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 rare, protected and newly found spiders (Araneae) in the fauna of Poland

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New data on rare, protected, and newly found spiders (Araneae) in the fauna of Poland

Abstract


This study includes 70 new records for 22 rare species in Poland. Two species are new to Poland (Macaroeris nidicolens, Segestria bavarica) and another three are protected (Atypus affinis, Philaeus chrysops, Yllenus arenarius). Another locality of Uloborus walckenaerius was detected, which is the second site of occurence for Poland (the first in a synanthropic environment). The work provides new data showing that climate change is influencing the spread of southern European species. It has also been shown that anthropogenic activities and technical procedures (consisting of power line maintenance) may have a beneficial effect on the preservation of suitable habitats and the rare species of spiders living there. The obtained results complement the data on the distribution of rare species. For some rapidly spreading species, literature data are incomplete and out of date. This work will partially fill these gaps.

Szymański, Dawid & Szymański, Dominik & Szymański, Hubert. (2024). New data on rare, protected and newly found spiders (Araneae) in the fauna of Poland. Fragmenta Faunistica. 66. 63-86. 10.3161/00159301FF2023.66.2.063.