Hidden in the wrack: spider (Arachnida, Araneae) diversity and new records for Italy from Posidonia banquettes

Posted by
  Hidden in the wrack: spider (Arachnida, Araneae) diversity and new records for Italy from Posidonia banquettes ABSTRACT Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile beach wrack deposits (banquettes) are a characteristic coastal habitat of the Mediterranean Sea, yet their invertebrate communities remain poorly studied. Here we report the results of a survey from January to November 2024 of the spider fauna (Order Araneae) associated with Posidonia banquettes at Sant’Agostino beach (Civitavecchia, Latium, central Italy), using four complementary sampling methods (surface and underground pitfall traps, Berlese-Tullgren funnel extraction, and visual census). A total of 161 specimens were collected, with 17 species assigned to 11 families among adult individuals. The dominant families were Argyronetidae (39.4%), represented exclusively by Chaerea maritimus Simon, 1885, and Gnaphosidae (33.8%). Three species are recorded for the first time in Italy: Dysdera gamarrae Ferrández 1984, Gnaphosa jucu...

Three new species of Pamirosa Fomichev, Omelko & Marusik, 2024 (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Kyrgyzstan, extending the known range of Artoriinae in Central Asia

Posted by

 


Three new species of Pamirosa Fomichev, Omelko & Marusik, 2024 (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Kyrgyzstan, extending the known range of Artoriinae in Central Asia

Abstract

Three new Pamirosa species from Kyrgyzstan are diagnosed, described, and illustrated: P. alaica sp. nov. (male, female), P. archalturica sp. nov. (male) and P. transalaica sp. nov. (male, female). The new species represent the first records of the genus outside the type locality of the generotype, P. kudratbekovi Fomichev, Omelko & Marusik, 2024 (Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan). The new findings represent the northernmost records of Artoriinae. All new species were collected from screes at elevations of 3700–4200 m. A distribution map of all known Pamirosa species is provided. An identification key to all species is also provided. The distribution of scree-dwelling Lycosidae in Central Asia, and research prospects on this topic are discussed.

Fomichev, A.A. & Omelko, M.M. (2025) Three new species of Pamirosa Fomichev, Omelko & Marusik, 2024 (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Kyrgyzstan, extending the known range of Artoriinae in Central Asia. Zootaxa, 5618 (2), 249–266. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5618.2.4