Harpactirella

Harpactirella
H. lightfooti
H. overdijki
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Harpactirella
Purcell, 1902[1]
Type species
H. treleaveni
Purcell, 1902
Species

11, see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Luphocemus Denis, 1960[2]

Harpactirella is a genus of South African tarantulas that was first described by William Frederick Purcell in 1902.[3] Originally placed with the brushed trapdoor spiders, it was transferred to the tarantulas in 1985.[4]

It is considered a senior synonym of Luphocemus.[2]

All of its described species are endemic to South Africa.[1]

Species

As of October 2025, this genus includes eleven species:[1]

  • Harpactirella domicola Purcell, 1903
  • Harpactirella helenae Purcell, 1903
  • Harpactirella karrooica Purcell, 1902
  • Harpactirella lapidaria Purcell, 1908
  • Harpactirella lightfooti Purcell, 1902
  • Harpactirella longipes Purcell, 1902
  • Harpactirella magna Purcell, 1903
  • Harpactirella overdijki Gallon, 2010
  • Harpactirella schwarzi Purcell, 1904
  • Harpactirella spinosa Purcell, 1908
  • Harpactirella treleaveni Purcell, 1902 (type species)

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Gen. Harpactirella Purcell, 1902". World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
  2. ^ a b Benoit, P. L. G. (1965). "Etudes sur les Barychelidae du Centre Africain (Araneae - Orthognatha) II. - Leptopelmatinae nouveaux". Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines. 71: 297.
  3. ^ Purcell, W. F. (1902). "On the South African Theraphosidae or "Baviaan" spiders, in the collection of the South African Museum". Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 11: 319–347. doi:10.1080/21560382.1900.9525971.
  4. ^ Raven, R. J. (1985). "The spider infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): Cladistics and systematics". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 182: 112.