Hidden diversity in plain sight: four new species of Nemesia (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) from the Córdoba Province of Spain

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  Hidden diversity in plain sight: four new species of Nemesia (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) from the Córdoba Province of Spain Abstract A taxonomic revision of the species of Nemesia Audouin, 1826, distributed in the vicinity of Córdoba City, southern Spain, is presented. Four new species are described: Nemesia morana sp. nov. (female), N. kodama sp. nov. (male and female), N. rosae sp. nov. (male and female), and N. tamajoni sp. nov. (male and female). These species are distinguished by distinct morphological characters, including the shape of the spermathecae, palpal bulbs, and spinnerets, as well as by burrow architecture. Fieldwork was conducted across two of the three major habitat types in the region—the humid, forested mountains of Sierra Morena and the croplands and riparian forests of the Guadalquivir Valley—while the third, the “campiña”, which is mainly composed of agricultural landscapes, remains poorly explored. Sampling methods included pitfall trapping and the direct e...

Description of two new spider species from Ecuadorian caves, along with a note on the distribution of Plato troglodita Coddington, 1986 (Araneae, Theridiosomatidae)

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Description of two new spider species from Ecuadorian caves, along with a note on the distribution of Plato troglodita Coddington, 1986 (Araneae, Theridiosomatidae)

Abstract

Two new cave spider species belonging to the family Theridiosomatidae are described from the Ecuadorian Amazonian ecoregion: Plato leodani sp. nov. (male, female), and Plato shaime sp. nov. (male, female). Images of the type specimens of Plato troglodita Coddington, 1986 are included and its distribution is updated, being restricted to the type locality in Morona Santiago Province, Ecuador. Finally, the specimens identified as Plato troglodita by Prete & Brescovit (2024) are considered a misidentification.

Dupérré, N. & Tapia, E. (2025) Description of two new spider species from Ecuadorian caves, along with a note on the distribution of Plato troglodita Coddington, 1986 (Araneae, Theridiosomatidae). Zootaxa, 5719 (3), 373–386. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5719.3.5