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 new species of Theridion Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae, Theridiidae) from Ganjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, southern China

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A new species of Theridion Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae, Theridiidae) from Ganjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, southern China

Abstract

Background

The genus Theridion Walckenaer, 1805 comprises 577 species, distributed all over the world and it is common in habitat species, such as grasses, barks and deciduous layers.

New information

A new cobweb species, Theridion ganjiangyuan Zhou, sp. nov., is described from the Ganjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, in Jiangxi Province, China. A detailed description, diagnosis, illustrations and a distribution map of the new species are provided.


Tan M, Xu K, Zhou G (2026) A new species of Theridion Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae, Theridiidae) from Ganjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, southern China. Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e182063. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e182063