnosis They can be distinguished from other tarantulas by the lack of stridulating hairs on the prolateral side of coxa 1 and in the palpal bulb. By the absence of scopula on the side of femur 1, and metatarsus 1 closing between the male spur branches.
Taxonomy V. wacketi was elevated to monotypic genus Tekoapora in 2023.
Species
, this genus includes eleven species:
Vitalius australis Galleti-Lima, Hamilton, Borges & Guadanucci, 2023 – Brazil Vitalius buecherli Bertani, 2001 – Brazil Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) – Brazil Vitalius lucasae Bertani, 2001 – Brazil Vitalius ornatissimus Bertani & Motta, 2024 – Brazil Vitalius paranaensis Bertani, 2001 – Brazil, Argentina Vitalius restinga Bertani, 2023 – Brazil Vitalius sapiranga Bertani, 2023 – Brazil Vitalius sorocabae (Mello-Leitão, 1923) – Brazil (type species) Vitalius vellutinus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) – Brazil
In Synonymy V. cephalopheus (Piza, 1944) = Vitalius vellutinus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. cesteri (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. communis (Piza, 1939) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. cucullatus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. exsul (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. melanocephalus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) = Vitalius sorocabae (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. melloleitaoi = Vitalius nondescriptus (Mello-Leitão, 1926) V. mus (Piza, 1944) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. piracicabensis (Piza, 1933) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. sylviae (Sherwood, Gabriel & Brescovit, 2023) = Vitalius sorocabae (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. urbanicola (Soares, 1941) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923) V. ypiranguensis (Soares, 1941) = Vitalius dubius (Mello-Leitão, 1923)
Nomina dubia V. platyomma (Mello-Leitão, 1923) - Brazil V. rondoniensis (Mello-Leitão, 1923) - Brazil V. tetracanthus (Mello-Leitão, 1923) - Brazil
References
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