Stromatopelminae

The Stromatopelminae are a subfamily of tarantulas native to West Africa and part of Central Africa. The subfamily was first proposed by Günter Schmidt in 1993.^[1]

Stromatopelminae
Heteroscodra maculata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Theraphosidae
Subfamily:	Stromatopelminae Schmidt, 1993
Genera
See text.

Taxonomy

The subfamily Stromatopelminae was first proposed by Günter Schmidt in 1993.^[1] The genera he included had been placed in the subfamily Eumenophorinae by Raven in 1985.^[2] Schmidt excluded them as they did not have the typical stridulating organ on the coxa and trochanter of the palps and legs which are present in Eumenophorinae.^[1] The subfamily was recovered as monophyletic in both a 2018 and a 2019 study, sister to the subfamily Harpactirinae.^[3][4]

Genera

Schmidt included two genera,^[1] both found in tropical West and Central Africa.^[5][6] Both genera were included in the 2019 study that found the subfamily to be monophyletic.^[4]

• Heteroscodra Pocock, 1899
• Stromatopelma Karsch, 1881

Gallon in 2005 also placed the monotypic genus Encyocratella in the subfamily.^[7] The genus was not found to be part of the subfamily in a 2018 Master's dissertation, which treated it as incertae sedis as regards subfamily.^[8] It was not included in the 2018 and 2019 studies which found the subfamily to be monophyletic.^[3][4]

Distribution and habitat

These arboreal tarantulas are often found dwelling in palm trees native to the West African region.^{[citation needed]}