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The jumping spider Marpissa marina (Goyen, 1892) is endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. In this paper, we redescribe the species. Marpissa marina was placed in the Northern Hemisphere genus Marpissa due to its subjective similarity to spiders in that genus. The original description lacked modern morphological diagnoses and useful illustrations. The description was based largely on the female, and therefore lacked the taxonomically important characters seen in the male pedipalp. Previous literature has suggested M. marina may be related to the Australian genus, Maratus Karsch, 1878. We applied an integrative taxonomic approach based on diagnostic morphological characters and molecular analysis for a more detailed species description and assignment into an appropriate genus. Morphological features indicate that M. marina belongs to Maratus. This is supported by phylogenetic analyses using DNA sequences from the nuclear gene Actin 5C and the mitochondrial gene 16S ribosomal RNA. We transfer Marpissa marina into the genus Maratus, as Maratus marinus (Goyen, 1892), new combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to describe a new species of Thrixopelma Schmidt, 1994 from southcentral Peru in the Department of Cusco. Thrixopelma choquequirao sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from congeneric species by the low number of labial cuspules, a very long palpal tibia, morphology of the male palpal bulb and female spermathecae. Currently the genus Thrixopelma comprises seven formally described species which inhabit Perú and Ecuador, distributed in Amazonian rainforest, Coastal Dry Forest, and Andean Dry Forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus, Turanobiusgen. n. (Araneae: Oecobiidae: Oecobiinae), is described from Iran and Central Asia, comprising the following four species: T. ferdowsii (Mirshamsi, Zamani and Marusik, 2017) comb. n. (♂; Iran, Kazakhstan), T. hissaricussp. n. (♂; Tajikistan), T. leptonychussp. n. (♂♀; Tajikistan), and T. tadzhikus (Andreeva and Tyshchenko, 1969) comb. n. (♂♀; Tajikistan); both new combinations are ex. Oecobius Lucas, 1846. Known distribution records of all four species are mapped. Additionally, a discussion is presented on the taxonomy of Oecobius and the potential revalidation of several genera currently considered synonymous with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite Arthropoda being a major animal taxon, it is underrepresented in South American scientific publications. Here, we present the results of a bibliometric analysis of published studies on insects and arachnids in Colombia to understand the general patterns of knowledge of both taxa across this megadiverse country. We compiled 3119 studies on insects and 353 on arachnids published between 1918 and 2019 in more than 600 journals. Research on both insects and arachnids reflects the effort done by researchers working in Colombian institutions, but because publications are mainly domestic, their international impact is limited. The studies included 19 taxonomic orders of insects and 72 families of arachnids with a bias toward a few well-studied taxa like Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Araneidae, and Salticidae, while the majority of taxa are understudied. The geographic coverage of the studies was broad and includes Colombia's 32 departments, but their distribution was heterogeneous being the Andean region the most studied, while the Caribbean and Orinoquia regions could be considered knowledge gaps. Considering our analysis, we give recommendations to expand and advance the knowledge of Colombian insects and arachnids, a major scientific enterprise in which collaboration among researchers from different institutions is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salticidae is the largest family of spiders in terms of described species. Chira Peckham & Peckham, 1896 is a genus with a Neotropical distribution, with 13 described species, but only six have both sexes known. Among the described species, 10 occur in Brazil, including Chira simoni Galiano, 1961 that has only the male described. The main objective of this work is to redescribe Chira simoni, 1961 and describe the female for the first time. The species Chira distincta Bauab-Vianna, 1983 is synonymized with Chira spinosa (Mello-Leitão, 1939), syn. nov. and Chira reticulata (Mello-Leitão, 1943) is synonymized with Chira thysbe Simon, 1902, syn. nov. A discussion about the groups of Chira species is presented, as well as new diagnoses and an update on the distribution of the genus Chira in the Neotropical region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spider species distribution in the Cape Floristic Kingdom (CFK) was compiled as part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), whose main aim was to create a relational database for the country's arachnid fauna. Data from the CFK was extracted from taxonomic and faunistic published papers, as well as unpublished faunistic survey data in national collections. A total of 11 500 records from 130 localities were recorded in the CFK until the end of 2023, representing 62 families, 334 genera and 960 species, with two further families (Synotaxidae and Theridiosomatidae) only known from undescribed species. This represents 42.4% of the total spider fauna of South Africa. For each species, the global and CFK distribution, as well as the level of endemicity and a conservation assessment using the IUCN Red List criteria, are provided. A total of 269 spp. (28.0%) are endemic to the CFK, 49 spp. (5.1%) are of special concern, and 229 spp. (23.9%) are Data Deficient. However, most of the species (682 spp., 71.0%) have a wide distribution with no known threats and are categorised as Least Concern. Salticidae is the most species-rich family (128 spp.), with 30 spp. endemic to the CFK, followed by the Gnaphosidae (107 spp.), Thomisidae (86 spp.) and Lycosidae (49 spp.), while six families are represented by a single species. The last decade has seen an exponential growth in the knowledge of spiders in South Africa, and there are certainly many more species that must still be discovered and described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six species in two genera of the family Cheiracanthiidae Wagner, 1887 are studied from Hainan Island, China, including two new species: Cheiracanthium bawanglingense sp. n. (♀♂) and Eutittha hainanensis sp. n. (♀). Cheiracanthium ningmingense Zhang and Yin, 