First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae

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  First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae Abstract Flies of the genus Megaselia Rondani, 1856 exhibit exceptional ecological flexibility, with certain species acting as facultative parasites. This study presents the first documented cases of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) infesting captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae, Ceratogyrus darlingi Pocock, 1897 and Psalmopoeus irminia Saager, 1994) in terrarium settings. Our observations demonstrate that M . abdita colonise artificial habitats and exploit spider hosts similarly to Megaselia scalaris . Citation: Szymański, D.M., Szymański, D., Kłonowski, P. (2026). First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Dipteron, 42, 25-29. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23137389

New records of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from East Azarbaijan Province, Iran (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

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New records of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from East Azarbaijan Province, Iran (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

Abstract

Limited studies have been conducted on the scorpions of East Azarbaijan Province, resulting in the identification of seven Buthid species. The examination of Androctonus specimens collected from East Azarbaijan Province between 2021–2023 resulted in the identification of two new records, A. kunti Yağmur, 2023 and A. turkiyensis Yağmur, 2021. These two species were collected and described from east and south of Turkey respectively and recorded here for the first time from Iran. With the identification of A. kunti and A. turkiyensis, which before reported as Androctonus crassicauda, the total number of reported scorpion species in East Azarbaijan Province raised to eight, while the number of Androctonus species documented in Iran rose to six. Diagnostic characters of the two species and an identification key to Iranian Androctonus were provided. Understanding the distribution of various Androctonus species is crucial for determining their habitat conditions, preventing scorpion stings, and developing specific antivenoms tailored to each species for effective treatment.
Barahoei, H., Farmani, M., Shahi, M., Yousefi, S., Abbasi, M., Rahmani, F. (2025). 'New records of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from East Azarbaijan Province, Iran (Scorpiones: Buthidae)', Iranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22067/ijab.2025.92965.1098