Remarkable micro-endemism and high congeneric richness: eight new cave-restricted species of Pseudochthonius Balzan, 1892 (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae) from the Brazilian semi-arid

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  Remarkable micro-endemism and high congeneric richness: eight new cave-restricted species of Pseudochthonius Balzan, 1892 (Pseudoscorpiones, Chthoniidae) from the Brazilian semi-arid Abstract Eight new species of pseudoscorpions belonging to the genus Pseudochthonius Balzan, 1892 are described from the semi-arid region of Brazil. Comprehensive morphological descriptions, diagnostic characters, detailed illustrations, and ecological remarks of the habitats are provided for Pseudochthonius celestialis sp. nov., P. caritas sp. nov., P. patientia sp. nov., P. temperantia sp. nov., P. diligentia sp. nov., P. castitas sp. nov., P. humilitas sp. nov., and P. benignitas sp. nov. In addition, we present a brief discussion of the potential factors underlying the remarkable congeneric species richness observed in this geographically restricted region, as well as the principal threats faced by these species. These findings underscore the importance of conserving caves in order to pr...

First catalog of spiders of Morocco (Arachnida: Araneae): A critical review of all spider species cited from Morocco with their localities

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First catalog of spiders of Morocco (Arachnida: Araneae): A critical review of all spider species cited from Morocco with their localities

Abstract

Following the recent publication of the first checklist of spiders in Morocco recorded between 1840 and 2024 (Benhalima & Bosmans 2024), the authors have cataloged all the species mentioned and supplemented this list with others published up to January 2026. The authors present the first catalog of spider species in Morocco, documenting 638 species belonging to 246 genera and 47 families including 180 endemics. According to the World Spider Catalog (2026) and the present work, 63 species are not included, 7 species of dubious origin are not omitted from the catalog. For each species, a detailed list of all localities cited in the literature is provided, along with full references. All data are examined and critically analyzed using the most recent available information.

Benhalima, S. & Bosmans, R. (2026) First catalog of spiders of Morocco (Arachnida: Araneae): A critical review of all spider species cited from Morocco with their localities. Zootaxa , 5838 (1), 1–127. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5838.1.1