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The study of invertebrate pathology relies on histopathological tools to define visible internal structures and processes in understudied taxa like spiders. Histopathology involves the infiltration of tissues and organ structures with wax or resin, allowing for the visualisation of cellular anatomy and morphological structure, which can lead to the identification of abnormalities (e.g., pathology) and symbioses (e.g., parasites). In this study, southern African social spiders - Stegodyphus dumicola (Araneae: Eresidae) - were histologically prepared whole and their tissue appearances described (eyes, stomach, heart, ovaries, cuticle, stercoral pocket, chelicerae, book lungs, and silk gland). In addition to healthy tissues, an intranuclear, baculovirus-like pathology was identified. The availability of this material and whole-preparation method makes for a valuable histological resource, where few such resources currently exist for spiders., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pisauridae Simon, 1890, or nursery web spiders, are a large family with a worldwide distribution and very diverse life history strategies. Despite being named for their nursery webs, similar structures are built by some members of Ctenidae, Trechaleidae, and Oxyopidae. Pisauridae has no known morphological synapomorphies that circumscribe all members of the family, and delineation of subfamilies has been a longstanding issue. In addition, several recent molecular phylogenetic studies have called into question the monophyly of Pisauridae. Here, we infer a phylogeny of Pisauridae with nine genetic markers (12S, 16S, 18S, 28S, actin, COI, histone H3, ITS2, and NADH) combined with ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to test the monophyly of the group and determine intrafamilial relationships. Our study includes a total of 81 terminals (59 of them pisaurids). Our maximum likelihood and gene coalescence analyses strongly suggest that as currently circumscribed, the family Pisauridae is not monophyletic. To circumscribe Pisauridae as a monophyletic group, based on our molecular results, we propose the restoration of the family Dolomedidae Simon, 1876 (rank resurrected) to include the genera DolomedesLatreille, 1804 and BradystichusSimon, 1884. In addition, based on morphological evidence, we also place in Dolomedidae the genera MegadolomedesDavies & Raven, 1980; Tasmomedes Raven, 2018; Mangromedes Raven, 2018; OrnodolomedesRaven & Hebron, 2018; and CaledomedesRaven & Hebron, 2018. We provide a phylogenetic delimitation of the three subfamilies of Pisauridae: Halinae, Thaumasiinae, and Pisaurinae. Ten pisaurid genera are deemed incertae sedis in terms of their placement. In light of our hypothesized molecular phylogeny, we discuss the morphological characters and putative synapomorphies of Pisauridae and propose diagnostic characters for its subfamilies and for the family Dolomedidae, along with taxonomic notes about genera not included in our study., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we describe three new species of the spider genus Naphrys Edwards, 2003 from Mexico: Naphrys echeri sp. nov. , Naphrys tecoxquin sp. nov. , and Naphrys tuuca sp. nov. An integrative taxonomic approach was applied, utilizing data from morphology, ultra-morphology, the mitochondrial gene COI, and distribution records. Four molecular methods for species delimitation were implemented under the corrected p -distance Neighbor-Joining (NJ) criteria: (1) Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP); (2) general mixed Yule coalescent (GMYC); (3) Bayesian Poisson tree process (bPTP); and (4) multi-rate Poisson tree process (mPTP). Both morphological and molecular data supported the delimitation and recognition of the three new species. The average interspecific genetic distance ( p -distance) within the genus Naphrys is 14%, while the intraspecific genetic distances ( p -distance) is <2% for most species. We demonstrate that the natural distribution of Naphrys is not restricted to the Nearctic region. Furthermore, the reported localities herein represent the first with precise locations in the country for Naphrys acerba . In addition, a taxonomic identification key is provided for the species in the genus., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2025 Maldonado-Carrizales et al.)

