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

Gynandry and intersexuality in spiders: half a century onwards

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Gynandry and intersexuality in spiders: half a century onwards

Abstract

A little over fifty years ago, Roberts & Parker (1973) advanced the knowledge of intersexual and gynandromorphic spiders. Those authors also provided a total of 14 categories for classifying gynandry in spiders. Eight new cases of gynandry and/or intersexuality are reported herein, in addition to a critical appraisal of all prior published literature available on this phenomenon and discussion on broader topics, such as a newly reported case of abnormal neoteny.

Acknowledgment: I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Danni Sherwood for providing the complete manuscript.

Sherwood, D., & Azarkina, G. N. (2026). Gynandry and intersexuality in spiders: half a century onwards: Gynandry and intersexuality in spiders. Acta Zoológica Lilloana, 45–93. https://doi.org/10.30550/j.azl/2287