Tag: spiders

Inside the Hidden World of Spider-Attacking Fungi

Newly discovered groups of “zombie” fungi have been found to mummify spiders and adapt their physical forms.

Deep within the humid leaf litter of China and the dense canopies of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, a silent ambush unfolds. 

While we often think of spiders as the ultimate predators of the undergrowth, they have an arch-nemesis: araneopathogenic fungi. These “zombie” fungi are capable of parasitising spiders by hijacking their bodies and consuming them from the inside out.

Two studies published in the open-access peer-reviewed scientific journals MycoKeys and IMA Fungus, respectively, offer insight into this macabre world of spider assassins.

In Southeast Asia, researchers led by Chen-xin Chang of the Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine have identified three new species of Gibellula fungi in China and Laos, which erupt from spiders in branch-like structures: Gibellula pseudopigmentosa, Gibellula pseudosolita, and Gibellula sinensis. These species are distinguished from one another by their slight variations in sexual reproductive structures and morphology. The below figure displays morphological plates, showing the three fungi species at both a macroscopic and microscopic level – notice their unique conidial heads and spore arrangements, coloured in blue.

  • Morphologies of Gibellula pseudopigmentosa, Gibellula pseudopigmentosa, Gibellula pseudosolita, and Gibellula sinensis. Photo credit: Chang et al.

To identify new species of spider-pathogenic fungi, the research group conducted field surveys in the forest leaf of China and Laos, where they collected specimens for detailed laboratory study. A combination of traditional microscopy and modern DNA sequencing rendered the discovery possible. The fungi’s sighting in Laos is particularly significant because it provides the first formal record of the Gibellula genus in the region. 

This study – published in MycoKeys – therefore serves to fill a major distributional gap in Southeast Asia, as well as expand our understanding of the morphological diversity within this group of spider-pathogenic fungi.

Meanwhile, in Brazil, a study led by Joao Paulo Machado De Araújo of the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, published in IMA Fungus, described a new species of Purpureocillium fungus belonging to the Purpureocillium atypicola group: Purpureocillium atlanticum. This fungus specifically targets trapdoor spiders inhabiting burrows on the forest floor, where it mummifies the host in white mycelia and subsequently emerges from its cephalothorax in the form of a purple fruiting body. 

The discovery was notably featured in The Guardian, where it was placed alongside other unusual botanical and fungal discoveries compiled by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Phylogeny of hypocrealean fungi (A), highlighting the Purpureocillium atypicola complex (B) and morphology of the new species, P. atlanticum (C–G). Photo credit: Araújo et al.

Purpureocillium atypicola was originally recorded in Japan by Yasuda (1894), and was thought to be a single species found all over the world for over a century. The discovery of the Purpureocillium atlanticum in Brazil is significant because it finally confirms that Purpureocillium atypicola is actually a global complex of many unique species. 

To identify this new fungus, De Araújo’s research group used taxogenomics, a method which entailed bringing portable DNA sequencing gear directly into the Brazilian rainforest. By analysing the genetic code of the fungus and its environment immediately in the field, they were able to identify the specimen within just four days as opposed to waiting months for traditional lab results.

Both of these studies highlight the impressive diversity of spider-pathogenic fungi across distinct global environments. They additionally reveal the different evolutionary strategies of their respective species – while Purpureocillium atlanticum has adapted to infect underground trapdoor spiders by producing purple stalks to escape burrows, the Gibellula species represent the most diverse genus of spider parasites, found primarily in forest debris. 

As researchers continue to map these complex ecological networks, it becomes clear that preserving threatened biomes, including the Atlantic Forest and the jungles of Southeast Asia, is critical to expanding our knowledge in fungal taxonomy.

Original studies: 

Araújo JPM, Przelomska NAS, Smith RJ, Drechsler-Santos ER, Alves-Silva G, Martins-Cunha K, Hosoya T, Luangsa-ard JJ, Perrigo A, Repullés M, Matos-Maraví P, Woods R, Pérez-Escobar OA, Antonelli A (2025) A new species of Purpureocillium (Ophiocordycipitaceae) fungus parasitizing trapdoor spiders in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and its associated microbiome revealed through in situ “taxogenomics”. IMA Fungus 16: e168534. https://doi.org/10.3897/imafungus.16.168534

Chang C-xin, Chen H, Loinheuang C, Dai Y-dong, Wang Y (2026) Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal three new species of Gibellula (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) from spiders. MycoKeys 127: 135-154. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.127.177871

To stay up-to-date with new studies made openly available from the MycoKeys and IMA Fungus journal, subscribe to their journal newsletters via Email Alert on their journal websites, and don’t forget to follow them on social media!