The Sydney funnel-web spider Atrax robustus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877 is an iconic Australian species and considered among the most dangerously venomous spiders for humans. Originally described in 1877 from a single specimen collected in "New Holland", this spider has a complex taxonomic history. The most recent morphological revision of funnel-web spiders (Atracidae) lists this species as both widespread and common in the Sydney Basin bioregion and beyond, roughly 250 km from the Newcastle area south to the Illawarra, and extending inland across the Blue Mountains. Morphological variability and venom diversity in this species appear to be unusually high, raising questions about species concepts and diversity in these spiders. In this study, we use a combination of molecular phylogenetics, divergence time analyses and morphology to establish the Sydney funnel-web spider as a complex of three species. The "real" Sydney funnel-web spider Atrax robustus is relatively widespread in the Sydney metropolitan region. A second species, Atrax montanus (Rainbow, 1914), which is revalidated here, overlaps but mainly occurs further south and west, and a third larger species, Atrax christenseni sp. nov., is found in a small area surrounding Newcastle to the north. The revised taxonomy for funnel-web spiders may have practical implications for antivenom production and biochemical studies on spider venoms. Although no human fatalities have occurred since the development of antivenom in the 1980s, antivenom for Sydney funnel-web spiders might be optimized by considering biological differentiation at the species level., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All DNA specimens were collected under permit (No. SL102329; Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, New South Wales Government). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Recent advances in microCT are facilitating the investigation of microstructures in spiders and insects leading to an increased number of studies investigating their neuroanatomy. Although microCT is a powerful tool, its effectiveness depends on appropriate tissue preparation and scan settings, particularly for soft, non-sclerotized tissues, such as muscles, organs, and neural tissues. As the application of microCT in spiders is only in its infancy, published protocols are often difficult to implement due to substantial size variation of the specimens. The present study was initiated to determine how to account for this variation. Our work builds on previous methods using microCT to image spider brains, with the aim to consolidate current knowledge and reduce time spent troubleshooting appropriate methodology, thereby facilitating future studies of spiders and their central nervous systems (CNS). We tested three different preparation and imaging techniques based on published protocols with minor modifications using 216 spiders with prosoma lengths ranging from 1.25 mm (small spiders) to 13.33 mm (large spiders). We compared the efficacy of the various specimen preparations, staining methods, and scan settings by categorizing the quality of dorsal and lateral microCT scans. We observed that only the phosphotungstic acid (PTA) staining agent resulted in complete staining of the prosoma and the CNS, allowing the CNS structures to be distinguished for small, medium, and large spiders. The use of image averaging, increased number of projections, image exposure timing, and detector binning did not greatly affect image quality for small and larger spiders but reduced noise. These settings did help improve image quality for medium spiders in conjunction with higher resolutions and an aluminum filter. We discussed the suitability of methods concerning spider size, effort, chemical risk, and image quality., (© 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Three new species, B. catopuma sp. nov. (♀) (Borneo, Malaysia), B. musang sp. nov. (♂♀) and B. tangalunga sp. nov. (♂) (both from Mindanao, Philippines), are described. Species of shakeit group are recorded outside of Borneo for the first time (Philippines). The females of Bowie neukoeln Jäger, 2022 and Bowie shakeit Jäger, 2022, and the male of B. hosei (F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897) are redescribed. Detailed descriptions, digital photographs and a distributional map are provided.

Spider silk is amongst the toughest materials produced by living systems, but its tensile performance varies considerably between species. Despite the extensive sampling of the material properties and composition of dragline silk, the understanding of why some silks performs better than others is still limited. Here, I adopted a phylogenetic comparative approach to reanalyze structural and mechanical data from the Silkome database and the literature across 164 species to (a) provide an extended model of silk property evolution, (b) test for correlations between structural and mechanical properties, and (c) to test if silk tensile performance differs between web-building and nonweb-building species. Unlike the common notion that orb-weavers have evolved the best-performing silks, outstanding tensile properties were found both in and outside the araneoid clade. Phylogenetic linear models indicated that the mechanical and structural properties of spider draglines poorly correlate, but silk strength and toughness correlated better with birefringence (an indicator of the material anisotropy) than crystallinity. Furthermore, in contrast to previous ideas, silk tensile performance did not differ between ecological guilds. These findings indicate multiple unknown pathways toward the evolution of spider silk tensile super-performance, calling for better integration of nonorb-weaving spiders in spider silk studies., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE).)

The Laufeia clade is a peculiar lineage of euophryine jumping spiders showing rapid divergence of male genital structures, especially the embolic complex that directly interacts with female genitalia during sperm transfer. With the rapid growth of species discovery and the perplexing morphology of male genitalia in the Laufeia clade, the controversy in its classification has become a crucial problem. In this study, we applied a phylogenomic approach using ultra-conserved elements data to infer the phylogeny of the Laufeia clade with extensive taxon sampling. A comparative morphological study was performed to evaluate diagnostic characters and understand the evolution of the male embolic complex within the Laufeia clade. The evolution of microhabitats (foliage, tree trunk, rock and surface litter) was also investigated to uncover the potential link between the microhabitat shifts and male embolic complex divergence. The results provide a strongly supported phylogenetic framework and updated generic concepts for the Laufeia clade. The synapomorphies for the updated genera within the Laufeia clade were identified through character mapping on the phylogeny. Ancestral state reconstruction analyses revealed that the Type I embolic complex (characterized by a disc-like embolic disc with a lamina as its outer edge) was ancestral and gradually evolved into the Type II (without lamina of embolic disc, base of embolic complex often modified into a functional "conductor") and Type III (lacking lamina of embolic disc and base of embolic complex) embolic complex, and that some embolic shapes evolved multiple times independently in different lineages of the Laufeia clade. The shift from foliage-dwelling to tree trunk-dwelling in the common ancestor of the Laufeia clade may have facilitated the divergent evolution of male embolic complex in the Laufeia clade. This study provides a solid foundation for future studies of systematics and evolution of this group., (© 2024 Willi Hennig Society.)

