The pholcid spiders of Tunisia (Araneae: Pholcidae): new species, new records, and deep COI divergence in Holocnemus reini

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  The pholcid spiders of Tunisia (Araneae: Pholcidae): new species, new records, and deep COI divergence in Holocnemus reini Abstract Tunisia features a rapid transition between Mediterranean and Saharan biogeographical zones, resulting in a high degree of environmental heterogeneity. Despite this ecological diversity, Tunisian spiders have received limited attention compared to those of neighboring Maghreb countries. Here we combine the results of recent collections in Tunisia focusing on Pholcidae with a comprehensive review of previously published information, resulting in a total of six genera and eleven species. We present first records of the genera Micropholcus Deeleman-Reinhold & Prinsen, 1987 and Spermophorides Wunderlich, 1992 for Tunisia, represented by four new species: M. kahinae Huber sp. nov., M. echebbii Huber sp. nov., S. nabilae Huber & Kmira sp. nov., S. bchirae Huber sp. nov.; in addition, we redescribe S. huberti (Senglet, 1973) from Tunisian specimens,...

In the rocks: An integrative assessment of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) in peninsular India with a description of a new species

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In the rocks: An integrative assessment of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) in peninsular India with a description of a new species

Abstract

The genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 exhibits significant diversity, especially in Peninsular India. From our continued arachnological surveys in the Western Ghats and Peninsular India, we describe a new species based on molecular and morphological data. Furthermore, additional sampling revealed new species with distinct molecular signatures, but future investigation is warranted to gather additional data before species are formally described.
Deshpande, S., Joshi, M., Ukale, S., Bastawade, D., Tang, V., Gowande, G., Monod, L., & Sulakhe, S. (2025). In the rocks: An integrative assessment of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) in peninsular India with a description of a new species. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2025.02.004