Meet the Crevice Weaver: A Newly Discovered Urban Spider from Colombia

The Pikelinia floydmuraria, a new addition to the South American Pikelinia population, was observed in Colombia’s department of Tolima and is now described in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.

A team of researchers from institutions across South America have expanded scholarly knowledge of the Pikelinia spider genus, with their recent discovery of a new crevice weaver species: Pikelinia floydmuraria.

The new species name is a creative tribute to the legendary rock band Pink Floyd, while simultaneously referencing the spider’s specific habitat. “Muraria,” derived from the Latin word for “wall”, reflects the species’ tendency to reside in the walls of buildings, though indeed also alludes to the iconic Pink Floyd album, The Wall.

  • A photo of the wall were these spiders live in Armenia, Quindío. Photo credit to Leonardo Delgado-Santa.
  • Pikelinia floydmuraria, male paratype. Credit to Leonardo Delgado-Santa.

These findings are described in greater detail in the open-access journal Zoosystematics and Evolution (ZSE) and serve as a particularly important contribution to the wider study of synanthropic spiders – species that have adapted to human-created environments. Despite the ecological importance of these spiders in Colombia, research into their biology and nutritional ecology has received little attention. The discovery of the Pikelinia floydmuraria, alongside observations of additional populations in neighbouring Colombian departments, holds the potential to remedy this problem.

The species establishment

The first regional review of the genus Pikelinia was established in 1946 by the Brazilian zoologist Mello-Leitão. For decades, the genus remained obscure, with species often misidentified or “lumped” into the type genus Filistata, most commonly found in the Mediterranean region.

In 2022, however, a major study redefined Pikelinia as part of a distinct South American spider group. Pikelinia floydmuraria is the most recent addition to the genus and provides considerable insight into the dietary composition of these crevice weavers.

Skilled hunters

  • Pikelinia floydmuraria from Tolima, Female Juvenile, attacking a cockroach on the web. Credit: Julio C. González-Gómez.
  • Pikelinia floydmuraria from Tolima, Female Juvenile, attacking a cockroach on the web. Credit: Julio C. González-Gómez.

These spiders are skilled hunters, primarily feeding on insects including flies, beetles and ants. Remarkably, they are capable of taking down prey up to six times their own size and often build their webs near streetlights to catch insects attracted to the glow. The above figure provides a visual representation of the spider’s predatory behaviour in urban habitats, demonstrating its ability to prey on insects larger than itself.By keeping these insect populations under control, crevice weavers thus maintain a healthier balance in the Colombian urban environment.

The research team behind this discovery, led by Osvaldo Villarreal and Leonardo Delgado-Santa, note that Pikelinia floydmuraria only measure about 3 to 4 millimetres in length. One of their most unique internal features is found in the females, which contain reproductive organs comprising long and slender tubes that are shaped like the letter “S”. In urban environments, they can be found tucked in the cracks and crevices of building walls, with observed concentrations reaching between 20 and 30 spiders in a single square metre.

Pikelinia fasciata, female from Galapagos A. Habitus (dorsal view).  Credit: Andrea C. Roman.

The researchers further observed that Pikelinia floydmuraria is a very close relative of another species called Pikelinia fasciata, which lives in the Galapagos Islands. Despite being separated by the Pacific Ocean and Andes mountain range, the two look almost exactly alike, leaving scientists to wonder: how did such similar spiders end up so far apart? It remains a mystery as to whether these traits reflect shared ancestry or similar ecological adaptations.

Nonetheless, the two can be differentiated by the appearance of their legs, with the Colombian spider displaying solid-colours, and the Galapagos featuring darker rings by contrast. The Galapagos female spiders additionally have shorter and straighter reproductive organs in comparison to the Colombian female.

Further research needed

@pensoft.publishers

🎸🕸️ Meet the latest rock star of the #spider world: Pikelinia floydmuraria. 🕷️Recently discovered in Colombia, this species was officially named after @Pink Floyd as a tribute to both their iconic album “The Wall” and the spider’s favourite hangout: urban city walls. ➡️ Follow the link to read more about this discovery: https://zse.pensoft.net/article/175423/ ➡️Or see the blog post here: https://blog.pensoft.net/2026/04/14/meet-the-crevice-weaver-a-newly-discovered-urban-spider-from-colombia/ #arachnid #spiders #newspecies #science

♬ original sound – Pensoft Publishers

In order to better determine whether Pikelinia floydmuraria is a unique species native to Colombia, the South American researchers suggest the implementation of DNA barcoding in future studies. This will provide genetic evidence that could help map the evolutionary history of Pikelinia floydmuraria. A DNA-based dietary analysis, meanwhile, would quantify the extent to which these spiders operate as natural urban pest regulators.