1999 syn. n. is synonymised with C. exquestitum Zhang and Zhu, 1993, and C. adjacensoides Song, Chen and Hou, 1990 stat. resurr. (♀♂) is removed from synonymy with C. approximatum O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885. Cheiracanthium insigne O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874 (♀♂) and C. taegense Paik, 1990 (♀♂) are reported from Hainan Province, China, for the first time. Photos of habitus and genitalia and a distribution map of all species are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This spider survey of a semidecidual forest area in the city of Mendes, in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, aims to increase the scant knowledge about spider communities in this Brazilian ecosystem. Samples were taken over a year, once every three months, in four different sites with seven sampling methods. An overall of 457 species/morphoespecies were recorded in 47 families, corresponding to 10,541 individuals sampled. Families with highest number of species were Theridiidae (91), Araneidae (72), and Salticidae (55). Families with highest abundance were Theridiidae (2,829 specimens), Pholcidae (2,328), and Araneidae (1,263). Most abundant species were Mesabolivar togatus(534), Carapoia lutea(499 individuals), and Cryptachaea digitus (387). Species accumulation curves indicate a minimum of 513 (Bootstrap) and a maximum of 653 species (Jackknife2) for sampled areas. Total Berger-Parker dominance index was low, 0.051, varying from 0.042 to 0.076, while total Pielou equitability Index was high, 0.805, ranging from 0.744 to 0.800. Total Shannon-Wiener diversity index was relatively high, 4.931, ranging from 4.559 to 4.899. The complex, very diverse and relatively well-structured spider community found in Mendes is remarkable, especially in an area with predominantly secondary forests and high anthropic influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Peruvian tarantula Homoeomma peruvianum (Chamberlin, 1916) is revised. As the type specimens do not fit the diagnostic characters of Homoeomma Ausserer, 1871, especially because of the different palpal bulb morphology in males and the shape of spermathecae in females, H. peruvianum (Chamberlin, 1916) was transferred into the newly established genus Urupelma gen. n., which is herein described, diagnosed and illustrated. Eleven new species of Urupelma gen. n. (U. sanctitheresae sp. n., U. sanctimariae sp. n., U. awanqay sp. n., U. ashaninka sp. n., U. atarraz sp. n., U. megantonianum sp. n., U. machiguenga sp. n., U. pampas sp. n., U. johannae sp. n., U. veronicae sp. n., and U. dianae sp. n.) are herein described, diagnosed and illustrated. The monophyly of Urupelma gen. n. is supported by a molecular phylogenetic analysis focused on the tarantulas with urticating setae of type III and III+IV and based on three genes: the nuclear 18S and 28S, and the mitochondrial COI gene. Apart from the support of the new genus and some existing valid genera, the molecular phylogeny also sheds light on the dynamic evolutionary history behind the adaption to high montane environments in tarantulas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New data on the oecobiid spiders of the genus Oecobius Lucas, 1846 occurring in Iran and Azerbaijan are provided. Five species are described as new to science: O. dariusisp. n. (♀; Alborz and Tehran ‒ northern Iran), O. melanocephalussp. n. (♀; Lorestan, Razavi Khorasan, Semnan, and Tehran ‒ south-western, northern and north-eastern Iran; hitherto described as the female of O. ferdowsii Mirshamsi, Zamani and Marusik, 2017), O. naxuanussp. n. (♂; Nakhchivan ‒ western Azerbaijan), O. pasargadaesp. n. (♂♀; Fars ‒ south-central Iran), and O. zagrossp. n. (♂; Kermanshah ‒ western Iran). Furthermore, O. navus Blackwall, 1859 is reported in Iran for the first time, and new distribution records are provided for O. putus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876 and O. nadiae (Spassky, 1936). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Hypaeus Simon 1900 is described from French Guiana based on both sexes, Hypaeus olympeaesp. nov. We employed morphological evidence, field observation, as well as the mitochondrial COI rapidly evolving loci to confirm that both males and females belong to the same species. Finally, nine species are newly recorded for the salticid fauna of French Guiana, Cyllodania fasciata (Caporicaco, 1954) syn. nov. is considered junior synonym of Gypogyna forceps Simon, 1900 and 12 COI sequences corresponding to four previously unsequenced Hypaeus species are added to GenBank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monotipic genus Anokopsis Bauab-Vianna & Soares, 1980 is a junior synonym of Rudra Peckham & Peckham, 1885 by the transference of the type species Anokopsis avitoides to Rudra. The species Rudra dagostinae Braul & Lise, 1999 is a junior synonym of Rudra avitoides new combination. New records are given for Rudra humilis Mello-Leitão, 1945. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sumampattus Galiano, 1983 comprise three species from South America, the genus is diagnosed by the male palps with an embolus and a cymbial groove with an inclination to the prolateral side, accompanied by a membranous conductor and proximal retrolateral lobe of tegulum distal division, emerging from the dorsal border, moderately turned and twisted. In females, the epigynum has a large posterior atrium, accompanied by a carena septum and absent visible posteriorly-opening coupling pocket. In this work, a new spider species Sumampattus verae sp. n. (male and female) found associated with low vegetation in the Pampa Biome, Southern Brazil, is diagnosed, illustrated and described. Notes on polymorphism in color identified in the new species is herein described. All specimens were collected by D-vac in a grassland habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type specimens are the core of taxonomical studies, unfortunately, many taxonomists in the 1800s did not officially designate type specimens nor type deposition institutions. Furthermore, oftentimes the original description did not include diagnosis or images. In order to help recognise obscure spider species, diagnosis and images of 73 spider-type specimens from South America, or genera also occurring on the continent are presented. Based on type examination four new synonyms are proposed: Abapeba hirta = Teminius insularis new syn., Araneus riveti = Araneus granadensis new syn., Scytodes vittata = Scytodes fusca new syn., and Pardosa riveti = Pardosa fastosa new syn.; and five new combinations are proposed: Creugas cayanus (Taczanowski, 1874) new comb., Emblyna andesiana (Berland, 1913) new comb., Mangora karschi (Roewer, 1942) new comb., Leucauge aureosignata (Lenz, 1891) new comb. and, Goeldia guayaquilensis (Schmidt 1971) new comb. Finally, three synonyms are rejected: Ulesanis chelys ≠ Ulesanis personata, Tetragnatha riveti ≠ Tetragnatha jaculator, and Meta alticola ≠ Chrysometa zelotypa. LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:399EF4D0-3AC0-4689-B466-C05619DC7D53. