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

  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...

Three new species of Paratropis Simon, 1889 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Paratropididae) from Brazil and Colombia

 


Three new species of Paratropis Simon, 1889 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Paratropididae) from Brazil and Colombia

Abstract

The Paratropididae Simon, 1889 comprises small to medium-sized (6.0–18.5 mm) mygalomorph spiders with 26 species distributed in four genera: Anisaspis Simon, 1892; Anisaspoides F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896; Paratropis Simon, 1889 and Stormtropis Perafán, Galvis & Pérez-Miles, 2019. Paratropidids can be found in tropical and mountain forests, in caves, near rivers, under fallen logs and rocks, leaf litter, moss and ravines. Most species are distributed in South America, mainly in Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil. Despite recent efforts in understanding the taxonomy of the family, paratropidids are still poorly studied. Herein, three new species of Paratropis are described: Paratropis celiae sp. nov. and Paratropis manauara sp. nov., both from Manaus in the state of Amazonas, Brazil; and Paratropis vulcanix sp. nov. from Departamento Tolima-Calda Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia. An updated geographical distribution map for the entire genus is presented and a discussion on the taxonomic problems of the family is provided.

Naila Amanda S. Santos, Joao Pedro C. Gomes, Marlus Queiroz Almeida, Jose Wellington de Morais, Rogerio Bertani "Three new species of Paratropis Simon, 1889 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Paratropididae) from Brazil and Colombia," The Journal of Arachnology, 52(3), 234-250, (26 February 2025)