Whole-Genome sequencing of the schizomid arachnid Rowlandius potiguar Santos, Ferreira and Buzzato, 2013 from the caves of the Brazilian semiarid

Posted by
  Image Credit: CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40194191 Whole-Genome sequencing of the schizomid arachnid Rowlandius potiguar Santos, Ferreira and Buzzato, 2013 from the caves of the Brazilian semiarid Abstract Short-tailed whip scorpions (Arachnida: Schizomida) are a poorly studied group of arachnids, particularly in terms of genomic resources, despite their ecological and evolutionary relevance in subterranean environments. In this study, we present the first draft genome assembly of Rowlandius potiguar, a cave-associated species endemic to karst systems of northeastern Brazil. Genomic DNA was sequenced using Illumina paired-end technology (2 × 150 bp), and reads were assembled using a de novo assembly pipeline. The resulting genome assembly has a total length of 1.8 Gb, distributed across 1,505,104 scaffolds and 1,510,944 contigs, indicating a highly fragmented assembly. The scaffold N50 and contig N50 values were both 3.2 kb, and the GC content was ...

A new species of the trapdoor spider genus Tigidia Simon, 1892 (Araneae: Barychelidae) from the Deccan Plateau, India

Posted by

 


A new species of the trapdoor spider genus Tigidia Simon, 1892 (Araneae: Barychelidae) from the Deccan Plateau, India

Abstract

A new species of trapdoor spider, Tigidia singhal sp. nov., is described from the semi-arid grasslands of the Deccan Plateau in Maharashtra, India. Detailed morphological descriptions, measurements, and illustrations of the holotype female are provided. This discovery marks the first record of the genus Tigidia from a semi-arid, open natural ecosystem, significantly expanding its known biogeographic range beyond the evergreen and deciduous forest habitats of peninsular India. Additionally, we document natural history observations, including burrow architecture and microhabitat preferences. This find highlights the underexplored diversity of Indian mygalomorph spiders and underscores the critical need for biodiversity surveys in open natural ecosystems.

Tripathi, R., Bolde, P. & Vanak, A. T. (2026). A new species of the trapdoor spider genus Tigidia Simon, 1892 (Araneae: Barychelidae) from the Deccan Plateau, India. Arachnology 20(5): 749-752.