Revalidation of the genus Sadala Simon, 1880 with the description of a new genus of Neotropical huntsman spiders (Araneae, Sparassidae)

Abstract

The genus Sadala Simon, 1880 is revalidated to include the here designated type species, S. keyserlingi Simon, 1880, as well as S. nigristernis Simon, 1880, S. punicea Simon, 1880, S. rufa (Keyserling, 1880) and S. velox Simon, 1880, all comb. rest. The males of S. punicea and S. rufa and four new species are described: S. kaiabispec. nov. (♂♀), from Brazil, S. nanayspec. nov. (♀) and S. yuyapichisspec. nov. (♂) from Peru, and S. tabatingaspec. nov. (♀) from Brazil and Colombia. The genus Merigen. nov. is described to include the type species, M. pictitarsis (Simon, 1880), as well as M. mathani (Simon, 1880), M. formosus (Banks, 1929), M. santivincenti (Simon, 1898), and M. trinitatis (Strand, 1916), all comb. nov. transferred here from the genus Olios Walckenaer, 1837. The male of M. trinitatiscomb. nov. and twenty new species are described: M. abunaspec. nov. (♂♀), from Ecuador, Brazil and Peru; M. apariaspec. nov. (♀), from Peru, M. arraijanspec. nov. (♀) from Panama and Colombia; M. carabobospec. nov. (♂♀), M. gurispec. nov. (♂), M. yacibaspec. nov. (♂♀), from Venezuela; M. condurispec. nov. (♂♀), M. manaosspec. nov. (♂), M. mundurukuspec. nov. (♀), M. paiaiaspec. nov. (♀), M. quinarispec. nov. (♂), M. rivaispec. nov. (♀), M. tamborspec. nov. (♂), M. tapirapecospec. nov. (♀), from Brazil; M. jarauaspec. nov. (♂♀), from Venezuela, French Guiana, Surinam, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil; M. kaieteurspec. nov. (♀) from Venezuela and Guyana; M. martiniquespec. nov. (♀), from Martinique, Guadelupe and Dominica; M. tumatumarispec. nov. (♀) from Guyana, M. vaninispec. nov. from Brazil and Peru; and M. zetekispec. nov. (♀) from Panama. Olios orchiticus Mello-Leitão, 1930 is considered a junior synonym of M. trinitatiscomb. nov. Both genera and species are described and illustrated. Identification keys and updated distribution maps are provided.