Passive transponder implantation in Theraphosidae: A tool for traceability and conservation

Posted by
  Passive transponder implantation in Theraphosidae: A tool for traceability and conservation Abstract Illegal wildlife trade represents a major global threat to biodiversity, with tarantulas among the most heavily trafficked invertebrate groups due to increasing demand in the international pet market, highlighting the urgent need for effective regulatory frameworks and reliable specimen-level traceability systems to distinguish legally bred individuals from illegally sourced ones. Individual identification is essential to support legal trade, strengthen enforcement mechanisms and reduce illegal trafficking; therefore, this study evaluated the feasibility and safety of passive integrated transponder microchip (PIT TAG) implantation for individual identification in multiple tarantula species under controlled laboratory conditions. Post-implantation parameters assessed included anaesthesia recovery time, feeding behaviour, ecdysis frequency, PIT TAG retention across successive moults...

Rhysida longipes (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), an unusual prey of Physocyclus globosus (Araneae: Pholcidae)

Posted by

 


Rhysida longipes (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), an unusual prey of Physocyclus globosus (Araneae: Pholcidae)

Abstract

A very young centipede Rhysida longipes (Newport, 1845), approximately 12 mm in total length, is recorded as prey of the synanthropic common spider Physocyclus globosus (Tackzanowski, 1874). The episode was observed into an urban residence in San Antonio de los Baños, Artemisa Province, Cuba. In Cuba this is the first time that a spider is recorded preying upon a centipede.

Acknowledgment: I extend my sincere gratitude to Luis F. De Armas for kindly providing me with the complete paper. ¡Enhorabuena, Luis!

ARMAS, L. F. DE 2025. Rhysida longipes (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), an unusual prey of Physocyclus globosus (Araneae: Pholcidae). Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa, 77: 86–87.