Brignoliolus Ovchinnikov, 1999 stat. rev. originally described as a subgenus of Coelotes Blackwall, 1841 is rediagnosed, redescribed and elevated to the genus rank. This genus is distinguished from Coelotes by a lighter general colouration and a longer and thinner apical segment of the posterior lateral spinnerets, as well as by the distinctive shape of the epigyne with long teeth located anteriorly of a trapezoidal or sandglass fovea. Brignoliolus is considered to encompass nine species, including B. ovchinnikovi sp. nov. from Israel, described herein. The new species most resembles B. vignai and B. caudata but differs from them by the shape and spination of cymbial tip and relative length of epigynal fovea and teeth. All species are discussed, diagnosed and their correct distributional data is provided. Eight new combinations are established: B. arganoi (Brignoli, 1978) comb. nov.; B. caudatus (de Blauwe, 1973) comb. nov.; B. charitonovi (Spassky, 1939) comb. nov.; B. coenobita (Brignoli, 1978) comb. nov.; B. juglandicola (Ovchinnikov, 1984) comb. nov.; B. nenilini (Ovchinnikov, 1999) comb. nov.; B. turkestanicus (Ovchinnikov, 1999) comb. nov.; B. vignai (Brignoli, 1978) comb. nov..

A small series of spiders collected from a low mountain Phoenix in Liaoning Province of China, contains five linyphiid species, one of which, Platyspira scissa sp. nov. (♂, ♀), is described as new. The new species is similar to P. tanasevitchi Song & Li, 2009, known from caves in Guizhou Province, China. Habitus and copulatory organs of both sexes are illustrated for the new species, as well as for "Doenitzius" pruvus Oi, 1960. The taxonomic position of the genus Doenitzius Oi, 1960 is discussed. Distribution of each species is commented on.

A new genus, Eremitarys gen. nov., and twelve new species of the tribe Euophryini from southwestern China are described: Eremitarys fulva sp. nov., Euochin ailao sp. nov. (♂♀), E. mang sp. nov. (♂), E. memorabilis sp. nov. (♂), E. miao sp. nov. (♂), E. pingbian sp. nov. (♂♀), E. yangtze sp. nov. (♂♀), E. yeyu sp. nov. (♂♀), E. yuan sp. nov. (♂), E. yuxi sp. nov. (♂♀), E. zunyi sp. nov. (♂♀), and Zabka dianmian sp. nov. (♂♀). Diagnostic illustrations and photographs are provided.

The genus Nops is a group of Neotropical species of the family Caponiidae, which is included in the subfamily Nopinae. This group is distributed from the Caribbean Islands to the north of Argentina and presents short distribution ranges. Currently, Colombia only has one recorded species; however, it could be due to poor sampling of spiders living in the soil. We describe a new species endemic to the department of Cundinamarca, the characteristics of the pedipalp, as well as the distinctive coloration patterns of its opisthosoma, allow differentiate it from the other species in the genus. This is the second species of the genus recorded for Colombia, and the third species in an Andean distribution rank.

Two new species of Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 are described from Sumatra Island, Indonesia, based on males: T. lizae sp. nov. and T. ketambe sp. nov. Detailed descriptions, digital photographs and a distributional map are provided. The distribution of Sumatran Thelcticopis is briefly discussed.

Three wolf spiders (Lycosidae) from Northern Vietnam are described and illustrated, two of them being new species: Allotrochosina serpentina Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂♀) and Sinartoria hamata Wang & Li sp. nov. (♂). The female of Arctosa tangguoi Wang, Li & Zhang, 2021 is described for the first time. Detailed descriptions, diagnoses, photographs, and drawings of the two new species and the female of A. tangguoi are provided.

Tutaibo carita Cajade sp. nov. and Tutaibo sam Cajade sp. nov. are described from Uruguay based on males and females. Illustrations of somatic and sexual characters and a species distribution map are provided. In addition, new records of Tutaibo velox (Keyserling, 1886) are provided. These findings represent the southernmost records for Tutaibo and constitute the first report of the genus for Uruguay.

Thalerommata Ausserer, 1875 is a theraphosid genus with very small species that resemble Trichopelma, although they lack the dot pattern on the abdomen. They are also distinguished from all other Theraphosidae by the presence of flattened, iridescent setae covering the abdomen, and sometimes, the legs too. Its current distribution includes the following countries: Argentina, Bahamas, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica and Venezuela. Three new species of tiny tarantulas of the genus Thalerommata are described from northern Colombia: Thalerommata yukpa sp. nov. from Cesar Department, Thalerommata kogui sp. nov. and Thalerommata margarita sp. nov. from Magdalena Department. Colombia has now seven of the thirteen Thalerommata species.

A new species, Acantheis kazantsevae sp. nov., is described from Sumatra Island (Indonesia) on the basis of both sexes. The male of the new species possesses unusual palp with a twisted tegular apophysis having two arms: a large boomerang-shaped anterior one and a posterior one with a deep cavity. Diagnosis, description and illustrations are provided. Systematic placement of the new species within Acantheis Thorell, 1891 is discussed.

