Lasiocyano

Lasiocyano is an accepted genus of theraphosid tarantulas established in 2023 by Galleti-Lima, Hamilton, Borges, and Guadanucci. It is currently monotypic, with the sole accepted species Lasiocyano sazimai, which is also the type species by monotypy. The World Spider Catalog records the genus as containing only this single Brazilian species.

The genus was erected as part of a broader phylogenomic reclassification of South American lasiodoriform theraphosids. In that 2023 study, Pterinopelma sazimai was transferred to the new genus Lasiocyano, reflecting both molecular evidence and diagnostic morphology. The authors explicitly derived the generic name from “lasio” meaning hairy and “cyano” meaning blue, in reference to the conspicuous blue iridescent setae of the type species.

In scientific terms, Lasiocyano is best understood as a geographically restricted Brazilian highland theraphosid lineage associated with the Espinhaço Mountain Range, including records from Bahia and Minas Gerais. The 2023 reclassification summarized the species’ distribution as the highlands of the Espinhaço range, while the original and subsequent taxonomic papers place specimens in Chapada Diamantina and Serra do Cipó.