On a new genus of dwarf tarantulas (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae) endemic from Peru: evidence from morphology and molecular phylogeny, with description of three new species

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  On a new genus of dwarf tarantulas ( Araneae : Mygalomorphae : Theraphosidae ) endemic from Peru: evidence from morphology and molecular phylogeny, with description of three new species Abstract Recent field campaigns conducted in Peru along with the examination of museum specimens allowed us to identify small tarantulas that do not fit with any known Theraphosidae genera. Morphology and additional molecular evidence from the mitochondrial gene COI led us to propose Kiskalla gen. nov . from southern Peru, at Puno region. Three new species of Kiskalla gen. nov . ( K. ignacioi sp. nov ., K. yeisoni sp. nov . and K. zukuapasanka sp. nov .) are herein described, diagnosed and illustrated. Kiskalla gen. nov . differs from the known Theraphosinae genera in the presence of lateral stripes on the abdomen and a small dorsal arrowhead-shaped patch of type III urticating setae, presence of a large number of spines on all legs, short and stout setae on the dorsal metatarsi encirc...

Bacteria in spiders? Presence of Wolbachia (Rickettsiales, Ehrlichiaceae) in Synspermiata spiders, including the first record for the family Sicariidae (Araneae)

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Bacteria in spiders? Presence of Wolbachia (Rickettsiales, Ehrlichiaceae) in Synspermiata spiders, including the first record for the family Sicariidae (Araneae)


Abstract

Infection by the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia (Ehrlichiaceae) has been recorded in a wide variety of arthropods, including spiders. Within the order Araneae, there are previous reports of Wolbachia infection in Synspermiata spiders. Herein, we assess the presence of Wolbachia in the genera Physocyclus (Pholcidae) and Loxosceles (Sicariidae) through molecular studies using the mitochondrial marker Cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1). We detected the presence of this bacteria in one Physocyclus species and seven Loxosceles species from Mexico. Our findings represent the fifth record for the family Pholcidae and the first records for the family Sicariidae, being all first records of Wolbachia in spiders from Mexico. Combining these results with previous works, Wolbachia infection in spiders has been recorded in 19 families, 70 genera, and 122 species. The Linyphiidae family has the highest number of species reported with Wolbachia infections, with 43 species across 27 genera. Within Synspermiata spiders, Wolbachia has now been documented within: Dysderidae, Pholcidae, Telemidae, and Sicariidae families, being the last having the most records with seven species.

Navarro Rodríguez, Claudia Isabel, Alejandro Valdez Mondragón, Alma Rosa Juárez Sánchez, y Samuel Nolasco Garduño. 2025. «Bacteria in Spiders? Presence of Wolbachia (Rickettsiales, Ehrlichiaceae) in Synspermiata Spiders, Including the First Record for the Family Sicariidae (Araneae)». ACTA ZOOLÓGICA MEXICANA (N.S.) 41 (1):1-14. https://doi.org/10.21829/azm.2025.4112720.