In Batesian mimicry, mimetic traits are not always as convincing as predicted by theory-in fact, inaccurate mimicry with only a superficial model resemblance is common and taxonomically widespread. The "selection trade-offs hypothesis" proposes a life-history trade-off between accurate mimetic traits and one or more vital biological functions. Here, using an accurate myrmecomorphic (ant-mimicking) jumping spider species, Myrmarachne smaragdina, we investigate how myrmecomorphic modifications to the body shape impact the internal anatomy in a way that could be functionally limiting. Specifically, via x-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT), we quantify how the spider's constricted prosoma, which emulates the head and thorax of ants, impacts the size of the central nervous system (CNS) and the venom glands. Although, relative to their whole-body mass, we found no significant difference in venom gland volume, the CNS of the ant-mimicking jumping spider was significantly smaller when compared with a relatively closely related non-mimic jumping spider, indicating that some trade-off between mimic accuracy and size of neural anatomy, as articulated by the "selection trade-offs hypothesis," is a possibility. Our explorative evidence enables and encourages broader investigation of how variable mimic accuracy impacts the neuroanatomy in ant mimics as a direct test of the "selection trade-offs hypothesis.", (© 2024 The Author(s). The Journal of Comparative Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The epigean and subterranean spiders of the genus Cybaeus L. Koch, 1868 are distributed in the Holarctic, and are highly diversified in western North America and Japan. More than 100 species have been described from the Japanese Archipelago and several species assemblages have also been recognised among the Japanese Cybaeus based on their morphological similarities. However, their phylogenetic backbone remains unclear. Moreover, genus-level classification of several of the Japanese species appear to be questionable. In this study we performed extensive molecular analyses of the family Cybaeidae in East Asia, mainly the Japanese Archipelago, to clarify their fundamental phylogenetic relationships. We also conducted a divergence time estimation to provide insights into their historical biogeography and evolutionary history. Our divergence dating results indicate that the diversification of the major lineages of the East Asian cybaeid spiders might be related to the opening of the Sea of Japan c .20million years ago. On the basis of the morphological evaluation and obtained phylogenies, some East Asian species formerly placed in Cybaeus are transferred to the cybaeid genera Allocybaeina Bennett, 2020, Sincybaeus Wang & Zhang, 2022 and Cybaeina Chamberlin & Ivie, 1932, i.e. Allocybaeina petegarina (Yaginuma, 1972), comb. nov., Sincybaeus monticola (Kobayashi, 2006), comb. nov., Sincybaeus rarispinosus (Yaginuma, 1970), comb. nov., Sincybaeus yoshiakii (Yaginuma, 1968), comb. nov., and Cybaeina whanseunensis (Paik & Namkung, 1967), comb. nov. Our results clarify the genus-level richness of cybaeids in the Japanese Archipelago for the first time, and reveal the fine-scale phylogenetic relationships of Cybaeus species endemic to the Japanese Archipelago and adjacent regions. ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AF2A3C0E-7F0F-4253-85BA-D995A075F00D.

Habitat selection by spiders is strongly influenced by biotic factors such as the availability and diversity of prey and abiotic factors such as temperature, humidity, and the structural complexity of the habitat. Structural complexity is an aspect that intensely affects species persistence, population stability, and the coexistence of interacting species. Trees comprise a complex set of microhabitats due to their large biomass and heterogeneity of the architectural components of their trunk surface and branches. Spider species that live on trunks have diversified physiological or morphological adaptations that confer advantages in this environment. In this study, we experimentally examined the habitat choice by the tree-dwelling spiders Selenops cocheleti (Selenopidae), Corinna rubripes (Corinnidae), and Loxosceles gaucho (Sicariidae). We found that microhabitat specialization was restricted to trunk architectural characteristics rather than plant taxonomy. Selenops cocheleti and C. rubripes significantly preferred loose barks and holes in the trunks, respectively, showing that both spider species can evaluate the physical structure of the microhabitat on a fine scale. On the other hand, L. gaucho selected crevices and holes near the base of the trunk without giving much importance to the physical characteristics of the microhabitat per se (e.g., depth, height, length). Our findings indicate that for generalist predators like spiders, coexistence relies heavily on spatial segregation driven by distinct habitat preferences, irrespective of their method for capturing prey., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Misumena bicolor Simon, 1875, an enigmatic species known only from the male holotype collected on Corsica (France), has remained elusive since its initial description. In this study, we report new occurrences of M. bicolor from Sardinia (Italy) and Bavaria (Germany) based on male material, considerably expanding its known distribution. Employing an integrative taxonomic approach encompassing both morphological and COI (barcode) analyses, we confirm M. bicolor as a valid species. As the male of M. bicolor apparently has a distinct coloration, we complement the known distributional data with possible sightings of photographic observations from various naturalist portals and hereby provide additional evidence for the establishment of the species on the French mainland and in Germany.

Wadicosa arabica sp. nov. is described from material of both sexes collected in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The species belongs to the W. fidelis group and differs from its congroupers, inter alia, by the shape of the tegular apophysis and the embolus in the male. The occurrence of W. arabica sp. nov. is restricted to the gravel, pebble and cobble beds of ephemeral and intermittent streams (wadis) in the mountains of the eastern United Arab Emirates and northern Oman (the Hajar Mountains sensu lato). There it is often common and conspicuous alongside areas of surface waters. Notes on its courtship behaviour are given.

