New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby

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  New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby I am pleased to share the publication of my latest paper, “Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby: Ethical Boundaries and Biological Consequences,” in the Journal of the British Tarantula Society , Volume 41, No. 1, September 2026. The paper addresses an issue that deserves serious consideration within the tarantula community: hybridisation and its potential long-term effects on the integrity of captive lineages. More Than a Breeding Decision The tarantula hobby has changed considerably over the past several decades. What was once a relatively small community has grown into an international network of keepers, breeders, vendors, researchers, and societies. Captive breeding has contributed enormously to that growth, improving husbandry knowledge and increasing the availability of captive-bred animals. With that success comes responsibility for the lineages we maintain. Hybridisation may seem like an isolated breeding experiment,...

On the taxonomic validity of Indian ground spiders: VI. Genera Ladissa Simon, 1907, Melicymnis Simon, 1885, and Poecilochroa Westring, 1874 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae)

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On the taxonomic validity of Indian ground spiders: VI. Genera Ladissa Simon, 1907, Melicymnis Simon, 1885, and Poecilochroa Westring, 1874 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae)

Abstract

Indian species of the genera Ladissa Simon, 1907, Melicymnis Simon, 1885, and Poecilochroa Westring, 1874 are reviewed. The species Ladissa latecingulata Simon, 1907, and Melicymnis bicolor Simon, 1885 are considered as species inquirenda due to the immature stage of the types. The type locality of L. latecingulata is confirmed as in Pakistan, and its record in India is found incorrect. The following new combinations are recognised: Hitobia behni (Thorell, 1891) comb. nov., H. devendrai (Gajbe & Rane, 1985) comb. nov. and H. tikaderi (Patel, 1989) comb. nov. (all ex. Poecilochroa). Images of all the examined type specimens, and supplementary descriptions for P. barmani, H. behni comb. nov. and H. devendrai comb. nov. are presented.

Sankaran, P.M. & Caleb, J.T. (2025) On the taxonomic validity of Indian ground spiders: VI. Genera Ladissa Simon, 1907, Melicymnis Simon, 1885, and Poecilochroa Westring, 1874 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae). Zootaxa, 5673 (1), 132–142. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5673.1.9