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

A taxonomic study on eight species of the Ovia (Araneae, Lycosidae) from China

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A taxonomic study on eight species of the Ovia (Araneae, Lycosidae) from China

Abstract

Eight species of the genus Ovia are recorded from China, including five new species: O. chayu sp. nov. (♂♀, Xizang, China), O. dawai sp. nov. (♂♀, Xizang, China), O. dulong sp. nov. (♂♀, Yunnan, China), O. medog sp. nov. (♂♀, Xizang, China) and O. separata sp. nov. (♂♀, Guangdong and Yunnan, China). Additionally, the definition and distribution range of O. alboannulata (Yin, Peng, Xie, Bao & Wang, 1997) and O. procurva (Yu & Song, 1988) are provided. Detailed species descriptions, morphological photos, illustrations of copulatory organs, and a distribution map of the genus are presented.

Xu Y-Q, Wang L-Y, Zhang Z-S (2026) A taxonomic study on eight species of the Ovia (Araneae, Lycosidae) from China. Zoosystematics and Evolution 102(3): 731-750. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.188856