Four new species of Crinopseudoa are described from West Africa. Crinopseudoa kru sp. nov. (male, female) and C. sinoensis sp. nov. (male, female) were collected as part of a new sustainable oil palm project in southern Liberia, C. nimba sp. nov. (male, female) from expeditions to Mount Nimba in Guinea, and C. elisabethae sp. nov. (male) from historic museum material from Ivory Coast. An updated key to species is presented as we increase the number of known species of Crinopseudoa from 11 to 15.

Seven new species of the enigmatic spider family Paratropididae are described from Ecuador. All new species belong to the genus Paratropis: P. carcosita sp. nov. (♀), P. pukallucha sp. nov. (♂♀), P. esmeraldas sp. nov. (♂♀), P. kapak sp. nov. (♂♀), P. pasochoa sp. nov. (♀), P. arenosa sp. nov. (♀) and P. cryptica sp. nov. (♂♀). A distribution map of all newly described species is presented.

New taxonomic data and distribution records on liocranid spiders in the West Palaearctic are provided. Nine species of Mesiotelus Simon, 1897 are described as new to science: M. alanyensis Zamani, Fomichev, Kaya & Marusik, sp. nov. (female; Türkiye), M. bosmansi Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik, sp. nov. (female; Türkiye), M. confusus Zamani, Fomichev, Naumova & Marusik, sp. nov. (male, female; Bulgaria, Greece, Türkiye), M. damavandicus Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik, sp. nov. (female; Iran), M. kravetsi Fomichev, Zamani & Marusik, sp. nov. (male; Russia: Dagestan), M. mediterraneus Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik, sp. nov. (female; Türkiye), M. sistanus Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik, sp. nov. (female; Iran), M. tadzhikus Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik, sp. nov. (female; Tajikistan), and M. turanicus Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik, sp. nov. (female; Tajikistan). Due to the misidentification of the first specimen described as the male of M. scopensis Drensky, 1935, all records of this species from Bulgaria, Greece, and Türkiye in fact belong to a different species, which is described here as M. confusus sp. nov. Considering the revised definition of M. scopensis, M. deltshevi Naumova, 2020 syn. n. and M. caucasicus Zamani & Marusik, 2021 syn. n. are proposed as its junior synonyms, and to ensure nomenclatural stability, a neotype is designated for it. The previously unknown females of Agroeca angirasu Zamani & Marusik, 2021 and M. patricki Zamani & Marusik, 2021 are described. The nomen Mesiotelus mersinensis Demircan Aksan, 2023 is here declared to be unavailable. The following species are newly recorded from the listed countries: A. angirasu from Azerbaijan, M. scopensis from Azerbaijan and Georgia, and M. cyprius Kulczyński, 1908 from Türkiye. Three of the previous Iranian records of M. scopensis Drensky, 1935 and the Iranian and Turkmen records of M. kulczynskii Charitonov, 1946 are found to be based on misidentifications. Additionally, the vulva of Sestakovaia annulipes (Kulczyński, 1897) is illustrated for the first time.

Tibelloides Mello-Leitão, 1939 currently comprises four species of Neotropical grass-dwelling spiders. Herein, we describe and illustrate Tibelloides castelo sp. nov. with few records from Brazil (Minas Gerais, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro), and Tibelloides juatuba sp. nov., with records from Brazil (Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Rondônia) and Paraguay (San Pedro). These two new species differ from the previously described ones by having body and legs conspicuously longer and thinner, male pedipalp without retrolateral marginal conductor, and female genitalia with compound copulatory ducts tubular and elongated.

The spider fauna of Algeria's Saharan region is currently little understood, even though some information is available but it remains either very old or insufficient. This study aimed to deepen our understanding on this group of arachnids in this hyper-arid land. The study was conducted in Ghardaïa province (Northern Sahara, Algeria). Spiders were collected during 2014-2017 and 2020-2023 from various localities covering either in natural or manmade ecosystems. A set of 2037 adult spiders was captured using hand collecting and pitfall traps methods. The results of the taxonomic study revealed that Ghardaia had 70 spider species representing 21 families and 55 genera. Twenty (20) species were identified under the family Gnaphosidae, followed by 12 for Salticidae and seven for Lycosidae and Theridiidae. One genus and seven species were recorded for the first time from Algeria, of which habitus and genital parts photos were provided; two species among them are new records for Africa. The results of this study raised the number of species of spiders that are known to exist in the province of Ghardaïa from 23 to 79. Thus, many species distribution ranges in Algeria have been updated. This study established the first-ever systematic list of the spiders of Ghardaïa.

