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 survey of theridiosomatid spiders (Araneae: Theridiosomatidae) from Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve, China

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On the survey of theridiosomatid spiders (Araneae: Theridiosomatidae) from Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve, China

Abstract

Three species of the spider family Theridiosomatidae Simon, 1881 were identified from Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, China, and are presented here. They are Ogulnius barbandrewsi Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009 (new provincial record), and two new species herein described based on males and females: Theridiosoma subdiwang sp. nov. and T. xiaoshuiense sp. nov. Photos of all three species, along with diagnoses and descriptions of the two new species are provided.

Hu, C., Liu, J. & Xu, X. (2026) On the survey of theridiosomatid spiders (Araneae: Theridiosomatidae) from Qizimeishan National Nature Reserve, China. Zootaxa, 5757 (1), 53–66. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5757.1.4