Distributional Notes on Three Wolf Spider Species (Araneae: Lycosidae) Recorded for the First Time in Diyala Province, Iraq

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  Distributional Notes on Three Wolf Spider Species (Araneae: Lycosidae) Recorded for the First Time in Diyala Province, Iraq Abstract This study presents new distributional data for three wolf spider species (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Diyala Province in eastern Iraq. Specimens were gathered from different districts and habitats between July 2025 and June 2026. The species Arctosa tbilisiensis Mcheidze, 1946, Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876, and Wadicosa fidelis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) are recorded for the first time in Diyala, extending their known ranges within Iraq. The paper describes key diagnostic morphological features and includes information about the examined specimens and their local distributions. These findings improve knowledge of the distribution of Iraqi Lycosidae and reveal that Diyala Province, despite its habitat variety, remains insufficiently studied. The records serve as a valuable baseline for future taxonomic, faunistic, and ecological research on spiders i...

A new species of Oecobius and the first record of Uroctea thaleri from Saudi Arabia (Araneae: Oecobiidae)

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A new species of Oecobius and the first record of Uroctea thaleri from Saudi Arabia (Araneae: Oecobiidae)

Abstract

A spider survey in the understudied and endemic-rich Asir region of southern Saudi Arabia recorded two species of Oecobiidae. Oecobius asirensis sp. nov. is described from the mountainous highlands. The new species exhibits marked differences in the morphology of the copulatory organs compared to the generotype, suggesting it may represent a distinct genus. The copulatory organs of Oecobius marathatus are also illustrated, to which the new species is compared. Additionally, Uroctea thaleri Rheims, Santos & van Harten, 2007 is reported for the first time from Saudi Arabia.

Vicente, R. (2026) A new species of Oecobius and the first record of Uroctea thaleri from Saudi Arabia (Araneae: Oecobiidae). Zootaxa, 5837 (3), 571–580. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5837.3.9