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new species of brush-footed spiders of the genus Tigidia are described: T. jalgaonensis sp. nov. (♀, northern Maharashtra), T. tangerina sp. nov. (♀, eastern Karnataka), and T. fasciata sp. nov. (♀, southern Kerala). The present descriptions constitute the first record of the genus outside the Western Ghats, indicating its wider distribution in peninsular India. The discovery of the new species raises doubts about the validity of the genus Tigidia as the newly discovered species fills a large gap in the allopatric distribution of the genus Tigidia and Diplothele and further shows that most of the diagnostic characters overlap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hitherto unknown male of the ctenid spider species Bowie indicus (Gravely, 1931) is described and illustrated in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of jumping spiders are visual hunters that capture a wide range of prey. While they are known to use specific predatory techniques against different prey, their prey identification mechanisms are poorly understood. A generalist jumping spider, Yllenus arenarius, employs different predatory techniques to capture prey with two different escape potentials. The aim of the present study was to identify the characteristics used by the spider to classify prey into one of these categories. Freshly-emerged spiderlings were used in the experiments to analyse pre-programmed visual predatory preferences. The spiders were presented with: a) their natural prey with different escape potentials (flies, thrips, caterpillars) and b) video images constructed from different combinations of features of their natural prey. The images varied with regard to five characteristics: body length (short vs long images), the presence or absence of details (0 or 4 details, including head spot, antennae, legs, wings), the local motion of legs (moving vs still), the type of global motion (crawling vs non-crawling) and the direction of global motion (horizontal motion vs vertical small scale jumps). Prey-specific behaviours indicated which characteristics were used by the spider to ascertain the prey's escape potentials. Our findings indicate that during visual prey categorization, Y. arenarius can rely solely on general prey characteristics, such as body proportions and the type of prey motion, while ignoring other stimuli, such as the presence of details and the local motion of legs. This mechanism of prey identification, based on these two easily-recognizable prey characteristics, enables fairly quick and precise categorization of a wide range of prey according to their escape potentials. The study shows how generalist jumping spiders can categorize their diverse prey into a limited number of groups and discusses the presence of the mechanism in other jumping spiders and other animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The funnel web spiders (Agelenidae) are a diverse and taxonomically challenging worldwide distributed family. The genus Tegenaria Latreille, 1804, includes more than 100 valid species, mostly circumscribed to Europe and western Asia, although some species may have been subsequently introduced to other regions by anthropogenic action. Here we revise and investigate phylogenetic relationships of a group of morphologically similar species from the south-western Black Sea region and Anatolia. We remove the species Tegenaria boitanii Brignoli, 1978 stat. rev. and Tegenaria bithyniae Brignoli, 1978 from synonymy of Tegenaria percuriosa Brignoli, 1972. Tegenaria boitanii stat. rev. is restored as a valid species, re-described and re-diagnosed, and T. bithyniae syn. nov. is placed as its junior synonym. We also provide an updated diagnosis for T. percuriosa, describe a new species, Tegenaria euxinica Dimitrov sp. nov. from the mesophilic beech forests (Fagus orientalis) in Bulgaria, and review the members of T. percuriosa complex. We provide new photographs for selected species, and a map of the updated distribution ranges of all the species in the complex. The phylogenetic position and internal structure of T. percuriosa species-complex is investigated by combining available morphological and molecular (target sequencing) data with new data from the species of interest. Finally, we propose to test in future studies the hypothesis that major climatic changes during the Miocene drove diversification of the group and imprinted its biogeography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family Erythraeidae has 60 genera worldwide, of which Charletonia Oudemans has 86 described species, only two of which are recorded in Brazil. Here, we redescribe one of these species based on the holotype, Charletonia rocciai Treat and Flechtmann, and newly collected material. The material represents new records from four different localities in São Paulo State and one in Santa Catarina State. In addition, we provide SEM images of the morphological structures to improve the diagnosis and redescription, an updated distribution map, including biological data, and new host-associations of C. rocciai with the following orders of insects, Coleoptera and Thysanoptera, and with an order of Arachnida – Araneae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, (hereafter FAW) is a major pest in South American crops; however, knowledge about its potential native natural predators is limited. Size is a factor that constrains predators against prey, such as larvae of varying sizes. The predation capability of males and females of the native wolf spiders Lycosa thorelli and Pavocosa sp. were evaluated against different-sized FAW larvae. Contrary to expected results, both sexes consumed FAW larvae of similar size ranges. L. thorelli captured larger FAW larvae, suggesting this species might prey on a wider range of FAW instars indicating its potential role as a FAW biological control agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new zodariid