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

A further study on the wolf spider genus Hippasa Simon, 1885 from East Asia, with the description of a genus (Araneae: Lycosidae)

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A further study on the wolf spider genus Hippasa Simon, 1885 from East Asia, with the description of a genus (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Abstract

Three new species of Hippasa are described from China and adjacent regions of Thailand and Vietnam: H. modog sp. nov. (♂♀, Xizang, China), H. pulmoniformis sp. nov. (♂♀, Guangxi, China, and Hải Phòng Province, Vietnam), and H. thailandica sp. nov. (♂♀, Suan Phueng, Thailand). A new genus, Pandacosa gen. nov., is established to accommodate Hippasa bifasciata Buchar, 1997 (previously known only from females in Bhutan). The male of Pandacosa bifasciata (Buchar, 1997) comb. nov. is described for the first time based on specimens from Yunnan, China. A distribution map for all treated species is provided.

Wang, L.-Y., Li, S., Marusik, Y.M. & Zhang, Z.-S. (2026) A further study on the wolf spider genus Hippasa Simon, 1885 from East Asia, with the description of a genus (Araneae: Lycosidae). Zootaxa, 5750 (2), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5750.2.2