Big Spider, Big Genome: Chromosome-level genome of a North American tarantula (Aphonopelma marxi) and comparative genomics across 300 million years of spider evolution

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  Image Credit: WikiCommons Big Spider, Big Genome: Chromosome-level genome of a North American tarantula (Aphonopelma marxi) and comparative genomics across 300 million years of spider evolution Abstract The comparison of chromosome-level genomes allows biologists to investigate new axes of organismal evolution. Spiders comprise a significant proportion of known arachnid diversity, with many complex morphologies and unique natural histories, yet comparative genomics in spiders has been limited due to the number of available genomes. We present a de novo chromosomal reference genome of a mature male tarantula, Aphonopelma marxi, and comparatively examine spider genome evolution across the Order Araneae. Using PacBio HiFi and Hi-C sequencing, the final 6.5 Gb assembly consists of 17 autosomes, 1 X chromosome, and 127 unplaced scaffolds, with an N50 of 370 Mb and Arachnida (odb10; 2934 genes) BUSCO of 96.7%. By comparing 20 additional spider genomes from 15 families, we find mygalomo...

Contributions to the knowledge of trapdoor spiders: descriptions of Iberesia melici sp. nov., the female of Nemesia dukagjinica Geci & Sherwood, 2025, and new distribution records of some other European nemesiids (Araneae: Nemesiidae)

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Contributions to the knowledge of trapdoor spiders: descriptions of Iberesia melici sp. nov., the female of Nemesia dukagjinica Geci & Sherwood, 2025, and new distribution records of some other European nemesiids (Araneae: Nemesiidae)

Abstract
A new species, Iberesia melici sp. nov., is described from Santa Fé de Montseny, Catalonia, Spain, based on a holotype male; the female of Nemesia dukagjinica Geci & Sherwood, 2025, from Kosovo, is described for the first time. Finally, faunistic data are presented for some specimens of four assorted nemesiids: Brachythele denieri (Simon, 1916), B. media Kulczyński, 1897, Iberesia machadoi Decae & Cardoso, 2006, and Nemesia has tensis Decae, Pantini & Isaia, 2015.

Geci, Donard & Sherwood, Danniella. (2025). Contributions to the knowledge of trapdoor spiders: descriptions of Iberesia melici sp. nov., the female of Nemesia dukagjinica Geci & Sherwood, 2025, and new distribution records of some other European nemesiids (Araneae: Nemesiidae). Arachnology. 20. 485-490.