genus Spinozodium gen. nov. is described, comprising two species from Tajikistan: the type species S. denisi (Spassky, 1938) comb. nov. (ex. Zodarion Walckenaer, 1826) and the new species S. khatlonicum sp. nov.; the female of the type species, displaying highly reduced receptacles, is described for the first time. Both species are illustrated and their distributions are mapped, and keys to the Middle Asian zodariid subfamilies and genera are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new monotypic orb-weaving spider (Araneidae Clerck, 1757) genus, Courtaraneusgen. nov., is described to accommodate the New Zealand species C. orientalis (Urquhart, 1887) comb. nov. This new genus is proposed, as the male pedipalp of the species is unique amongst orb-weaving spiders by the presence of two complex tibial apophyses and a heavily sclerotised cymbial lobe at the base of a strong, elongated paracymbium. The pedipalp bulb is complex with heavily sclerotised sclerites. The median apophysis is situated transverse, the radix strong and wedge-shaped and the terminal apophysis heavily sclerotised and flat, U-shaped. The embolus is accompanied by three terminal apophyses on the elongated stipes. The female epigyne scape forms a tongue, surrounded by an elevated rim, the spermathecae are spherical. The unique autapomorphic characters of the new genus make the phylogenetical placement of the genus difficult. Courtaraneus orientaliscomb. nov. is one of the largest endemic orb-weaving spiders in New Zealand and has been found in multiple locations in the North Island in scrub and forest margins. The orb-web is vertical, large, and the catching threads are widely spaced; however, the hub is poorly structured and the orb often incomplete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male competition for females can often take the form of direct physical contests. The outcome of a given contest or the decision to persist is determined by the resource holding potential (RHP) of rivals, which often corresponds to body size or weapon size. Males of the endemic New Zealand sheet-web spider Cambridgea plagiata Forster & Wilton 1973 have exaggerated chelicerae that are used in contests to gain access to females. We staged male–male contests in the field to determine the factors contributing to contest duration and outcome. The current models which describe how individuals make decisions to persist in a contest fall broadly into (i) energetic war of attrition or pure self-assessment, (ii) mutual assessment, and (iii) cumulative assessment. Our results showed that male body size was the key predictor in determining the winner of a given contest. The durations of contests were more consistent with predictions from either mutual or cumulative assessment models. We highlight that staging contests in the field may result in more realistic results and natural behaviours. Similar to the congener C. foliata, it appears that further development of current contest models may be required to understand male contests in sheet-web spiders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Types of three Dictyna species described by Władysław Kulczyński based on females from the territory of the former Russian Empire – D. sibirica sibirica Kulczyński, 1908, from East Siberia, D. sibirica simulans Kulczyński, 1916 from West Siberia and D. ignobilis Kulczyński, 1895 from Armenia – are re-examined herein. Two names, D. sibirica sibirica Kulczyński, 1908 syn. nov. and D. sibirica simulans Kulczyński, 1916 syn. nov. are synonymised with D. major Menge, 1869. Furthermore, Dictyna ignobilis Kulczyński, 1895 syn. nov. is found to be a junior synonym of D. arundinacea (Linnaeus, 1758). The distribution range of D. major is mapped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The jumping spider genus Cytaea is an iconic member of the Australo-Pacific region. The genus as recognized today is reportedly not monophyletic, most of the forty-two species described here in the 19th century lacking modern diagnoses and adequate illustrations. The genus clearly needs a throughout revision. To avoid future synonyms, species redescriptions based on integrative taxonomy are necessary. Several species of the genus Cytaea are studied here in terms of species taxonomy. Cytaea alburna Keyserling 1882, the type species, is re-described. We propose Cytaea severa (Thorell, 1881) and Cytaea barbatissima (Keyserling, 1881) are as junior synonyms of the new combination for Ascyltus asper (Karsch, 1878), Cytaea asper (Karsch, 1878) comb nov. as we find to belong to the genus as well. The integrative approach was used based on diagnostic morphological characters (presented as images and drawings), DNA barcodes and a barcode gap analysis which tested the species distinctness. Genitalic structures are redefined and discussed in terms of function. The conclusion for the 4 species were based on 22 specimens, 14 DNA barcodes, publication supplemented with 46 digital micrographs and 7 drawings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The woodlouse hunter Dysdera spiders have colonized all Macaronesian archipelagos. We report here for the first time an evolutionary connection between the Iberian Peninsula, Madeira, and the remote archipelago of Azores. Based on museum specimens from the 1950s, we describe the first endemic Dysdera species from the Azores. Additionally, we report the recent collection of immature individuals related yet probably not conspecific to the new species, rejecting previous suggestions that the endemic lineage had gone extinct. A multi-locus target phylogeny revealed that an undescribed species from Madeira was the closest relative to the Azores lineage, and that both island taxa were in turn sister to an Iberian endemic species, within a mostly Iberian clade. Interestingly, the Madeiran relative was not closely related to the remaining endemic species reported in the archipelago, suggesting an independent colonization. A divergence time estimation analysis unravelled that Dysdera colonized both archipelagos early after their emergence. The colonization pathway remains ambiguous, but the Iberian Peninsula acted as the ultimate source of the ancestral colonizers. Finally, we describe the new species Dysdera cetophonorum Crespo & Arnedo sp. nov. from Pico and Dysdera citauca Crespo & Arnedo, sp. nov. from Ilhéu de Cima (Porto Santo) and redescribe and illustrate the female genitalia for the first time of their poorly known closest relative, Dysdera flavitarsis Simon, 1882 from the north-western