Whether they are just “another web in the wall” or a relative from the Galapagos, the discovery of Pikelinia floydmuraria represents a significant advancement in our understanding of South American spider taxonomy. By identifying this new Colombian species and providing the first-ever detailed anatomical description for its relative, Pikelinia fasciata, researchers have expanded scientific knowledge of the Pikelinia genus.

Pikelinia floydmuraria may be small and “comfortably numb” to the bustle of the city, but their impact on maintaining a healthy urban ecosystem is anything but quiet.

Original source

Villarreal O, Delgado-Santa L, González-Gómez JC, Rodríguez-Castro GA, Román AC, Agudelo E, García LF (2026) Another web in the wall: A new Pikelinia Mello-Leitão, 1946 (Araneae, Filistatidae) from Colombia, with notes on its diet and description of the female genitalia of P. fasciata (Banks, 1902). Zoosystematics and Evolution 102(1): 357-366. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.102.175423

A new spider genus named after Shuqiang Li

“I am delighted that the authors have named a spider genus after me,” the ZooKeys subject editor commented.

Guest blog post by Ying Wang, Qingzhen Meng, Yuri M. Marusik and Zhiyuan Yao

A photo of a man wearing a black suit and white shirt, set against a plain white background.
Prof. Shuqiang Li

In a recent paper published in ZooKeys, a new genus of Lynx spider from China was named after the given name of ZooKeys subject editor Shuqiang Li, to honour him for his contributions in spider taxonomy. It is worth noting that from the publication of the first article on the taxonomy of Chinese spiders in 1842 by Cantor to the release of The Spiders of China by Song et al in 1999, the number of known Chinese spider species was only 2,361 through 175 years of cumulative research. In the past 25 years, spider research in China has been led by Shuqiang and his colleagues. To date, the number of Chinese spider species has exceeded 7,000, increased by 4,639 species in 25 years. These taxonomic research achievements are the result of the silent dedication of Shuqiang and his colleagues, and have laid a solid foundation for understanding and conserving China’s biodiversity.

Shuqiang is also a prolific arachnologist. By early 2025, he is author or coauthor for 2 063 new spider species, establishing him as the second most prolific arachnologist in history and one of the foremost taxonomists of the 21st century.

Not ugly but lovely: 100 ZooKeys papers on spiders co-authored by Shuqiang Li

“I am delighted that the authors have named a spider genus after me. I hold the view that taxonomy should never be underestimated. Balanced disciplinary development is the foundation of healthy scholarship, and an overemphasis on high-profile disciplines is detrimental to social progress,” Shuqiang Li commented.

Research article:

Wang Y, Meng Q, Marusik YM, Yao Z (2025) Shuqiangius gen. nov., a new genus of Oxyopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from China. ZooKeys 1261: 189-200. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1261.171511

Record-breaking success: Study on spider megacolony is the most popular article published by Pensoft

In less than a month, a paper in Subterranean Biology surpassed nearly 27,000 Pensoft studies in popularity.

Pensoft is thrilled to announce a new record in science communication: the research article “An extraordinary colonial spider community in Sulfur Cave (Albania/Greece) sustained by chemoautotrophy,” authored by István Urák et al., has achieved unprecedented publicity.

Published in the journal Subterranean Biology, the paper has become by far the most popular research article ever published across Pensoft’s scientific journal portfolio in terms of both news media coverage and overall online attention.

Issue 53 (2025) of Subterranean Biology, where the spider megacolony paper was published.

Thanks to an integration with our partners at Altmetric, we have quantifiable metrics that measure just how exceptional the attention to this article is. The paper’s Altmetric Attention Score of 2254 places it in the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric globally. For less than a month, it became more popular than nearly 27,000 research papers published by Pensoft and tracked by Altmetric.

The study was covered globally by major news outlets, reaching audiences far beyond niche scientific circles. The article garnered over 2,200 online mentions linking directly to the publication, with Altmetric tracking attention from 290 news outlets specifically. The story was featured by numerous top global news organizations, including The New York Times, BBC, The Washington Post, The Independent, Die Welt and NBC News,as well as popular science publications such as Smithsonian Magazine and Science Alert.

