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

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  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

Reproductive phenology of an opilionid species maturing in early summer, Himalphalangium spinulatum, showing evidence of protogyny (Opiliones: Eupnoi: Phalangiidae)

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Reproductive phenology of an opilionid species maturing in early summer, Himalphalangium spinulatum, showing evidence of protogyny (Opiliones: Eupnoi: Phalangiidae)

Abstract

The reproductive phenology of Himalphalangium spinulatum (Roewer, 1911) (Eupnoi: Phalangiidae), which overwinter as juveniles and mature in early summer, was surveyed at a riparian forest on the Sendai River, Tottori City, Honshu, Japan. Females became adults about 3–4 days earlier than males. The body weight of females and males and the number of mature eggs retained in females were highest at the age about a week after the final molting, suggesting a shorter time is needed to commence mating and oviposition in this species. This might be the reason for the shorter time lag in maturation between females and males in this species compared to other species of protogynous harvestmen.

Nobuo Tsurusaki, Minako Kawaguchi, Yamato Funakura, Toru Matsumoto "Reproductive phenology of an opilionid species maturing in early summer, Himalphalangium spinulatum, showing evidence of protogyny (Opiliones: Eupnoi: Phalangiidae)," The Journal of Arachnology, 53(1), 13-19, (19 May 2025)