First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae

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  First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae Abstract Flies of the genus Megaselia Rondani, 1856 exhibit exceptional ecological flexibility, with certain species acting as facultative parasites. This study presents the first documented cases of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) infesting captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae, Ceratogyrus darlingi Pocock, 1897 and Psalmopoeus irminia Saager, 1994) in terrarium settings. Our observations demonstrate that M . abdita colonise artificial habitats and exploit spider hosts similarly to Megaselia scalaris . Citation: Szymański, D.M., Szymański, D., Kłonowski, P. (2026). First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Dipteron, 42, 25-29. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23137389

New data on spider wasps of the subgenus Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942 (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae, Arachnospila Kincaid, 1900) from Western Siberia, Russia

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New data on spider wasps of the subgenus Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942 (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae, Arachnospila Kincaid, 1900) from Western Siberia, Russia

Abstract

The new species, Arachnospila (Ammosphex) altaica Loktionov, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from the Altai Republic, Western Siberia, Russia based on male specimens. The new species belongs to A. (Am.) abnormis species-group, whose males have a tuft of long bristles on hypopygium ventrally. The male of the new species is clearly distinguished from congeners by the unique shape of the hypopygium and the position of the bristles on it. Seven species of the subgenus Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942 from the genus Arachnospila Kincaid, 1900 are newly recorded from Western Siberia. The new species and new regional records raise the number of species known from Western Siberia to 58, and the total number of spider wasps in Russia to 251.


Loktionov, V. M., & Proshchalykin, M. Yu. (n.d.-b). New data on spider wasps of the subgenus Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942 (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae, Arachnospila Kincaid, 1900) from Western Siberia, Russia. Zootaxa. https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5453.1.6