Iberian Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deinopidae spiders are known mainly for their web-building behavior and prey-capture strategy. However, studies on their population ecology are scarce. Therefore, we evaluated the population fluctuation, phenology, and diet of Deinopis cf. cylindracea. We also investigated how abiotic (precipitation and temperature) and biotic (prey availability) factors influence the abundance of this species. Our results showed that D. cf. cylindracea has an annual cycle with a maximum density in March. The reproduction cycle occurs from March to July. The recruitment of spiders occurred between July and October, followed by a peak of young individuals in December, juveniles in February, subadults in April, and adults in May, indicating a 'fall stenochronous' phenological pattern. The climatic variables were important factors that influenced the fluctuation of the age of D. cf. cylindracea. Although we did not find a positive correlation between the climate and its abundance at time 0, we did observe a correlation with a delay of three months. The main preys were Formicidae and Coleoptera, and not all available preys were part of the spiders' diet. These results indicate that the spiders require time to respond to changes in environmental conditions and provide information about the different stages of development over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Boagrius Simon, 1893, previously known only from Southeast Asia is recorded for the first time from the Western Ghats of India, thus extending its distribution to South Asia. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of both male and female of Boagrius tenuisus sp. nov. are provided. The record of Sarascelis raffrayi Simon, 1893 in India is found incorrect and confirmed its current distribution only in Singapore. Based on generic similarities, a provisional transfer of the species Palpimanus namratae (Pillai, 2006) to Sarascelis Simon, 1887 is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical dry forest is one of the most threatened and least studied tropical ecosystems despite high species diversity and endemism. In Colombia, the knowledge of spider diversity in this ecosystem is limited. Herein, we compare the diversity and species composition of orb-weaving spiders in a primary and a secondary tropical dry forest in northern Colombia. Sampling was conducted in March and May 2018 using aerial and ground hand collection methods. We collected 1106 specimens belonging to seven families and 76 species. The species Aculepeira travassosi (Soares and Camargo, 1948), Ariston aristus Opell, 1979, Eriophora nephiloides (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889), Eustala conformans Chamberlin, 1925, Eustala guttata F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1904, Eustala illicita (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889), Micrepeira hoeferi Levi, 1995, Testudinaria quadripunctata Taczanowski, 1879, Tetragnatha elongata Walckenaer, 1841, Tetragnatha mandibulata Walckenaer, 1841 and Verrucosa reticulata (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889) are recorded from Colombia for the first time. Spider diversity was significantly different among forests, and the similarity in species composition was 43%. Diversity was only 26% lower in the secondary tropical dry forest, demonstrating the importance of this type of forest as reservoirs of spider diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a morphological analysis of several tarantula specimens of the genus Eupalaestrus, including recently collected specimens from previously unrecorded localities, we herein describe two new species. They differ from congeners by the presence of a large area with spiniform setae between the coxae IV. They differ from each other in general size and in the thickening of the tibia and metatarsus IV. Eupalaestruscrassimetatarsis sp. nov. is distributed in the Brazilian States of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, and in Misiones Province in Argentina. Eupalaestrus roccoi sp. nov. is distributed in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. These natural grasslands are under threat from rapidly encroaching arable and livestock farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We redescribe three species of the long-jawed orb-weaving spiders of the cosmopolitan genus Tetragnatha based on specimens from the Neotropical Region, all recorded from South America for the first time. Tetragnatha guatemalensis O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889 is newly recorded from Brazil (Rondônia, Tocantins, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul states). Tetragnatha laboriosa Hentz, 1850 is newly recorded from Cuba (Santiago de Cuba province), Dominican Republic (Bahoruco province), Brazil (Sergipe, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul states), Chile (Valparaíso province), Paraguay (Misiones province) and Argentina (Corrientes, Neuquén, Río Negro and Santa Cruz provinces). Tetragnatha jaculator Tullgren, 1910 is newly recorded from Cuba (Holguín province), some states of Brazil (Pará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Sergipe, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina) and Chile (Malleco commune). Finally, we proposed six new synonymies for these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannibalism is considered common among spiders. Nonsexual cannibalism might provide a significant foraging behavior for wolf spiders. To determine the type of cannibalism that influences the foraging behavior of Lycosa poliostoma (Lycosidae), we conducted experiments to test whether hunger level and territoriality affected the rate of cannibalism in adult females in captivity. We found significant differences in the rates of cannibalism between starved spiders and control spiders. Specifically, starved spiders preyed on conspecifics at higher rates than those of satiated spiders. In addition, we found significant differences in the rates of cannibalism between territorial spiders and control spiders, suggesting that territoriality is an important component of foraging behavior. In conclusion, we provide the first report of hunger and territorial-dependent cannibalism in Lycosa poliostoma (Lycosidae), an abundant wolf spider in the grasslands of Argentina and Uruguay. This work generates new questions on the role of cannibalism in its trophic ecology as well as on its potential use as a biological control of pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sri Lankan jumping spider species first described as Colopsus cancellatus and its close relatives are an understudied yet charismatic part of the fauna of the island. Here, using molecular sequence data (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and histone H3), and a variety of methods we tested the validity of this genus and recover three well-supported clades in the ML analysis: Colopsus and Evarcha in two separate clades with Burmattus in-between. In the MP analysis Colopsus and Evarcha form two separate clades. The Sri Lanka Colopsus previously misplaced in Evarcha formed a distinct clade in both the ML and MP topologies. Thus, Colopsus is restored as a distinct genus. Pancorius is recovered as non-monophyletic. We additionally describe the following new species: Colopsus cinereus sp. nov., C. ferruginus sp. nov., C. magnus sp. nov. and C. tenuesi sp. nov., Evarcha latus sp. nov., Pancorius alboclypeus sp. nov., P. altus sp. nov and P. athukoralai sp. nov. Pancorius is recorded for the first time from Sri Lanka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian spider species of the genera Apodrassodes, Herpyllus and Sergiolus are revised, mostly based on the type material available in the National Zoological Collection, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. The following new combinations are recognised: Coillina yogeshi comb. nov., transferred from Apodrassodes, Scotophaeus goaensis comb. nov. and Zelotes calcuttaensis comb. nov., both transferred from Herpyllus, Hitobia lamhetaghatensis comb. nov., Hitobia meghalayensis comb. nov., Hitobia poonaensis comb. nov., Hitobia singhi comb. nov. and Poecilochroa khodiar comb. nov., all transferred from Sergiolus. The Chinese species Coillina baka syn. nov. is synonymised with C. yogeshi comb. nov. All images of the examined type material as well as supplementary descriptions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Harpactea Bristowe, 1939 (Araneae, Dysderidae) is one of the most diverse and abundant components of the Mediterranean ground-dwelling spider fauna. However, the taxonomic boundaries of the genus are unclear and its monophyly has been questioned, yet never tested, in a quantitative framework. The only taxonomic revisions in the genus trace back to the 1960s–1990s, and most subsequent work has consisted of single species descriptions. Part of the confusion surrounding the genus and species groups delimitations have to do with the lack of a standardized nomenclature for diagnostic structures based on explicit homology statements. Here we use the description of new species of Harpactea to propose a set of homologies in the male and female genitalia and a standardized nomenclature for those structures. We formally describe three new Harpactea species: H. salvatorei sp. nov., from a cave in the north-eastern Italian Alps, and H. damini sp. nov. and H. mateparlovi sp. nov. from different caves on the Biokovo Mountain and surroundings in Croatia. All the new taxa belong to the lepida species group. In addition, we use a multilocus target gene approach to provide the first hypothesis on the internal phylogenetic structure of the genus Harpactea and the subfamily Harpacteinae, which includes representatives of all currently accepted species groups in the genus and genera in the subfamily. Our results support the close affinities of the species here described but reject the monophyly of both Harpactea and some of the species groups proposed in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Selenops banksi group is known from Central America, South America, and throughout the Southern Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean and currently contains four species: S. banksi Muma, 1953 – found disjunctly from Central America across northern South America – Panama, Guyana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru; S. micropalpus Muma, 1953 – from Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Southern Lesser Antilles; S. ducke Corronca, 1996 only known from a single locality in Brazil, and S. curruganjasp. nov., known only from the Chocoan region of Colombia. Here, we synonymise Selenops kikay Corronca, 1996 with S. banksi, re-describe the female of S. banksi (described previously as S. kikaysyn. nov.), and describe a new species of the group from Nariño and Chocó Departments in Colombia. We provide new illustrations and images, a key, new records, and update the distributional range of the group members, extending it by more than 700 km. We also briefly discuss unique aspects of some species within the group, such as camouflage by appearing mossy or lichen-like and gliding from the canopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the spider genus Cuacuba from Brazil, C. ribeira sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on eighty-six specimens collected from caves in the Vale do Ribeira region, in the states of São Paulo and Paraná. This species is recognized by the hook-shaped median apophysis on the male palp, and females by having invaginations on the sides of the median posterior edge of the epigynal plate. Cuacuba ribeira sp. nov. is the third species recorded for the genus, and like the other two, also comes from Brazilian caves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ausserer, 1875 is a South American genus of spiders of the family Theraphosidae known from Chile and Argentina. Three new species from Argentina: Euathlus mauryi sp. n. (from San Juan province), Euathlus grismadoi sp. n. (from La Rioja province), and Euathlus pampa sp. n. (from Salta province) are described here. New records of the previous species Euathlus diamante and Euathlus tenebrarum are contributed. The distribution of these new species expands the geographical distribution of the genus along the Andean hills, with Salta province as the northernmost record of the genus. A key is provided for identification of Euathlus species as well as a map with all the records in Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian Phaeocedus species are revised based on the type material deposited in the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford. Phaeocedus poonaensis syn. nov. is synonymised with Poecilochroa taborensis and Phaeocedus nicobarensis syn. nov. is synonymised with Pandava laminata (Titanoecidae). Two new combinations are proposed: Drassodes haribhaiius comb. nov. and Synaphosus parvus comb. nov.. In addition, Phaeocedus mosambaensis syn. nov. described from