Beyond traditional media, the study gained significant traction on various social platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, alongside mentions on Bluesky and X.

@zekedarwinscience

A massive spider web colony in a bizarre ecosystem underneath the border of Greece and Albania #evolution #spider #animals #biology #learnontiktok

♬ original sound – Zeke Darwin

The paper details fascinating discovery from the Sulfur Cave, which sits on the border between Albania and Greece. There, the research team documented an extraordinary spider community centered around a massive communal web spanning more than 100 square meters. This giant structure, dense enough to resemble a living curtain, is home to an estimated total of over 110,000 spiders, comprised of approximately 69,000 Tegenaria domestica and 42,000 Prinerigone vagans individuals.

A video of the spider colony in Sulfur cave. Courtesy Blerina Vrenozi

Crucially, this study marks the first documented instance of colonial behavior in both of these spider species, and the first recorded case of colonial web-building in a chemoautotrophic cave environment.

This unusual coexistence, where the larger, normally predatory T. domestica does not eat the smaller P. vagans, is believed to be facilitated by the cave’s total darkness and, most importantly, the overwhelming abundance of food resources. The ecosystem is sustained entirely without sunlight through chemoautotrophy, where sulfur-oxidizing bacteria form biofilms that support invertebrates that serve as the spiders’ primary, highly dense food source. This specialized, isolated environment has also driven the evolutionary adaptation of the spiders, which are genetically distinct from their surface relatives, illustrating the remarkable genetic plasticity that emerges under extreme environmental conditions.

A man in a red jumpsuit examines a giant spider web in a dimly lit cave.
The interior of Sulfur Cave. Photo by Marek Audy

In terms of popularity, the article comes right before two studies from our flagship taxonomic journal, ZooKeys. Our second most popular article is a crustacean study titled “A new species of supergiant Bathynomus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cirolanidae) from Vietnam, with notes on the taxonomy of Bathynomus jamesi Kou, Chen & Li, 2017,” published in ZooKeys in January 2025.

The Dark Side of the ocean: New giant sea bug species named after Darth Vader

Following closely  is “Review of Neopalpa Povolný, 1998 with description of a new species from California and Baja California, Mexico (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae),” published in ZooKeys in January 2017, which describes a new moth species with a curious scientific name.

New species of moth named in honor of Donald Trump ahead of his swearing-in as president

We are proud that our journal Subterranean Biology is the platform for publishing such globally compelling research. This record success only confirms the widespread interest in high-quality, specialized scientific discoveries.

We continue our dedication to effective, high-reach science communication and look forward to sharing other compelling research with both scientists and the wider public.

A forgotten spider rediscovered after 48 Years: First record of Gnaphosa jodhpurensis in Iraq and the Middle East

Important scientific discoveries are still waiting — sometimes, right beneath our feet.

Guest blog post by Dr. Azhar M. Al-Khazali (University of Sumer, Iraq) & Tuqa A. A. Al-Mshrfawy

For nearly half a century, the ground spider Gnaphosa jodhpurensis was known only from India and China, with a doubtful mention from Pakistan. Since its original description in 1977, no photographs, morphological illustrations, or detailed documentation of this elusive species had ever been published again — until now.

Photos of two spiders displayed side by side: A) dorsal view of a reddish-brown spider with a green abdomen; B) underside view showing similar coloration and structure.
Female Gnaphosa jodhpurensis. A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view

During a biodiversity survey in southern Iraq, as part of the MSc research of my student Tuqa A. A. Al-Mshrfawy at the University of Sumer, we made an unexpected discovery. In the semi-desert landscapes of Dhi Qar Province, we collected several specimens of a ground spider that looked remarkably unfamiliar. Careful morphological examination and DNA barcoding confirmed what we could hardly believe: it was Gnaphosa jodhpurensis — a species never before recorded from Iraq, nor from any country in the entire Middle East region.

Map of Asia highlighting China, India, Pakistan, and Iraq, with geographical outlines and key locations marked.
Known distribution records of Gnaphosa jodhpurensis. Squares = previous records; circles = new records from Iraq.

Our study, now published in the journal Check List, officially reports the first record of G. jodhpurensis from Iraq and the Middle East, extending its known range by thousands of kilometers westward. The paper also provides the first-ever photographic documentation and detailed morphological description of this species since it was discovered 48 years ago.

