Hidden diversity in plain sight: four new species of Nemesia (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) from the Córdoba Province of Spain

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  Hidden diversity in plain sight: four new species of Nemesia (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) from the Córdoba Province of Spain Abstract A taxonomic revision of the species of Nemesia Audouin, 1826, distributed in the vicinity of Córdoba City, southern Spain, is presented. Four new species are described: Nemesia morana sp. nov. (female), N. kodama sp. nov. (male and female), N. rosae sp. nov. (male and female), and N. tamajoni sp. nov. (male and female). These species are distinguished by distinct morphological characters, including the shape of the spermathecae, palpal bulbs, and spinnerets, as well as by burrow architecture. Fieldwork was conducted across two of the three major habitat types in the region—the humid, forested mountains of Sierra Morena and the croplands and riparian forests of the Guadalquivir Valley—while the third, the “campiña”, which is mainly composed of agricultural landscapes, remains poorly explored. Sampling methods included pitfall trapping and the direct e...

On the actual identity of the genus Castianeira Keyserling, 1879 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae): the type species and its relatives

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On the actual identity of the genus Castianeira Keyserling, 1879 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae): the type species and its relatives

Abstract

The identity of the type species of Castianeira Keyserling, 1879 is clarified, enabling a diagnosis of Castianeira sensu stricto, which comprises four species from northern South America and Panama. The type species, C. rubicunda Keyserling, 1879, is recorded from Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama, with the specimens from Barro Colorado Island (Panama) having previously been misidentified as C. memnonia (C. L. Koch, 1841). Based on photographs of the holotype of the later species, it is transferred to Mazax O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 and recognized as the senior synonym of M. mokana Silva-Junior, Martínez, Villarreal & Bonaldo, 2024 syn. nov.. Since M. memnonia comb. nov. is the type species of Thargalia Karsch, 1880, Thargalia is removed from the synonymy of Castianeira and treated as a synonym of Mazax, as a nomen oblitum, while Mazax is declared a nomen protectum under the provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Three new species are described: Castianeira leda sp. nov. (♂) and C. pollux sp. nov. (♂♀), both from Colombia, Peru, and Brazil, and C. castor sp. nov. (♂♀) from Venezuela and Brazil.

Silva-Junior, C.J. & Bonaldo, A.B. (2026) On the actual identity of the genus Castianeira Keyserling, 1879 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae): the type species and its relatives. Zootaxa, 5763 (1), 39–68. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5763.1.2