Phoneyusa

Phoneyusa
Phoneyusa lesserti from Gabon at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Theraphosidae
Genus:	Phoneyusa Karsch, 1884 [1]

Phoneyusa is a genus of spiders belonging to the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas). ^[1]

Taxonomy

The genus was erected by Ferdinand Karsch in 1884, based on a spider from central Africa he regarded as in some ways similar to the South American genera Avicularia and Eurypelma (now included in Avicularia), but nevertheless distinct. ^[2] Karsch explained the name as meaning "murderess". ^[3] (Phoneyusa is one transcription of the Greek φονεύουσα, derived from the verb φονεύω, 'murder'.)

Distribution

The species of this genus are found in sub-Saharan Africa. ^[1]

Species

As of May 2016 ^[update] , the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species: ^[1]

• Phoneyusa antilope (Simon, 1889) – Congo
• Phoneyusa belandana Karsch, 1884 (type species) – Central African Rep.
• Phoneyusa bidentata Pocock, 1899 – West, Central Africa
• Phoneyusa bouvieri Berland, 1917 – Madagascar
• Phoneyusa buettneri Karsch, 1886 – Gabon
• Phoneyusa chevalieri Simon, 1906 – West Africa
• Phoneyusa cultridens Berland, 1917 – Congo
• Phoneyusa gabonica (Simon, 1889) – Gabon
• Phoneyusa giltayi Laurent, 1946 – Congo
• Phoneyusa gracilipes (Simon, 1889) – Congo
• Phoneyusa lesserti Dresco, 1973 – Central African Rep.
• Phoneyusa manicata Simon, 1907 – Príncipe
• Phoneyusa minima (Strand, 1907) – Cameroon
• Phoneyusa principium Simon, 1907 – Príncipe
• Phoneyusa rutilata (Simon, 1907) – Guinea-Bissau
• Phoneyusa westi Smith, 1990 – Angola

References

1. "Gen. Phoneyusa Karsch, 1884". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
2. Karsch, F. (1884). "Phoneyusa, eine neue Vogelspinnengattung aus Central-Afrika". Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift (in German). 28 (2): 347–350. doi:10.1002/mmnd.18840280211.
3. Karsch (1884). "Ein eigenes Genus, für das der Name Phoneyusa, die Mörderin, entsprechend dem gar gefährlichen Aussehen des Thieres, Geltung haben möge" (a separate genus, for which the name Phoneyusa, the murderess, may have validity according to the quite dangerous appearance of the animal)