Distributional Notes on Three Wolf Spider Species (Araneae: Lycosidae) Recorded for the First Time in Diyala Province, Iraq

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  Distributional Notes on Three Wolf Spider Species (Araneae: Lycosidae) Recorded for the First Time in Diyala Province, Iraq Abstract This study presents new distributional data for three wolf spider species (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Diyala Province in eastern Iraq. Specimens were gathered from different districts and habitats between July 2025 and June 2026. The species Arctosa tbilisiensis Mcheidze, 1946, Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876, and Wadicosa fidelis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) are recorded for the first time in Diyala, extending their known ranges within Iraq. The paper describes key diagnostic morphological features and includes information about the examined specimens and their local distributions. These findings improve knowledge of the distribution of Iraqi Lycosidae and reveal that Diyala Province, despite its habitat variety, remains insufficiently studied. The records serve as a valuable baseline for future taxonomic, faunistic, and ecological research on spiders i...

Taxonomy of Linyphiidae (Arthropoda, Araneae) in Théniet El Had National Park with new records for Algeria

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Taxonomy of Linyphiidae (Arthropoda, Araneae) in Théniet El Had National Park with new records for Algeria

Background

Cedrus atlantica, a species of coniferous tree in the Pinaceae family, is endemic to Algeria and Morocco. It originated in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa, hence the name Atlas Cedar. Cedar forests are home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. Yet despite their importance as a rich reservoir of fauna, very few faunistic studies have been carried out in Algeria in this type of ecosystem, particularly for the Araneae. Théniet El Had National Park (34.25 km2) is a unique national park in the western part of Algeria with centuries-old cedars. The present work is the first of its kind, consisting of establishing a preliminary list of Lyniphiidae in this typical ecosystem.

New information

A preliminary checklist of Linyphiidae of the National Park is provided, following a sampling period between January and December 2019. A total of 24 species were collected belonging to 15 genera of which Pelecopsis is the richest genus with six species. Pelecopsis oujda Bosmans & Abrous, 1992 and Walckenaeria heimbergi Bosmans, 2007, only known from Morocco so far, were collected for the first time in Algeria. Their distribution area is, thus, more extensive than present.


Saadi A, Bakhouche B, Djemadi I, Beladjal L, Kherbouche-Abrous O (2024) Taxonomy of Linyphiidae (Arthropoda, Araneae) in Théniet El Had National Park with new records for Algeria. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e125331. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e125331