The largest fossil of the segmented spider Parvithele muelleri Wunderlich, 2017 (Mesothelae: Parvithelidae) from Cretaceous Burmese amber

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  The largest fossil of the segmented spider Parvithele muelleri Wunderlich, 2017 (Mesothelae: Parvithelidae) from Cretaceous Burmese amber Abstract A new specimen of the fossil spider Parvithele muelleri Wunderlich, 2017 (Araneae: Mesothelae) is described from the mid-Cretaceous (ca. 99 Ma) Burmese amber of Myanmar. Like the original holotype, the new specimen is a mature male, which clearly preserves a series of tibial macrospines, similar to the condition in the extant genus Liphistius Schiødte, 1849. Given that the single extant mesothele family, Liphistiidae, is predicted to have radiated ca. 39–58 million years ago, the occurrence of somewhat modern-looking male pedipalp spination in older fossil mesotheles is of considerable interest. The new specimen also shows spinnerets in a relatively posterior position, although variability observed in extant species suggests that this trait may be of limited systematic value. Of particular note is the presence of a large and well-dev...

Spiders in a Growing City: New Country and Regional Records of Spiders (Araneae) from Tbilisi, Georgia

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Spiders in a Growing City: New Country and Regional Records of Spiders (Araneae) from Tbilisi, Georgia

Abstract

The spider fauna of Tbilisi was systematically documented in the early 2000s, when 252 species were recorded from the city and its surroundings. Despite a rapid urban expansion over the past two decades, subsequent studies have increased this number to 371 species. In the present study, we provide the first Georgian records of Tolokonniella stigmatisata (Menge, 1869) (Lathyidae) and Scotargus pilosus Simon, 1913 (Linyphiidae), and record Drassodes serratichelis (Roewer, 1928) (Gnaphosidae) in the Caucasus region for the first time, all based on specimens collected in Tbilisi.

Seropian A, Bulbulashvili N, Egidunashvili V (2026) Spiders in a Growing City: New Country and Regional Records of Spiders (Araneae) from Tbilisi, Georgia. Caucasiana 5: 31-39. https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.5.e189638