In Memoriam: Arthur (Art) Decae and His Contributions to Arachnology

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  Image Credit:  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arthur-Decae  In Memoriam: Arthur (Art) Decae and His Contributions to Arachnology The arachnological community has received the sad news of the passing of Arthur (Art) Decae of the Netherlands, a long-standing member of the International Society of Arachnology (ISA) and the European Society of Arachnology (ESA). Arthur was a respected authority on mygalomorph spiders, particularly those of Europe and the Mediterranean region. His research contributed significantly to the taxonomy, diversity, distribution, and natural history of these often poorly known spiders. In announcing his passing on behalf of the ISA, Jason Dunlop extended condolences to Arthur's family, friends, and colleagues. Marco Isaia, who remained in contact with Arthur during his final year, also shared a message that Arthur had specifically asked to be passed on to the arachnological community: “I would appreciate it if you tell our spider friends and ...

First species description of Araneothrombium Mąkol, Felska and Król, 2017 (Trombidiformes: Microtrombidiidae) parasitizing spiders in Brazil

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First species description of Araneothrombium Mąkol, Felska and Król, 2017 (Trombidiformes: Microtrombidiidae) parasitizing spiders in Brazil

ABSTRACT

Microtrombidiidae is one of the most diverse families in the Parasitengona, with more than 120 genera and 400 species. The genus Araneothrombium was originally described from larvae parasitizing juvenile orchard orbweaver spiders (Tetragnathidae) in Costa Rica. To date, there are no records of microtrombidiid mites associated with Brazilian spiders. This study reports the first larval description of Araneothrombium parasitizing three different families (Araneidae, Salticidae, Sparassidae) of juvenile spiders in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Herein, a new species, Araneothrombium brasiliensis Bassini-Silva, Welbourn and Jacinavicius n. sp., is described. This discovery expands the known distribution of the genus Araneothrombium, which was previously only recorded in Costa Rica, to now also include Brazil. With this new record, the genus is confirmed to occur in at least two countries in the Neotropical region. The morphological characteristics of the new species were analysed using light and scanning electron microscopy, providing insights into its morphology.

Bassini-Silva, R., Welbourn, C., Ochoa, R., Brescovit, A. D., & de Castro Jacinavicius, F. (2025). First species description of Araneothrombium Mąkol, Felska and Król, 2017 (Trombidiformes: Microtrombidiidae) parasitizing spiders in Brazil. International Journal of Acarology, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647954.2025.2566344