First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae

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  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

New record of Ischnothele annulata (Mygalomorphae: Ischnothelidae) in San Juan extends its known western range

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New record of Ischnothele annulata (Mygalomorphae: Ischnothelidae) in San Juan extends its known western range

Abstract

We report the first record of Ischnothele annulata (Mygalomorphae: Ischnothelidae) for the province of San Juan, Argentina. This finding extends its known distribution, marking a new western limit with the nearest locations being Chepes and Quines in La Rioja and San Luis, respectively. The observed population is within the arid region of central-western Argentina, at the ecotone between the Arid Chaco and the Monte Desert.

Aragon-Traverso, J. H., Quiroga, L. B., Iribas, F. and Sanabria, E. A. (2025) “New record of Ischnothele annulata (Mygalomorphae: Ischnothelidae) in San Juan extends its known western range”, Acta Zoológica Lilloana, pp. 29–33. doi: 10.30550/j.azl/2067.