Two new species of two dysderoid families are described based on specimens collected from the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan: the dysderid Dysdera bartang sp. n. (male) and the segestriid Segestria pamirica sp. n. (female). Both species were collected at elevations of 2200-2500 m a.s.l. (above sea level). Detailed descriptions, figures, diagnoses, habitat photographs and a distribution map are provided. The altitudinal limit of the species of Dysdera and Segestria in Central Asia is briefly discussed. Segestria pamirica sp. n. is likely to be the most high-altitude species of the genus in Central Asia and even in the world. An identification key to females of the Central Asian species of Segestria is also provided.

Two new species of Mimetus Hentz, 1832 are described from India: Mimetus parvulus Sankaran, Sudhin & Sen, 2024 n. sp., and M. spinatus Sudhin, Sankaran & Sen, 2024 n. sp.. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of both species are provided, and their current distribution is mapped. Based on familial and generic similarities, we transfer the misplaced M. tikaderi Gajbe, 1992 to the Liocranidae genus Agroeca Westring, 1861.

Theraphosidae is the most speciose mygalomorph family, and its species are usually fossorial, but arboreal species are known in various subfamilies. One of these subfamilies, Aviculariinae, is composed exclusively of arboreal forms and is distributed in the Americas and the Caribbean. Seven genera of this subfamily were described in 2017, including the monotypic genus Antillena Bertani, Huff & Fukushima, 2017, which is endemic to the Dominican Republic. It presents some remarkable features concerning genitalia shape both in male and female, distinct from all other aviculariine species. Herein, we describe the second species of Antillena, A. miguelangeli sp. nov., along with field-note observations and new records for Antillena rickwesti Bertani & Huff, 2013. Males of the new species have a longer and slender embolus on the bulb, and the keels are poorly developed. Females have the spermathecae plateau-shaped with its distal sclerotized half of an elliptical appearance. The new species also represents the first record of this genus from the northern region of Hispaniola.

Species traits are essential for inferences on ecology and the evolution of organisms. Spiders are the most abundant and diversified terrestrial predators, playing an important role in a range of ecosystem services. Here, I present datasetse on all traits of zodariid spiders, which are known to be free-living ground-dwellers occurring on all continents (except Antarctica) with the highest species diversity in Australia. I collated the data from published resources. The datasets includes nearly 100 000 trait records on all (90) genera and almost all species (1249) of the family. The majority of the 88 traits collected are morphometric, followed by those relating to ecology, reproduction, and physiology. Morphometric traits were available for the majority of species. Other trait classes were only available for some species. I provide a standardized classification of selected categorical traits (habitat, microhabitat, retreat type, circadian activity, prey, primary defensive, and predators). This is the first complete database of traits of a whole spider family, which is available through the World Spider Trait database., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Based on a series of specimens collected between 2021 and 2023, this study presents new data on spiders of Iraqi Kurdistan. Despite the small size of the collection (i.e., 74 specimens), the material was found to include five species new to science, which are described and illustrated in this paper: Dysdera goyzha sp. n. (♂♀; Sulaymaniyah) [Dysderidae], D. kurdistanica sp. n. (♂; Sulaymaniyah) [Dysderidae], Palpimanus garmiyanus sp. n. (♂; Sulaymaniyah) [Palpimanidae], Tegenaria sorani sp. n. (♂; Erbil) [Agelenidae], and Zelotes hazarmerdensis sp. n. (♀; Sulaymaniyah) [Gnaphosidae]. Two families (Cheiracanthiidae; Zoropsidae), eleven genera (Agalenatea Archer, 1951 [Araneidae]; Cheiracanthium C.L. Koch, 1839 [Cheiracanthiidae]; Drassodes Westring, 1851 [Gnaphosidae]; Gibbaranea Archer, 1951 [Araneidae]; Mesiotelus Simon, 1897 [Liocranidae]; Micrommata Latreille, 1804 [Sparassidae]; Porrhoclubiona Lohmander, 1944 [Clubionidae]; Rhysodromus Schick, 1965 [Philodromidae]; Steatoda Sundevall, 1833 [Theridiidae]; Trochosa C.L. Koch, 1847 [Lycosidae]; Zoropsis Simon, 1878 [Zoropsidae]) and 18 species are recorded in Iraq for the first time, and five species are newly reported from the Kurdistan Region.

