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

Morphological comparison of the cephalothoracic endoskeleton of the infraorder Mygalomorphae

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Morphological comparison of the cephalothoracic endoskeleton of the infraorder Mygalomorphae

Abstract 

The morphology of dorsal apodemes and endosternites was examined in nine female spider species belonging to eight genera and five families of the infraorder Mygalomorphae in Japan. Dorsal apodemes and endosternites are endoskeletal structures in the cephalothorax that serve as attachment sites for the muscles of chelicerae, pedipalps, legs, and pedicel. Dorsal apodemes are formed by an invagination of the ectoderm, which is externally visible as the fovea, and endosternites are endodermal in origin and possess tendons in some groups, such as Mesothelae and Mygalomorphae. These tendons connect to the sternum, with their attachment sites externally recognizable as sigilla. The morphology of dorsal apodemes was classified into the following four types based on the frontal sectional shape: (1) horizontally plate-shaped, (2) longitudinally teardrop-shaped, (3) longitudinally T-shaped, and (4) longitudinally Y-shaped. The morphology of endosternites was classified into the following two types based on the number of tendons: (1) endosternites with four pairs of tendons and (2) endosternites with two pairs of tendons. This study revealed that differences in the morphology of dorsal apodemes and endosternites correspond to differences in the characteristics of the attached muscles. Moreover, the morphology of the endosternite and its associated muscle attachment patterns exhibited consistency within families and genera that included multiple observed species. Therefore, these structures may serve as fundamental taxonomic traits for establishing higher taxonomic classifications such as families and genera.

Hiroki Nagano, Morphological comparison of the cephalothoracic endoskeleton of the infraorder Mygalomorphae, Acta Arachnologica, 2026, Volume 75, Issue 1, Pages 1-23, Released on J-STAGE June 07, 2026, Online ISSN 1880-7852, Print ISSN 0001-5202, https://doi.org/10.2476/asjaa.75.1, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/asjaa/75/1/75_1/_article/-char/en