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Aim: As a continental island, much of the biota of New Zealand was initially thought to have been shaped by vicariance. Recent studies, however, have highlighted the role of dispersal, with some even suggesting that the entire biota is the product of dispersal events following emergence of the islands. This study focuses on the interplay between dispersal and vicariance, specifically asking whether the spider family Orsolobidae has Gondwanan origins on New Zealand. Location: The spider family Orsolobidae was sampled from all continents where they occur (Africa, Australia, New Zealand and South America), comprising a total of 66 specimens representing the phylogenetic diversity of the family. Methods: DNA sequences were obtained from six fragments that were subsequently aligned and analysed with MrBayes3.2 and beast 1.8. The phylogeny was calibrated with fossils used as node calibrations, as well as with the substitution rate of Histone H3. Results: The orsolobid fauna of each land mass except Australia forms a monophyletic group in our analyses. The divergence dating analysis suggests that diversification of Orsolobidae started at a minimum of 80 Ma, while the New Zealand clade dates from a minimum of 40 Ma. Main conclusions: Thus, while many taxa have colonized the islands by dispersal, certain lineages, including the Orsolobidae, have clearly been capable of persisting through times of reduced land area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new cave dwelling species of the genus Neocarus (Parasitiformes: Opilioacarida: Opilioacaridae) is described from adult females and males collected in Minas Gerais state, southeast Brazil. Five or six d-type setae on palps, females with pregenital area hairless, genital setae smooth, cylindrical ovipositor with two terminal lobes, and males with genital and pregenital setae variable in shape, some being smooth and pointed, others ribbed and pointed, are the combinations of characters that define the new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Two new subterranean pseudoscorpion species are described from caves of northern Albania: Neobisium (Blothrus) latellai n. sp. and Neobisium (Blothrus) valsuanii n. sp. A new subjective synonym [Neobisium (Blothrus) albanorum Ćurčić, Dimitrijević, Rađa & Vujčić-Karlo, 2006 = Neobisium (Blothrus) georgecastriotaeĆurčić, Dimitrijević & Rađa, 2006] is proposed and a key to adults of the Neobisium (Blothrus) species from Albania is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spiders are known to commonly use aerial dispersal, so-called ballooning, especially at juvenile stages. They produce a silk thread that allows them to rise up in the air to disperse, which serves as inbreeding avoidance or to find an optimal over-winter habitat. Studies of phenology, species and meteorological factors associated with aerial dispersal have been limited to laboratory settings, with few data obtained under natural settings and no studies to date executed in France. To understand aerial dispersal, we conducted daily sampling between 2000 and 2002 at a height of 12 m. For adults, high proportions of “ballooners” were observed during four seasonal peaks, with dispersal most prevalent during summer, while for juveniles dispersal was protracted across summer and fall. Linyphiidae is the most abundant family among the 10,879 individuals caught. We show a significant and negative influence of high wind speeds on ballooning, an effect that increased even under low temperatures (< 19 °C). At wind speeds greater than 4 m·s −1 dispersal becomes difficult, and is almost impossible beyond 5.5 m·s −1 . Ballooning ability is reported for the first time for several species. This study increases our knowledge on aerial dispersal in spiders in an agricultural context. Such behaviour can be seen as a survival strategy to escape from a disturbed and unstable landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among Opiliones, Afrotropical lineages constitute some of the least studied groups in comparison with those endemic to other biogeographic provinces. Based upon morphological evidence, we erect Pyramidopidae, fam. nov. to distinguish a group of Laniatores from the family Phalangodidae. We review evidence from recent molecular phylogenetic studies that corroborate the independence of Pyramidopidae, fam. nov. from previously described families and support its sister relationship to another largely Afrotropical group, the family Assamiidae. The monotypic genus Maiorerus Rambla, 1993 is transferred to Pyramidopidae, fam. nov. The new family comprises 12 genera geographically restricted to Africa and the adjacent Canary Islands. Interfamilial relationships of the derived Laniatores are discussed in the context of gross and genitalic morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the investigation of Prashant Sharma and Gonzalo Giribet at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts about the migration of arachnids to the islands of the Indo-Pacific.