Nepal is synonymised with Drassodes lutescens. All the type material examined are imaged and supplementary descriptions for D. haribhaiius comb. nov., D. lutescens and P. taborensis are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative survey was done of the spider assemblages found in grass tussocks of three grass species (Cymbopogon pospischilii, Eragrostis lehmanniana and Themeda triandra) occurring in three different habitats (hillside, open grassland and around a freshwater dam) in a central Free State grassland. We aimed to determine whether spiders displayed preferences for particular grass species and habitats with varying characteristics. Spiders were caught from the base of grass tussocks by hand using vials. A total of 491 spiders representing 24 families and 56 species were sampled from 270 tussocks, with Philodromidae (16.8%), Gnaphosidae (15.0%), Lycosidae (11.3%) and Trachelidae (10.9%) the dominant families. We found that neither grass species nor habitats significantly affected the abundance, species richness or assemblage structure of spiders, but that sampling month did affect abundance and richness, particularly when considering its interaction with habitat and grass species. Two of the four dominant species showed distinct preferences for particular grass species, Tibellus minor for the thicker-stemmed Cymbopogon and Themeda, and Obatala sp. for the more sparse tussocks of Eragrostis. We suggest that tussock-dwelling spiders are, for the most part, habitat generalists, occupying any available grass species. However, further study is necessary to determine the role of grass structure on particular spider species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The status of the poorly known spider genus Eutittha Thorell, 1878 which has been overlooked for more than 60 years is investigated. Examination of the type material of Eutittha insulana Thorell, 1878 (type species of the genus, currently classified in Cheiracanthium, with new designation of lecto- and paralectotype) revealed the misidentification of this species since 2001. As a result, Eutitthastat. resurr. is removed from the synonymy of Cheiracanthium, diagnosed and redescribed, with the inclusion of two species groups and nine species: E. insulana Thorell, 1878 comb. nov. (♀, Indonesia), E. brevicalcarata (L. Koch, 1873) comb. nov. (♂♀, Australia, Indonesia), E. excavata (Rainbow, 1920) comb. nov. (♀, Australia), E. lanceolata (Chrysanthus, 1967) comb. nov. (♀, Indonesia), E. lompobattangi (Merian, 1911) comb. nov. (♂, Indonesia), E. marplesi (Chrysanthus, 1967) comb. nov. (♂♀, Indonesia), E. mordax (L. Koch, 1866) comb. nov. (♂♀, Samoa, Australia; doubtful records from Tonga and French Polynesia), E. stratiotica (L. Koch, 1873) comb. nov. (♂♀, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand) and E. submordax (Zhang, Zhu & Hu, 1993) comb. nov., stat. resurr. (♂♀, China, Japan, Taiwan) (all ex. Cheiracanthium). The taxonomic status of the other 12 Cheiracanthium species described by Thorell in Eutittha is discussed. Seven species groups in Cheiracanthium are proposed and diagnosed here, and new taxonomic data are provided for five species: (1) C. iranicumsp. nov. (♂, Iran) is described as a new species, (2) C. adjacensoides Song, Chen & Hou, 1990 stat. resurr. (♂♀, southeast Asia) is removed from the synonymy of E. insulana, and C. payateus Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 syn. nov. is recognized as junior synonym of C. adjacensoides; C. tingilium Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 syn. nov., C. bikakapenalcolium Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 syn. nov. and C. hugiscium Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 syn. nov. are now all considered as junior synonyms of C. adjacensoides and thus are removed from the synonymy of E. insulana, (3) Cheiracanthium andamanense (Tikader, 1977) comb. nov., stat. resurr. (♀, India, ex. Clubiona) is removed from the synonymy of C. turiae Strand, 1917, and (4) C. sadanai Tikader, 1976 stat. resurr. (♂♀, India) is removed from the synonymy of C. melanostomum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stephanopoides is a genus of crab spiders (Thomisidae), currently composed of four species distributed only in the Neotropics, from Panama to Argentina. In this study, we redescribe Stephanopoides cognata, including a description of the male, previously unknown, and an updated description of the female epigynum. The examination of 12 arachnological collections allowed us to update the geographic records of the genus, including the first report of occurrence of Stephanopoides in Venezuela and Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several new spider specimens, belonging to the superfamily Palpimanoidea, are described from the Middle–Upper Jurassic Haifanggou Formation (early assemblage of the Yanliao Biota) of Inner Mongolia, China. Two new genera and species, and a new species in the genus Sinaranea Selden, Huang & Ren, 2008, are described. Caestaranea jurassica gen. et sp. nov. is described on the basis of several adult males, typified by boxing-glove shaped pedipalps, as well as females and juveniles. Onychopalpus thomisoides gen. et sp. nov. is the largest palpimanoid known, and its habitus resembles that of a crab spider (Thomisidae) in having large, laterigrade anterior legs with rows of macrosetae on the femora and a squat, rotund opisthosoma. However, the distinctive adult male pedipalp bears a pectinate claw, so the holotype specimen is a subadult male; the other specimens referred to this species are smaller juveniles. Three new specimens of Sinaranea metaxyostraca Selden, Huang & Ren, 2008, including two adult males, are described here, and the new species S. brevicrus sp. nov., which has shorter legs than the type species, is described from an adult male and an adult female. These new palpimanoids substantially increase the diversity of the superfamily in the Middle Jurassic, and the unusual Onychopalpus provides evidence for a different mode of life for these spiders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichonephila clavipes (Linnaeus, 1767) is known as a golden silk orb-weaver and belongs to the family Araneidae. T. clavipes is one of the few spider species whose genome has been reported and model organism for a molecular biology. Here, we present the complete mitochondrial genome sequence (mtDNA) of T. clavipes. The sequence was obtained using a long-read Nanopore technology and corrected with an Illumina technology. The