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

An eyeless new species of Monoblemma Gertsch, 1941 (Araneae: Tetrablemmidae) from Venezuela, with a new record of the single-eyed Monoblemma unicum Gertsch, 1941 from the Dominican Republic

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An eyeless new species of Monoblemma Gertsch, 1941 (Araneae: Tetrablemmidae) from Venezuela, with a new record of the single-eyed Monoblemma unicum Gertsch, 1941 from the Dominican Republic

The genus Monoblemma Gertsch, 1941 was recently revised by Martínez (2025) and currently comprises four species, mainly distributed in the Caribbean (World Spider Catalog 2026). Species of the genus exhibit remarkable variation in eye number, ranging from completely eyeless forms, such as Monoblemma becki Brignoli, 1978, to a single-eyed condition, with the eye positioned at the margin of the clypeal declivity in M. unicum Gertsch, 1941, and to four-eyed species, such as M. cambridgei (Bryant, 1940) and M. cubaense Martínez, 2025. In the original description of M. unicum, Gertsch (1941) noted that, because only a single specimen was available, the presence of one median eye might represent an abnormal condition. However, he also suggested that its median position and apparently normal development indicated that it was likely a constant feature of the species, probably resulting from the fusion of the anterior eyes present in species with two or four eyes. The discovery of a second specimen of Monoblemma unicum from the Dominican Republic exhibiting the same ocular condition confirms Gertsch’s hypothesis and supports the interpretation of the single eye as a stable, species-specific character. Additionally, a new eyeless species from Sucre, Venezuela is described based on both sexes, representing the second eyeless species in the genus. An updated distribution map and an identification key to all species of the genus are also provided.

 Martínez, L. (2026) An eyeless new species of Monoblemma Gertsch, 1941 (Araneae: Tetrablemmidae) from Venezuela, with a new record of the single-eyed Monoblemma unicum Gertsch, 1941 from the Dominican Republic. Zootaxa, 5787 (2), 394–400. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.12