A Remarkable Discovery: Exploring a Rare Eresus and Spider Wasp Interaction

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  Photo Credit: © Antonino Rametta . All photographs are used with permission. No part of these images may be reproduced, distributed, or used in any form without the prior written permission of the photographer. A Remarkable Discovery: Exploring a Rare Eresus and Spider Wasp Interaction One of the most rewarding aspects of maintaining Arácnido Taxonomy is hearing from naturalists and photographers around the world who take the time to share their discoveries. Every so often, an email arrives that immediately captures your attention. Not because it claims to rewrite what we know about biodiversity, but because it documents something that very few people have the opportunity to witness. Recently, I was contacted by a naturalist in Sicily who shared a series of exceptionally high-quality photographs of a female ladybird spider ( Eresus ) during what appeared to be an interaction with a spider wasp. Along with the images came a simple question: "Could this be scientifically import...

The role of the burrow structure in the characterisation of trap door spiders Nemesia Audouin, 1826 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)

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The role of the burrow structure in the characterisation of trap door spiders Nemesia Audouin, 1826 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)

Abstract 

Three new species of the trap-door spider genus Nemesia Audouin, 1826 are described from southern Portugal, namely Nemesia bonali sp. nov. from Portimão and Alvor, Nemesia molerobaltanasi sp. nov. from Castelão (Loulé), and Nemesia rebellis sp. nov. from Odeleite. These species have specific morphological and/or behavioral similarities with N. athiasi Franganillo, 1920, N. fagei Frade & Bacelar, 1931, and N. ungoliant Decae, Car-doso & Selden, 2007, but are easily distinguishable if attention is paid to all details including the size, the prosoma shape and the burrow structure. The available literature on N. fagei is discussed and the need to consider the burrow as a possible character for diagnosis when describing and identifying species of the genus Nemesia is illustrated. Finally, a few guidelines are proposed to aid in the study of these spiders, both at the species level and for the general understanding of spiders of this genus. 


Pertegal, Cristian, y Ginés Rodriguez-Castilla. 2024. «El Papel De La Estructura Del Nido En La caracterización De Las Especies De arañas De Trampilla Nemesia Audouin, 1826 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)». 
Graellsia 80 (1-2):e755. https://doi.org/10.3989/graellsia.2024.v80.755.