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

First Record of the Orb-Web Spider Species Argiope sector (Forsskål, 1776) (Araneae: Araneidae) from India

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First Record of the Orb-Web Spider Species Argiope sector (Forsskål, 1776) (Araneae: Araneidae) from India

Abstract

The species Argiope sector (Forsskål, 1776) is reported for the first time from India. A brief morphological description and photographic illustrations of the female habitus and copulatory organs are provided, along with a map of its current distribution.

Subhash I. Parmar, Dhruv A. Prajapati, Pranav J. Pandya "First Record of the Orb-Web Spider Species Argiope sector (Forsskål, 1776) (Araneae: Araneidae) from India," Entomological News, 133(2), 120-124, (15 March 2026) https://doi.org/10.3157/021.133.0203