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...

A chromosome-level genome assembly for the desert scorpion Mesobuthus przewalskii from Asian drylands

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A chromosome-level genome assembly for the desert scorpion Mesobuthus przewalskii from Asian drylands

Abstract

Scorpions are an ancient and charismatic group of arthropods with medical importance, but a high-quality reference genome for this group is still lacking. Here we perform whole-genome sequencing of Mesobuthus przewalskii, a desert scorpion endemic to the Taklimakan Desert. We combine PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C chromosome conformation capturing to generate chromosomal-level, haplotype-resolved, and fully annotated genome assembly for this medically important scorpion. The assembly consists of two haplotypes (1052.01 Mbp and 1055.19 Mbp, respectively) reaching chromosome-level contiguity and >98% BUSCO completeness. Sequences were anchored in 13 chromosomes with a contig N50 of 34.44 Mbp and scaffold N50 of 81.43 Mbp. Several key genome features and the mitochondrial genome assembly were also provided. This genome represents the fifth but the most complete assembly for the order Scorpiones.


Su, Y., Xiu, M., Yang, H., & Shi, C. A chromosome-level genome assembly for the desert scorpion Mesobuthus przewalskii from Asian drylands. Journal of Heredity. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esae059