New locality records and future habitat suitability of Sassanidotus gracilis (Birula, 1900) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in the Iran–Afghanistan–Pakistan arid belt

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  New locality records and future habitat suitability of Sassanidotus gracilis (Birula, 1900) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in the Iran–Afghanistan–Pakistan arid belt Abstract This study reports new locality records from Iran and a climate-based habitat suitability assessment for Sassanidotus gracilis (Birula, 1900) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in the Iran–Afghanistan–Pakistan arid belt. We document new specimens from Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, with an updated distribution map and illustrations, and we model the species' potential distribution across south-eastern Iran and adjacent parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Habitat suitability was associated mainly with precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation of the driest month, and slope. In an arid setting these rainfall variables are unlikely to indicate a need for moist habitat; they more plausibly track seasonal productivity and the terrain features that provide shelter. Present-day suitable areas...

Re-delimitation of the genus Emertonella (Araneae, Theridiidae, Hadrotarsinae) and taxonomic notes on Euryopis and Phycosoma from China

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Re-delimitation of the genus Emertonella (Araneae, Theridiidae, Hadrotarsinae) and taxonomic notes on Euryopis and Phycosoma from China

Abstract

Hadrotarsinae Thorell, 1881 is a subfamily of cobweb spiders (Theridiidae) distributed worldwide and generally regarded as specialized ant predators. The taxonomy of Hadrotarsinae is problematic due to unclear delimitation of genera, leading to likely misplacement of many species. In the current paper, we provide taxonomic amendments for Emertonella Bryant, 1945, Euryopis Menge, 1868, and Phycosoma O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1880 based on Chinese materials. Examination of Eu. deplanata Schenkel, 1936 and Em. taczanowskii (Keyserling, 1886) supports Yoshida’s concept of Emertonella and provides additional morphological evidence for refining the generic diagnosis. Accordingly, Eu. deplanata is formally transferred, with 30 additional species, from Euryopis to Emertonella, and Em. taczanowskii is redescribed. Furthermore, Physcoa mingyaoi (Yin, 2012), comb. nov. ex. Euryopis and Lasaeola stigmosum (Yin, 2012), comb. nov. ex. Phycosoma are transferred, and one new synonym is proposed, Phycosoma amamiense (Yoshida, 1985), syn. nov. = Phycosoma japonicum (Yoshida, 1985). Finally, the first descriptions of the males of Em. deplanata (Schenkel, 1936), comb. nov. and Phycosoma ripa (Zhu, 1998) are provided.

Hu C, Zhang H, Jiang M, Liu F (2026) Re-delimitation of the genus Emertonella (Araneae, Theridiidae, Hadrotarsinae) and taxonomic notes on Euryopis and Phycosoma from China. ZooKeys 1270: 285-305. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1270.175743