Lampropelma

Lampropelma is an accepted genus of theraphosid tarantulas established by Simon in 1892, with Lampropelma nigerrimum as its type species by original designation. The current World Spider Catalog recognizes two accepted species in the genus: Lampropelma nigerrimum and Lampropelma carpenteri.

Within Ornithoctoninae, Lampropelma belongs to the arboreal Southeast Asian line of Old World tarantulas. In the 2019 revision of the arboreal ornithoctonine genera, Gabriel and Sherwood treated Lampropelma, Omothymus, and Phormingochilus as distinct natural groups and diagnosed Lampropelma primarily by male palpal bulb morphology, especially the apical swelling of the embolus. That same revision also removed Lampropelma violaceopes to Omothymus and transferred Lampropelma nigerrimum arboricola to Phormingochilus, helping stabilize the modern concept of the genus.

As currently cataloged, Lampropelma has a narrow documented distribution centered on island Southeast Asia. The accepted species are recorded from Indonesia, with L. carpenteri also cataloged from Malaysia (Borneo). In scientific terms, the genus is therefore best interpreted as a geographically restricted arboreal ornithoctonine lineage with a still-limited specimen base relative to many better-known theraphosid genera.