[1] Trichopelma zebra was first described by Alexander Petrunkevitch in 1925, under the name of Merothele zebra, a new genus he erected for the species, and which he placed in the family Barychelidae.

[1][2] In 1985, Robert Raven made Mesothele a junior synonym of Trichopelma, saying that "it does not differ in any character of generic significance".

[3][4] In 2015, the genus was placed by José Guadanucci in a much reduced subfamily of the Theraphosidae, Ischnocolinae sensu stricto.

[5] T. zebra has dusky-brown femurs, spinnerets, chelicerae, and cephalothorax.

All tarsal scopulae are bisected longitudinally.