In Memoriam: Giraldo Alayón García

Posted by
  In Memoriam: Giraldo Alayón García -  Photo © Facebook/National Museum of Natural History of Cuba In Memoriam: Giraldo Alayón García The arachnological community mourns the loss of Giraldo Alayón García, a Cuban zoologist whose work helped bring the spiders of Cuba and the wider Caribbean into clearer scientific view. As a researcher and curator at Cuba’s National Museum of Natural History, Dr. Alayón devoted decades to studying arachnids. His publications on spider taxonomy, evolution, and biogeography gave other researchers a stronger foundation for understanding the region’s biodiversity. He also shared that knowledge through teaching and scientific exchange far beyond Cuba. For those of us who care about taxonomy, his legacy is a reminder of the patient work behind every species description: examining specimens, recording differences, and preserving knowledge that others can build upon. His contributions will continue to guide the study of Caribbean spiders for years to ...

New Record of Anapistula (Gertsch 1941) (Araneae: Symphytognathidae) in Europe with the description of a new species

Posted by

 


New Record of Anapistula (Gertsch 1941) (Araneae: Symphytognathidae) in Europe with the description of a new species

Abstract

A new species of the genus Anapistula Gertsch, 1941, A. delrosalae sp. nov., is described, marking the second record of the family Symphytognathidae in Europe. The new species has, to date, only been found in the Cueva de Nerja, Málaga (Spain). Based on the specimens collected, A. delrosalae sp. nov. appears to be present throughout the cave, from the Tourist Galleries to the New Galleries. Detection of the species is challenging due to its small size, which has likely caused it to go unnoticed until now. The new species is based on both somatic and genitalic morphological characters of females. The male is still unknown. The diagnostic characteristics that have been useful in distinguishing the new species from the already known Anapistula ataecina Cardoso & Scharff, 2009, native to the Frade cave system, Lisbon, Portugal, are discussed.

Pertegal, C. & Barranco, P. (2025). New record of Anapistula (Gertsch 1941) (Araneae: Symphytognathidae) in Europe with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 5590(2): 275-284. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5590.2.7; https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5590.2.7