Eye size affects many aspects of visual function, but eyes are costly to grow and maintain. The allometry of eyes can provide insight into this trade-off, but this has mainly been explored in species that have two eyes of equal size. By contrast, animals possessing larger visual systems can exhibit variable eye sizes within individuals. Spiders have up to four pairs of eyes whose sizes vary dramatically, but their ontogenetic, static, and evolutionary allometry has not yet been studied in a comparative context. We report variable dynamics in eye size across 1,098 individuals in 39 species and 8 families, indicating selective pressures and constraints driving the evolution of different eye pairs and lineages. Supplementing our sampling with a recently published phylogenetically comprehensive dataset, we confirmed these findings across more than 400 species; found that ecological factors such as visual hunting, web building, and circadian activity correlate with eye diameter; and identified significant allometric shifts across spider phylogeny using an unbiased approach, many of which coincide with visual hunting strategies. The modular nature of the spider visual system provides additional degrees of freedom and is apparent in the strong correlations between maximum/minimum investment and interocular variance and three key ecological factors. Our analyses suggest an antagonistic relationship between the anterior and posterior eye pairs. These findings shed light on the relationship between spider visual systems and their diverse ecologies and how spiders exploit their modular visual systems to balance selective pressures and optical and energetic constraints., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Five new species of Heteropoda (Araneae: Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) from Southeast Asia are described: H. acris spec. nov. (male, female; Vietnam), H. cuspidata spec. nov. (male; Malaysia), H. papilionacea spec. nov. (female; Malaysia), H. pilata spec. nov. (female; Thailand), and H. verticalis spec. nov. (male; Malaysia). The female of H. jasminae Jäger, 2008 is described for the first time (locality: Vietnam). All these new species are diagnosed, described, and illustrated. Additionally, a distribution map for all species is given.

A new genus of chrysilline jumping spiders, Qingattus gen. nov., is established for a new species from southern China: Qingattus wulan spec. nov. (♂♀). Three other new species of Chrysillini are described: Heliophanoides ultramarine spec. nov. (♂♀), Phintella chunfen spec. nov. (♂) and P. yi spec. nov. (♂). Newly recorded from China are Cosmophasis ombria (Thorell, 1877) (♂♀), Heliophanus chovdensis Prószyński, 1982 (♂♀), and Okinawicius tokarensis (Bohdanowicz & Prószyński, 1987) (♂♀).

AbstractIdealized ring species, with approximately continuous gene flow around a geographic barrier but singular reproductive isolation at a ring terminus, are rare in nature. A broken ring species model preserves the geographic setting and fundamental features of an idealized model but accommodates varying degrees of gene flow restriction over complex landscapes through evolutionary time. Here we examine broken ring species dynamics in Calisoga spiders, which, like the classic ring species Ensatina salamanders, are distributed around the Central Valley of California. Using nuclear and mitogenomic data, we test key predictions of common ancestry, ringlike biogeography, biogeographic timing, population connectivity, and terminal overlap. We show that a ring complex of populations shares a single common ancestor, and from an ancestral area in the Sierra Nevada mountains, two distributional and phylogenomic arms encircle the Central Valley. Isolation by distance occurs along these distributional arms, although gene flow restriction is also evident. Where divergent lineages meet in the South Coast Ranges, we find rare lineage sympatry, without evidence for nuclear gene flow and with clear evidence for morphological and ecological divergence. We discuss general insights provided by broken ring species and how such a model could be explored and extended in other systems and future studies.

In this paper, we describe three new species of Paracymbiomma Rodrigues, Cizauskas & Rheims, 2018 and the female of P. pauferrense Rodrigues, Cizauskas & Rheims, 2018. Two species are restricted to the iron caves of the Carajás Speleological Unit, in the state of Pará, Brazil: Paracymbiomma pepita sp. nov. (male, female), from Serra Leste, Curionópolis and P. otxurucu sp. nov. (male, female) from Serra Sul, Canaã dos Carajás and Parauapebas. Paracymbiomma una sp. nov. (male, female) is described from Reserva Biológica do Una, Una, Bahia, Brazil. In addition, we list additional material collected in caves and deposited in arachnological collections in Brazil, provide an identification key and updated distribution map for all known species of the genus.

A new species, Amauropelma mariae sp. n., is described from Sumatra Island (Indonesia) on the basis of both sexes. The new species is illustrated and described in detail. The distribution map of all known Amauropelma species based on new and literature-derived records is given.

The genus Plato Coddington, 1986 is revised and now contains twelve Neotropical species. The male of Plato bicolor (Keyserling, 1886) is described for the first time from the state of Amazonas in Brazil. Three new species are described: Plato omnipraesens n. sp. (♂ ♀) from Brazil and Peru, Plato peruana n. sp. (♀) from Peru and Plato hamatus n. sp. (♂ ♀) from Minas Gerais in Brazil. A new diagnosis is proposed for the females of this genus. Morphological structures and genitalic terminology are discussed. Plato species are described, diagnosed, illustrated, and their geographic distribution is mapped.

The species of the genus Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 from India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are reviewed. Stasina nalandica Karsch, 1892 and S. paripes (Karsch, 1879) are re-transferred to the genus Thelcticopis. Thelcticopis ajax Pocock, 1901, T. bicornuta Pocock, 1901, T. birmanica Thorell, 1895 stat. rev., T. hercules Pocock, 1901, T. moolampilliensis Sunil Jose & Sebastian, 2007, T. nalandica (Karsch, 1892) comb. rest., T. paripes (Karsch, 1879) comb. rest., T. picta (Thorell, 1887), T. rufula Pocock, 1901, T. serambiformis Strand, 1907, and T. virescens Pocock, 1901 are diagnosed, redescribed, and/or illustrated based on type and/or freshly collected material, and their current distributional records are mapped. The female of T. virescens is described for the first time. The type locality of Thelcticopis goramensis (Thorell, 1881) is situated in Indonesia, Maluku, not in Malaysia. Thelcticopis bifasciata (Thorell, 1891), and T. fasciata (Thorell, 1897) are proposed as nomina dubia as the holotypes are immature and their identity cannot be fully elucidated. Thelcticopis ancorum Dyal, 1935 and T. telonotata Dyal, 1935 from Lahore, Punjab are considered species incertae sedis, and the subfamily Sparianthinae is most likely not distributed in Pakistan.

