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

Three new species of tiny tarantulas of the genus Thalerommata Ausserer, 1875 (Araneae, Theraphosidae) from northern Colombia

Posted by

 


Three new species of tiny tarantulas of the genus Thalerommata Ausserer, 1875 (Araneae, Theraphosidae) from northern Colombia


Abstract

Thalerommata Ausserer, 1875 is a theraphosid genus with very small species that resemble Trichopelma, although they lack the dot pattern on the abdomen. They are also distinguished from all other Theraphosidae by the presence of flattened, iridescent setae covering the abdomen, and sometimes, the legs too. Its current distribution includes the following countries: Argentina, Bahamas, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica and Venezuela. Three new species of tiny tarantulas of the genus Thalerommata are described from northern Colombia: Thalerommata yukpa sp. nov. from Cesar Department, Thalerommata kogui sp. nov. and Thalerommata margarita sp. nov. from Magdalena Department. Colombia has now seven of the thirteen Thalerommata species.

Osorio, L. M., Benavides, L., García-Atencia, S. & Bertani, R. (2024). Three new species of tiny tarantulas of the genus Thalerommata Ausserer, 1875 (Araneae, Theraphosidae) from northern Colombia. Zootaxa 5537(1): 95-114. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5537.1.5