First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae

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  First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae Abstract Flies of the genus Megaselia Rondani, 1856 exhibit exceptional ecological flexibility, with certain species acting as facultative parasites. This study presents the first documented cases of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) infesting captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae, Ceratogyrus darlingi Pocock, 1897 and Psalmopoeus irminia Saager, 1994) in terrarium settings. Our observations demonstrate that M . abdita colonise artificial habitats and exploit spider hosts similarly to Megaselia scalaris . Citation: Szymański, D.M., Szymański, D., Kłonowski, P. (2026). First record of Megaselia abdita (Schmitz, 1959) (Diptera: Phoridae) infestation in captive tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Dipteron, 42, 25-29. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23137389

On the sympatric spiders from the Baja California Peninsula: Descriptions of the males of Syspira longipes Simon and S. tigrina Simon (Araneae: Miturgidae), with new synonyms

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On the sympatric spiders from the Baja California Peninsula: Descriptions of the males of Syspira longipes Simon and S. tigrina Simon (Araneae: Miturgidae), with new synonyms

Abstract

The spider species Syspira longipes Simon, 1895 and Syspira tigrina Simon, 1895 (family Miturgidae) from the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico have their males described for the first time, and the females redescribed. The descriptions are based on morphological and ultra morphological data under Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, Syspira analytica Chamberlin, 1924 and Syspira synthetica Chamberlin, 1924 are formally synonymized with S. tigrina. Syspira eclectica Chamberlin, 1924 is also synonymized with S. longipes.

Valdez-Mondragón, A., Jiménez, M.L. & Palacios-Cardiel, C. (2025) On the sympatric spiders from the Baja California Peninsula: Descriptions of the males of Syspira longipes Simon and S. tigrina Simon (Araneae: Miturgidae), with new synonyms. Zootaxa, 5722 (3), 301–325. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5722.3.1