New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby

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  New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby I am pleased to share the publication of my latest paper, “Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby: Ethical Boundaries and Biological Consequences,” in the Journal of the British Tarantula Society , Volume 41, No. 1, September 2026. The paper addresses an issue that deserves serious consideration within the tarantula community: hybridisation and its potential long-term effects on the integrity of captive lineages. More Than a Breeding Decision The tarantula hobby has changed considerably over the past several decades. What was once a relatively small community has grown into an international network of keepers, breeders, vendors, researchers, and societies. Captive breeding has contributed enormously to that growth, improving husbandry knowledge and increasing the availability of captive-bred animals. With that success comes responsibility for the lineages we maintain. Hybridisation may seem like an isolated breeding experiment,...

Arachnids of the Yoakum Dunes Wildlife Management Area

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Arachnids of the Yoakum Dunes Wildlife Management Area

Abstract

The Yoakum Dunes Wildlife Management Area (YDWMA) was established by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department in 2014. No prior surveys of the invertebrate fauna had been undertaken at the WMA. This study conducted a taxonomic survey of the arachnids in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The arachnids were sampled using a combination of pitfall trapping, sweep netting, and general collecting. Eight pitfall arrays were deployed, four in mesquite habitat and four in shinnery oak habitat. The arachnids were sampled for 1-week periods during May-August. Eight samples and eight general collecting samples were also gathered during each sampling period. A total of 28 families, 66 genera, and 101 species of arachnids in five orders were documented. All the species identified represent new records for Cochran County, Texas. A total of 49 species of spiders and two species of Solifugae are the first reports for the Southern High Plains of Texas. Notably, the following three species of spiders: Agyneta fratrella (Chamberlin 1919), Piabuna pallida Chamberlin & Ivie 1935, and Allocosa morelosiana (Gertsch & Davis 1940) are documented in Texas for the first time.

Zechariah Saavedra, W. David Sissom "Arachnids of the Yoakum Dunes Wildlife Management Area," Southwestern Entomologist, 51(2), 657-679, (5 May 2026) https://doi.org/10.3958/059.051.0221