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,...

Taxonomic revision of Akela Peckham & Peckham, 1896 (Araneae: Salticidae: Freyina), with insights into secondary spermathecae in Salticidae and coupling pocket homology in Freyina

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Taxonomic revision of Akela Peckham & Peckham, 1896 (Araneae: Salticidae: Freyina), with insights into secondary spermathecae in Salticidae and coupling pocket homology in Freyina

Abstract

The genus Akela Peckham & Peckham, 1896 is revised. Akela scaloneta Rubio, Baigorria & Stolar, 2023 is synonymized with Evophrys melanoleucus Mello-Leitão, 1944. Akela zinha Ruiz & Bustamante sp. nov. from Brazil is described based on both sexes. New records are also given for A. ruricola Galiano, 1999. After this revision, the genus is composed of four Neotropical species, plus one misplaced species from Pakistan, not treated herein. Variation in colour patterns and the morphology of epigynes within the genus is discussed. The position of secondary spermathecae is also discussed and compared throughout the Salticidae. The homology of epigynal coupling pockets within Freyina is also discussed.
Ruiz, G. R., Marta, K. S., Hagopián, D., & Bustamante, A. A. (2026). Taxonomic revision of Akela Peckham & Peckham, 1896 (Araneae: Salticidae: Freyina), with insights into secondary spermathecae in Salticidae and coupling pocket homology in Freyina. Zoologischer Anzeiger. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcz.2026.05.011