Soil Preference and Burrow Characteristics of Two Theraphosidae Species in Penang Island, Malaysia

Posted by
  Soil Preference and Burrow Characteristics of Two Theraphosidae Species in Penang Island, Malaysia Abstract Tarantulas play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by regulating insect populations. However, little is known about the soil preferences and burrow structures of tarantulas in Malaysia. This study aims to determine the soil preference as well as the burrow structure of  Coremiocnemis cunciularia  and  Chilobrachys andersoni  from Penang Island. The soil characteristics of the soil samples collected around the burrows of  Coremiocnemis cunciularia  (n = 30) and  Chilobrachys andersoni  (n = 30) were determined using soil texture analysis. The measurements and burrow structures from adults and juveniles of  Coremiocnemis cunciularia  and  Chilobrachys andersoni  were determined. It was revealed that the moisture content and clay percentage in the soil samples around burrows of  Chilobrachys anderso...

Precision Lost with Complexity: On an Extraordinary New Species of Pholcidae (Araneae, Smeringopinae) from Western DR Congo

Posted by

 

Precision Lost with Complexity: On an Extraordinary New Species of Pholcidae (Araneae, Smeringopinae) from Western DR Congo

Abstract

A remarkable new pholcid spider species is described from the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Smeringopina polychila sp. nov. The male is distinguished by a unique and previously undocumented structure, here termed the “parachila”, which has not been observed in any other spider to date. The description is complemented by high-quality illustrations, including detailed drawings, photographs, micro-CT scans, and 3D reconstructions of the genitalia and the newly discovered male structure. Remarkable intraspecific variations, both somatic and genitalic, in males are also highlighted and discussed. A phylogenetic analysis based on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 16S ribosomal RNA and histone H3 gene fragments is presented to tentatively place the new species into an existing phylogenetic framework. The results of the molecular analyses confirm that the new species belongs to the subfamily Smeringopinae and is nested within the genus Smeringopina Kraus, 1957.

Henrard, A., Jocqué, R., Smitz, N., & Grignet, V. (2025). Precision Lost with Complexity: On an Extraordinary New Species of Pholcidae (Araneae, Smeringopinae) from Western DR Congo. Taxonomy, 5(4), 57. https://doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy5040057