circular genome is 14,902 bp in length, and the AT content was 77.21%. The T. clavipes mitochondrial genome contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. The majority of PCGs were found on the heavy strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depending on the animal species, photoreceptors are located in the visual organs, in non-visual organs or in both. Because of unique characteristics of vision containing several different pairs of eyes, I chose the jumping spider (salticid) Marpissa marina (Araneae: Salticidae; Goyen, 1892) for this study. Eyes in spiders are categorized in two groups of principal and secondary. Specifically, my aim was to determine which eyes are dedicated to regulation of the central circadian rhythm and to illuminate the pathway(s) of ocular entrainment in jumping spiders. To achieve this, I used an opaque elastic paste to prevent entry of light to the photoreceptors. My procedure was to measure spider activity levels over eight days as well as spiders responses to a 6 h delay shift in light/dark cycle. This would be made first with uncovered eyes (and sham covers) and then with distinct pairs of eyes covered. The results revealed that, unlike the secondary eyes, light information gathered through AMEs did not lead directly or indirectly to the parts of the circadian system that contain circadian pacemakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tarantula genus Tmesiphantes Simon, 1892 (Theraphosinae) includes nine valid species, with records for the states of Bahia (T. nubilus, T. caymmii, T. amadoi, T. bethaniae, T. hypogeus, and T. mirim), Minas Gerais (T. perp and T. riopretano), and Pará (T. aridai), all in Brazil. In the present study, we reviewed the taxonomy of the Tmesiphantes species and performed a phylogenetic analysis using morphological characters. Four new species are described: T. amazonicus sp. nov., T. guayarus sp. nov., T. nordestinus sp. nov., and T. raulseixasi sp. nov., which expand the geographic distribution for the following states in Brazil: Goiás, Mato Grosso, Piauí, Paraíba, and Pernambuco, occurring in the Caatinga shrublands Cerrado savannas, Atlantic rain forest, and Brazilian Amazon. Phylogenetic analysis included 30 terminal taxa and 37 characters, including representatives of nine genera of Theraphosinae. The Tmesiphantes species formed a monophyletic group with the species hitherto included in Melloleitaoina and Magulla, with the latter being paraphyletic, which led us to propose the synonymy of these three genera. An updated diagnosis is proposed for the genus Tmesiphantes, which now comprises 19 species, occurring in major Brazilian biomes and in Argentina. A distribution map that includes all Tmesiphantes species and notes on their distributions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodiversity of some spider groups in the neotropics is poorly documented. The species composition of two orb-weaving spider families, Araneidae and Tetragnathidae in 16 natural habitats was examined. Specimens were collected using visual search and sweep-netting methods. Very few species were found to be abundant in natural habitats while some were common and the majority considered rare. There was also little overlap of species among the localities sampled in each habitat type; overlap ranged from one to three species. Species abundance models showed that natural habitats followed a log series model, indicating that they are characterised by low species richness, the presence of few dominant species, and governed by a single factor. Multi-dimensional scaling analysis showed that four habitats (savanna, mangrove woodland, littoral woodland, and herbaceous swamp) possessed distinct species assemblages. However, the savanna habitat was the most dissimilar, probably due to a greater presence of specialist species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a fragmented landscape, yerba mate and tea are perennial agroecosystems that provide habitat continuity for diverse arthropods. Our objective was to characterize the influence of these two agroecosystems on the native fauna of salticids, measuring the levels of richness, diversity, and density. We hypothesized that the agroecosystems studied do not differ in their capacity to function as reservoirs for the regional fauna of spiders. Each sample comprised suctioning the vegetation in an area of 1 m3 for one minute using a Garden-Vacuum. Twenty-five species of salticids were found. Naubolus posticatus, Chira spinosa, Scopocira histrio and Maeota dichrura were dominant, accounting for more than 20% of the total. Spider densities were similar, 2.21 and 2.47 individuals/m3 in yerba mate and tea. The complexity of the plants was adequate for accommodating several species of salticids. Both crops were also similar in richness and diversity, shared at least 44% of the species, and held more than one fifth of the known richness in the Misiones Atlantic Forest. The discovery of species from an adjacent ecoregion suggests that these crops serve as a reservoir for the fauna and can also act as corridors in the ecotone zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently the first records of the genus Pseudofluda Mello-Leitão, 1928 were reported in Argentina; represented by a single species, P. pulcherrima, known only by the male. Two new species of this salticid genus are described from Argentina: P. capandegui sp. nov. and P. pergeri sp. nov., and the females of P. pulcherrima (first description of female) are here described. Drawings and full color photographs are provided. Several new geographic records of Pseudofluda are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A collection of spiders from the Cretaceous (Albian) Jinju Formation of Korea is described. These finds increase the number of known spiders from the Jinju Formation from one to 11. There is considerable diversity of mygalomorphs and araneomorphs, including palpimanoids (including lagonomegopids), as well as cribellate and ecribellate entelegynes. Such diversity among so few specimens hints that an even greater range of families will come to light as more specimens are discovered in the future. The first non-amber Lagonomegopidae are described, with the first preservation of a spider eye tapetum in the fossil record, providing evidence for lagonomegopid enlarged eyes being posterior medians. The female-biased sex ratio of lagonomegopids is discussed and it is concluded that the bias is fortuitous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]