Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from southern Algeria (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

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  Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from southern Algeria (Scorpiones: Buthidae) Abstract A new scorpion species, Cicileus derradji sp. nov., is described from Tin Zaouatine District, In Guezzam Province, southern Algeria. The description is based on an adult male holotype, an adult female paratype and a juvenile specimen, and is supported by detailed morphological analyses, including colouration, morphometrics, carination patterns and trichobothrial arrangement. This discovery extends the known distribution of the genus Cicileus approximately 500 km southwestward within Algeria. With the addition of this species, the number of recognised species in the genus increases to six. The new species is compared with all previously known species of Cicileus , and detailed colour photographs, including images taken under ultraviolet illumination, are provided. Derradj, L., Aydın Yağmur, E., Benali, N., & Bikada, M. (2026). Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from south...

Tailor’s drawer no more: a reappraisal of the spider family Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 sensu lato

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Tailor’s drawer no more: a reappraisal of the spider family Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 sensu lato

The mesh-web weaver family Dictynidae s.l. has been labelled a ‘tailor’s drawer’ family because it contains taxonomically unorganized and often evolutionarily distant species. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies using limited taxonomic sampling and legacy target genes involving representatives of the family have been consistent in: (i) exhibiting low branch support values and (ii) the recovery of genera and species currently classified as dictynids outside of Dictynidae. The genera within the family and the relationships among dictynid genera have never been rigorously tested using genomic-scale data. Here, we use exemplar dictynid species from the most currently recognized dictynid genera and ultraconserved elements (UCEs) recovered in silico from low-coverage, whole-genome sequencing plus Sanger data to resolve the phylogenetic placement and relationships of genera within the family Dictynidae s.l. The resulting phylogeny, along with morphological evidence, supports several taxonomic updates to the group: Argyronetidae stat. reinst., Lathyidae fam. n., and Dictynidae s.s. are included in Dictynoidea. 

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. Franklyn Cala-Riquelme for generously providing me with the complete version of this pre-print.

Montana, Katherine & Cala-Riquelme, Franklyn & Crews, Sarah & Gorneau, Jacob & Al-Jamal, Amin & Alequín, Luigie & Spagna, Joseph & Ballarin, Francesco & Esposito, Lauren. (2025). Tailor’s drawer no more: a reappraisal of the spider family Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 sensu lato. 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf007.  https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf007