First record of the family Bemmeridae Simon, 1903 from China, with descriptions of three new species of Damarchus Thorell, 1891 (Arachnida, Araneae)

  First record of the family Bemmeridae Simon, 1903 from China, with descriptions of three new species of Damarchus Thorell, 1891 ( Arachnida , Araneae ) Abstract The genus Damarchus Thorell, 1891 ( Bemmeridae ) represents a relatively understudied lineage of mygalomorph spiders, with previous studies documenting its distribution across several Asian countries, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. This study describes three new species from China, Damarchus dai sp. nov ., D. erebus sp. nov ., and D. rutilus sp. nov ., which represent the first formal records of the genus Damarchus and the family Bemmeridae for the spider fauna of China. Zhang Y, Yu K, Zhang F (2026) First record of the family Bemmeridae Simon, 1903 from China, with descriptions of three new species of Damarchus Thorell, 1891 (Arachnida, Araneae). ZooKeys 1287: 153-199. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1287.187795

Record of a Tarantula Bonnetina cyaneifemur Preyed Upon by Centruroides elegans

 


Record of a Tarantula Bonnetina cyaneifemur Preyed Upon by Centruroides elegans

Abstract

Tarantulas and scorpions have an important intraguild predation relationship, with spiders acting as predators in most cases. However, scorpions can prey on tarantulas, especially juveniles. We present a case of scorpion predation on the tarantula Bonnetina cyaneifemur in a Mexican dry forest. A juvenile B. cyaneifemur was found in the vegetation with its prosoma partially eaten by a female scorpion Centruroides elegans. Our record increases the number of known predators for the Mexican tarantula B. cyaneifemur and provides information on a trophic niche of the species.

Lizbeth Parra Mendoza, André Felipe de Araujo Lira, Edmundo González-Santillán "Record of a Tarantula Bonnetina cyaneifemur Preyed Upon by Centruroides elegans," Southwestern Entomologist, 50(2), 1-6, (26 May 2025) https://doi.org/10.3958/059.050.0208