When Tarantula Venom Comes from a Misnamed Spider: The Importance of Taxonomic Accuracy in Theraphosid Toxinology

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  When Tarantula Venom Comes from a Misnamed Spider: The Importance of Taxonomic Accuracy in Theraphosid Toxinology I am very happy to share my most recent publication in Toxicon. This is a particularly meaningful publication for me because it brings together two areas that have become an important part of my work and personal interests: tarantulas and toxinology. At first glance, taxonomy and venom research may seem like two very different fields. In reality, they are closely connected. Before we can properly study the venom of a spider, we need to know which spider we are actually studying. Why the Name Matters A scientific name is much more than a label attached to an animal. It connects that animal to everything we report about it, including its biology, distribution, behavior, venom, toxins, and even its potential medical importance. When a tarantula is incorrectly identified, or when an outdated name continues to be used without considering changes in taxonomy, the problem ca...

Expanding the taxonomy of crab spiders (Araneae, Thomisidae) in Sumatra: a new genus, five new species, and regional records

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Expanding the taxonomy of crab spiders (Araneae, Thomisidae) in Sumatra: a new genus, five new species, and regional records

Abstract

The taxonomy of crab spiders (Thomisidae) has been the focus of many reviews, adding new genera such as Ibana and Crockeria while synonymising Ascurisoma with Cebrenninus, and describing many new species. A collection of crab spiders from Jambi Province (Sumatra, Indonesia) revealed further diversity, resulting in the description of a new genus, Rangkayo Dhiya’ulhaq & Benjamin, gen. nov., and five new species: Crockeria neofelis Dhiya’ulhaq & Benjamin, sp. nov. (♂♀), Ibana svarnadvipa Dhiya’ulhaq & Benjamin, sp. nov. (♂♀), Pharta roseomaculata Dhiya’ulhaq & Benjamin, sp. nov. (♀), Rangkayo hitam Dhiya’ulhaq & Benjamin, sp. nov. (♂♀), and Rangkayo perkaso Dhiya’ulhaq & Benjamin, sp. nov. (♂♀). Additionally, new records of Angaeus christae Benjamin, 2013 (♂), Angaeus verrucosus Benjamin, 2017 (♂), Crockeria kinabalu Benjamin, 2016 (♂), Epidius elongatus Benjamin, 2017 (♂), and Pharta bimaculata Thorell, 1891 (♂♀) are provided for Sumatra, as well as high-resolution images of Cebrenninus magnus Benjamin, 2016 (♂) and Cebrenninus rugosus Simon, 1887 (♀). The present study highlights the considerable biodiversity of tropical crab spiders and underscores the importance of continued taxonomic and ecological research in Southeast Asia in general, and the Indonesian archipelago in particular.

Dhiya'ulhaq NU, Benjamin SP, Buchori D, Hidayat P, Scheu S, Drescher J (2025) Expanding the taxonomy of crab spiders (Araneae, Thomisidae) in Sumatra: a new genus, five new species, and regional records. ZooKeys 1241: 205-246. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1241.148348