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

Posted by
  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 species and records of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Ecuador

Posted by

 


New species and records of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Ecuador

Abstract 
New taxonomic and faunistic data on spiders of Ecuador are provided, based on a small set of previously unstudied specimens collected at Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Orellana. These specimens belong to five species in three families: Anapistula tiputiana sp. n. (♀; Symphytognathidae) and Pseudanapis yasunica sp. n. (♂; Anapidae) are described as new to science, and the hersiliids Neotama obatala Rheims & Brescovit, 2004, Ypypuera crucifera (Vellard, 1924) and Y. vittata (Simon, 1887) are newly recorded in Ecuador. Illustrations are provided for all treated species. 

Zamani, A. & Marusik, Y.M. (2024) New species and records of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Ecuador. Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics, 10 (in press).