Passive transponder implantation in Theraphosidae: A tool for traceability and conservation

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  Passive transponder implantation in Theraphosidae: A tool for traceability and conservation Abstract Illegal wildlife trade represents a major global threat to biodiversity, with tarantulas among the most heavily trafficked invertebrate groups due to increasing demand in the international pet market, highlighting the urgent need for effective regulatory frameworks and reliable specimen-level traceability systems to distinguish legally bred individuals from illegally sourced ones. Individual identification is essential to support legal trade, strengthen enforcement mechanisms and reduce illegal trafficking; therefore, this study evaluated the feasibility and safety of passive integrated transponder microchip (PIT TAG) implantation for individual identification in multiple tarantula species under controlled laboratory conditions. Post-implantation parameters assessed included anaesthesia recovery time, feeding behaviour, ecdysis frequency, PIT TAG retention across successive moults...

A new species related to Pardosa atrata (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Armenia makes the distribution range of the atrata group disjunctive

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A new species related to Pardosa atrata (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Armenia makes the distribution range of the atrata group disjunctive

Abstract

Species of wolf spiders considered in the Pardosa atrata group are surveyed, and comparative figures of all species included in the group are presented for the first time. A new species, P. armeniaca sp. nov., is described from the shore of Lake Sevan (Armenia) based on both sexes. Pardosa narymica Savelyeva, 1972 from East Kazakhstan Oblast’ is synonymized with the trans-Palaearctic P. atrata (Thorell, 1873). It was found that the record of P. atrata (sub P. lapponica) by Schenkel from British Columbia and reflected in the World Spider Catalog in fact refers to P. concinna (Thorell, 1877), a member of the P. lapponica group. The distribution of three species consideredin the atrata group are mapped. The discovery of P. armeniaca sp. nov. has led to a re-evaluation of the distribution range, previously thought to be continuous, now showing a disjunctive pattern.

Marusik YМ (2023) A new species related to Pardosa atrata (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Armenia makes the distribution range of the atrata group disjunctive. ZooKeys 1180: 225-235. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1180.111069