Distributional Notes on Three Wolf Spider Species (Araneae: Lycosidae) Recorded for the First Time in Diyala Province, Iraq

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  Distributional Notes on Three Wolf Spider Species (Araneae: Lycosidae) Recorded for the First Time in Diyala Province, Iraq Abstract This study presents new distributional data for three wolf spider species (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Diyala Province in eastern Iraq. Specimens were gathered from different districts and habitats between July 2025 and June 2026. The species Arctosa tbilisiensis Mcheidze, 1946, Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876, and Wadicosa fidelis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) are recorded for the first time in Diyala, extending their known ranges within Iraq. The paper describes key diagnostic morphological features and includes information about the examined specimens and their local distributions. These findings improve knowledge of the distribution of Iraqi Lycosidae and reveal that Diyala Province, despite its habitat variety, remains insufficiently studied. The records serve as a valuable baseline for future taxonomic, faunistic, and ecological research on spiders i...

Four species of Zoica Simon, 1898 from Asia (Araneae, Lycosidae)

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Four species of Zoica Simon, 1898 from Asia (Araneae, Lycosidae)

Abstract

Three new species of the wolf spider genus Zoica Simon, 1898 are described from eastern and southeastern parts of Asia: Zoica dulong Lu, Zhang & Wang, sp. nov. (Yunnan, ♂♀) and Z. medogensis Lu, Zhang & Wang, sp. nov. (Xizang, ♂♀) from China and Z. thailandica Lu, Zhang & Wang, sp. nov. (Ratchaburi, ♂♀) from Thailand. The male of Z. oculata Buchar, 1997 (Xizang) is described here for the first time, and the first record of the species from China is reported. Descriptions and photographs of all the species are provided.

Lu J-Z, Marusik YM, Zhang Z-S, Wang L-Y (2025) Four species of Zoica Simon, 1898 from Asia (Araneae, Lycosidae). ZooKeys 1249: 371-385. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1249.152933