The pholcid spiders of Tunisia (Araneae: Pholcidae): new species, new records, and deep COI divergence in Holocnemus reini

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  The pholcid spiders of Tunisia (Araneae: Pholcidae): new species, new records, and deep COI divergence in Holocnemus reini Abstract Tunisia features a rapid transition between Mediterranean and Saharan biogeographical zones, resulting in a high degree of environmental heterogeneity. Despite this ecological diversity, Tunisian spiders have received limited attention compared to those of neighboring Maghreb countries. Here we combine the results of recent collections in Tunisia focusing on Pholcidae with a comprehensive review of previously published information, resulting in a total of six genera and eleven species. We present first records of the genera Micropholcus Deeleman-Reinhold & Prinsen, 1987 and Spermophorides Wunderlich, 1992 for Tunisia, represented by four new species: M. kahinae Huber sp. nov., M. echebbii Huber sp. nov., S. nabilae Huber & Kmira sp. nov., S. bchirae Huber sp. nov.; in addition, we redescribe S. huberti (Senglet, 1973) from Tunisian specimens,...

The diversity and distribution of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus, Nanded, Maharashtra, India

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The diversity and distribution of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus, Nanded, Maharashtra, India

Abstract
Spiders are one of the key species of the terrestrial ecosystems. The present investigation describes the diversity and distributional patterns of spider fauna within the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus region of the Nanded district, Maharashtra, India. From the 12 different families, 21 species of spider were identified. The most common taxa in the research region were Araneidae and Lycosidae, which also showed the highest levels of taxonomic diversity and the distribution of species was significantly impacted by habitat heterogeneity; ground-dwelling species were more common in grassland habitats, but web-building and leaping spiders were more common in shrub, garden, and human-modified environments. Several ecologically significant taxa, including Neoscona species, Pardosa pseudoannulata, and Oxyopes javanus, which are recognised natural adversaries of agricultural insect pests, are included in the documented assemblage. During the monsoon season diversity of spiders was high (19 species; 90.5%), followed by winter (15 species; 71.4%) and summer (13 species; 61.9%). Spider communities in the studied area are significantly influenced by seasonal climatic circumstances. Through establishing a crucial baseline to guide future conservation tactics and ecological management frameworks, this study offers a more thorough understanding of the regional arachnid biodiversity.

Jadhav, Mahesh. (2026). The diversity and distribution of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University Campus, Nanded, Maharashtra, India. International Journal of Entomology Research. 11. 233-238.