Gnaphosa jodhpurensis, female. A. Prosoma, dorsal view. B. Same, ventral view. C. Chelicerae and mouth parts, ventral view. D. Ocular region, anterodorsal view.

This finding highlights not only the hidden biodiversity of Iraq, but also the potential for new discoveries even under modest research conditions. Despite the limited laboratory facilities and financial constraints, our determination to explore Iraq’s arachnid fauna has led to multiple scientific contributions and international publications over recent years.

We hope our work will inspire other researchers across the region to investigate the unique ecosystems of the Middle East and to recognize that important scientific discoveries are still waiting — sometimes, right beneath our feet.

Research article:

Al-Mshrfawy TAA, Al-Khazali AM (2025) First record of Gnaphosa jodhpurensis Tikader & Gajbe, 1977 (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) from Iraq and the Middle East. Check List 21(5): 902-908. https://doi.org/10.15560/21.5.902

Ecuador’s newest tarantulas: just discovered, two new species face imminent threats

In the depths of Ecuador’s wilderness, scientists have unveiled the presence of two new tarantula species from the slopes of the Andes in the western part of the country.

In the depths of Ecuador’s wilderness, scientists have unveiled the presence of two new tarantula species. Researchers of Universidad San Francisco de Quito found them on trees on the slopes of the Andes in the western part of the country.

Meet Ecuador’s newest tarantulas

One of them was found in late February 2023, 1.5 m above the forest floor in the foothill evergreen forest of the Cordillera Occidental . Just discovered, it is already seriously threatened as people use its habitat for mining and agriculture. Its scientific name reflects this vulnerability: the tarantula is called Psalmopoeus chronoarachne, from the Greek words for “time” and “spider.”

Psalmopoeus chronoarachne.

“The compound word refers to the adage that these spiders could ‘have their time counted’ or reduced by impactful anthropogenic activities. The name addresses conservation concerns about the survival and prevalence of spider species in natural environments,” they write in their paper, which was just published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

The other newly discovered tarantula has an even more curious name: Psalmopoeus satanas. “It is appropriately named because the initial individual that was collected had an attitude!” says researcher Roberto J. León-E, who first spotted it in a bamboo fence in San José de Alluriquín. The spider immediately exhibited defensive behavior; “this behavior then transformed into fleeing, where the spider made quick sporadic movements, nearly too fast to see.”

Psalmopoeus satanas.

It was the first tarantula he ever caught.

“The members of the Mygalomorphae Research Group in the Laboratory of Terrestrial Zoology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito grew very fond of this individual during its care, in spite of the individual’s bad temperament and sporadic attacks (reason for the nickname),” he writes in the paper.

The species, which can be found in in the north of the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes at about 900 m above sea level, is facing serious threats as its habitat is degraded, ever declining, and severely fragmented by cropland and mining concessions and expanding urban and agricultural territories.

Critically endangered: threats to tarantula survival

“It is important to consider that the areas in which these arthropods live are not under legal protection. The implementation of protected areas in these localities is essential to maintain the remaining population of these endangered species and to encourage research on the remaining undescribed or unknown tarantula species in the area,” says Pedro Peñaherrera-R, who led the research on these animals.

Mining concessions in Ecuador.Credit José Manuel Falcón-Reibán

This makes the region highly vulnerable to both legal and illegal mining operations that extract metals such as copper, silver, and gold, introducing pollutants to its ecosystems.

The implementation of stricter regulations and penalties for illegal mining or other extracting-related activities, including specimen smuggling, might help these species survive. Likewise, the engaging and educating of local communities about the importance of biodiversity conservation is essential to avoid further extinction.

 “We encourage future work by Ecuadorian and international researchers, organisations, and governments to effectively understand the reality about the threat of tarantula smuggling and the required conservation status of each species in the country.” Says Roberto J. León-E.

Based on initial conservation assessments, both tarantulas meet the criteria for being considered Critically Endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Overview of the ecosystem of both species. Credit Naia Andrade Hoeneisen

“It is essential to consider the potential loss of both P. chronoarachne and P. satanas and the ecological consequences that would result from their extinctions. These species may serve essential roles in the stratified micro-ecosystems in their respective areas,” the researchers write in their paper.

The dark side: illegal trade in wild tarantulas

Illegal trade in wild tarantulas as pets is also a latent threat, not only to these two species, but to Ecuadorian tarantulas in general. Many tarantula species can be found for sale online on various websites and Facebook groups. “During the writing of this article and the publication of another article, we found that a species that we described (Neischnocolus cisnerosi) is currently in the illegal pet trade!” says Pedro Peñaherrera-R.

