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

Current knowledge of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Sinaloa, Mexico: species checklist and new records, including the first record of Plexippus petersi Karsch, 1878 for America

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Current knowledge of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Sinaloa, Mexico: species checklist and new records, including the first record of Plexippus petersi Karsch, 1878 for America

Abstract

In this work, we provide the first spider checklist for Sinaloa, Mexico. After reviewing the literature and the examination of spiders collected in Sinaloa, the checklist comprises 31 families, 82 genera, and 118 species. The families Salticidae (17 species), Araneidae (15), and Theridiidae (13) are the most diverse in Sinaloa. Furthermore, we report the first record of the jumping spider Plexippus petersi Karsch, 1878 in America along with twelve state records of spiders of the families Anyphaenidae (1), Diguetidae (1), Filistatidae (1), Pholcidae (2), Salticidae (4), Sparassidae (1), and Thomisidae (2). Furthermore, we provide photographs of the habitus and copulatory organs of all new records.

Alcántar-Valenzuela, J. J., Chamé Vázquez, D., Jiménez, M.-L., & Castañeda de los Santos, G. (2024). Current knowledge of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Sinaloa, Mexico: species checklist and new records, including the first record of Plexippus petersi Karsch, 1878 for America. ACTA ZOOLÓGICA MEXICANA (N.S.), 40(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.21829/azm.2024.4012671