The wolf spider of genus Xerolycosa Dahl, 1908 from China is reviewed, including four species: X. miniata (C.L. Koch, 1834), X. mongolica (Schenkel, 1963), X. nemoralis (Westring, 1861) and X. xinjiangensis sp. nov. (male). Pardosa sinensis Yin, Peng, Kim et Wang, 1995 is newly synonymized with X. miniata (C.L. Koch, 1834). Morphological illustrations, photos, and descriptions of all species are given. SEM photos of male bulbs and photos of living specimens of X. nemoralis are also presented.

Two new species of Megalostrata Karsch, 1880 are described: M. paludosa spec. nov. based on male and female specimens gathered in mangrove swamps in the Colombian Caribbean, and M. pacifica spec. nov., based on a female specimen from Heredia, Costa Rica. Megalostrata monistica (Chamberlin, 1924) from the Mexican west coast is redescribed, M. bruneri (Bryant, 1936) from the Island of Cuba is re-diagnosed based on photographs of the holotype, and the female of M. depicta (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1895) from Southeast Mexico is described for the first time. The known range of M. raptor (L. Koch, 1866), which was previously known from the Central American mainland, is extended to Curaçao, Caribbean Netherlands. A distribution map and key to the six known species of Megalostrata are also provided.

Three species of the spider family Ctenidae Keyserling, 1877 are recorded from Tibet of China, including two new species described here: Amauropelma medogensis sp. nov. (♂♀) and Bowie rotundus sp. nov. (♂♀) from Medog. The new collection data of Anahita medog Li & Yao, 2022 (♂♀) from Medog and Chayu is added. Photos of habitus, copulatory organs, and illustrations of copulatory organs, as well as the locality map of all three species are provided.

The trapdoor spider genus Eucteniza Ausserer, 1875 is distributed in North America, with most diversity in Mexico. In this work, a new species is described from the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco, Mexico: Eucteniza cuixmala sp. nov., was collected from a dry tropical deciduous forest in the western coast of Mexico. The species is described only from the male holotype. Of the 14 species of Eucteniza described so far, eight have been described based only on the male holotype. The description of this new species increases the diversity of the genus to 15 known species, 14 of which are found in Mexico, two in the USA, and one in both countries: E. relata (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1895). In addition, we provide an amended taxonomic identification key for males of the genus.

The distribution of the genus Trachelas L. Koch, 1872 in China is updated by reviewing literature and examining specimens. One new species, T. bomiensis Jin & Mi, sp. nov. (♂♀), is described from the Xizang Autonomous Region, China.

The spider genus Audifia Keyserling, 1884 currently comprises three described species, two species from Brazil and one from Guinea-Bissau and Congo. In this paper the male of an Audifia species is illustrated for the first time and new records are presented for the genus. Audifia laevithorax Keyserling, 1884 is recorded for the first time from Bolivia, and new record from Amazonia, Brazil is reported. The male Audifia semigranosa Simon, 1895 is described and illustrated for the first time and new record from Brazil is presented.

Two new species of the spider genus Lasaeola Simon, 1881 are described from China based on both sexes: Lasaeola pinna n. sp., and Lasaeola tengchongensis n. sp. Distribution data, detailed morphological characteristics, and illustrations of body and genital organs are presented.

A new species of the enigmatic spider genus Mexentypesa (Raven, 1987) from a cloud forest in Hidalgo state, Mexico is described: M. hidalguensis sp. nov. The description of the species is based on both male and female adult specimens. This discovery increases the diversity of the genus to two species: Mexentypesa chiapas (Raven, 1987) and the new species described herein. Additionally, Aptostichus sabinae syn. nov. (=M. chiapas), which was previously described as a different species, is formally synonymized.

Four new species of Cubanops are described from Eastern Cuba: C. chamarreta sp. nov. (male and female), C. glochidiosus sp. nov. (male and female), C. guama sp. nov. (male and female) and C. serrucho sp. nov. (male). Also, an updated distribution map for all nine Cubanops species known from Eastern Cuba is included.

Two new species of the ground-dwelling jumping spider genus Habrocestum Simon, 1876 from the wet evergreen forests of the southern Western Ghats, India are described: H. benjamin sp. nov. (♂♀) and H. swaminathan sp. nov. (♂♀). Furthermore, H. emanasakgrensis Kadam & Tripathi, 2023 is synonymized with Chinattus validus (Xie, Peng & Kim, 1993) syn. nov.. Diagnoses, digital illustrations, morphological descriptions, natural history notes and discussion are provided.