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

New records of Segestria florentina from Germany with observations on somatic and genitalic differences in juveniles and adults compared to S. bavarica (Araneae: Segestriidae)

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New records of Segestria florentina from Germany with observations on somatic and genitalic differences in juveniles and adults compared to S. bavarica (Araneae: Segestriidae)

Abstract

New records of the large tube web spider Segestria florentina (Rossi, 1790) from Essen in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany are presented. Genital characteristics of specimens from Germany are compared with those of the native Segestria bavarica C. L. Koch, 1843. For differentiation of juveniles of the two species, characteristics of the leg spination and opisthosomal colouration are described.

Lauterbach, S., & Imbusch, G. (2026). New records of Segestria florentina from Germany with observations on somatic and genitalic differences in juveniles and adults compared to S. bavarica (Araneae: Segestriidae). Arachnologische Mitteilungen / Arachnology Letters, 71, 14–22. https://doi.org/10.30963/aramit7104