After studying papers on wild-caught pet-trade specimens, the researchers conclude that the issue has been going on for more than 30 years in the country. “Although this series of publications encouraged research on Ecuadorian tarantulas previously ignored for centuries, they also functioned as catalysts within the exotic pet-trade hobby, aiding in obtaining these species and further encouraging people to collect undescribed species,” says Pedro Peñaherrera-R with concern.

Original source:

Peñaherrera-R. P, León-E. RJ (2023) On Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895 (Araneae, Theraphosidae) species and tarantula conservation in Ecuador. ZooKeys 1186: 185-205. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1186.108991

Not ugly but lovely: 100 ZooKeys papers on spiders co-authored by Shuqiang Li

Shuqiang has published 51 new genera and 677 new species in 100 ZooKeys papers.

Last week, on Friday, 6 October 2023, a research article entitled “One new genus and four new species of Liocranidae Simon, 1897 (Arachnida, Araneae) from China and Vietnam” by Chang Chu, Shuqiang Li, Yanbin Yao, Zhiyuan Yao was published. This is the 100th paper published in ZooKeys co-authored by Shuqiang Li, a leading spider specialist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China. Shuqiang’s first ZooKeys paper was published on December 18, 2012. Until last Friday, Shuqiang has published 51 new genera and 677 new species in 100 ZooKeys papers.

Shuqiang started his scientific career as a spider taxonomist, with his first paper on the Linyphiidae of China published in 1987, followed by a series of revisions of known Chinese and Asia spider species. To date, he has documented more than 2,000 new species.

A glimpse into new spider species published in ZooKeys by Shuqiang Li. A. Macrothele limenghuai (Macrothelidae); B. Phrynarachne dreepy (Thomisidae); C. Onomastus chenae (Salticidae); D. Asianopis liukuensis (Deinopidae); E. Ectatosticta xuanzang (Hypochilidae); F. Megaeupoa yanfengi (Salticidae); G. Chilobrachys jinchengi (Theraphosidae); H. Platythomisus xiandao (Thomisidae).

He is also a proficient professor in the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and has mentored more than 30 PhD students from China, Vietnam, and Italy, and another three M.Sc. students from Kenya and Malaysia. Most of his former Chinese PhD students have since become full professors. Shuqiang has been the Secretary of the Asian Society of Arachnology since 2012 and President of the Arachnology Society of China since 2018.

Femorbiona shenzhen, one of the new species described by Shuqiang Li and his colleagues in ZooKeys.

Many people see spiders as ugly due to their multiple legs, hairy bodies, and sometimes venomous fangs, but this appearance serves a purpose in their survival and adaptation to their environment. “Spiders are lovely animals”, Shuqiang said to us. He focuses mostly on fine spider structures. For example, he used spider copulatory organs (male palp and female epigyne) to study species taxonomy. “Interspecies mating is not easy due to difference in copulatory organs,” he says. He and his team members are also focusing on the origin of spider organs.

Follow ZooKeys on Facebook and X.

The Venom Spider: new genus named after Tom Hardy’s Marvel character

Researchers referenced the British actor and Spider-Man villain due the unusual pattern on the Australian arachnid’s abdomen.

Venomius tomhardyi pictured next to an illustration of Tom Hardy’s Venom character.
Photo by Rossi et al. Illustration by Zeeshano0 via Pixabay.

Tom Hardy and his Marvel character Venom have given their names to a newly discovered Australian spider. The genus Venomius and its only current species Venomius tomhardyi were described following an expedition to Tasmania.

Scientists MSc Giullia Rossi, Dr Pedro Castanheira and Dr Volker Framenau from Murdoch University ( Perth, Australia) partnered with Dr Renner Baptista from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to describe the new genus of orb-weaving spiders published in the open access journal Evolutionary Systematics.

Tom Hardy portrays Eddie Brock and his alter-ego Venom, an antihero closely associated with Spider-Man, across two Marvel films and gives his name to the sole species of the new genus. The distinctive black spots on the arachnid’s abdomen reminded the scientists of Venom’s head, inspiring them to select the unusual name.

Annotated image showing five angles of a spider.
Venomius tomhardyi male holotype. Scale bars: 2 mm (A, B); 0.2 mm (C–E).
Photos by Rossi et al.

The genus belongs to the Araneidae family of spiders, or Araneae, that build upright circular webs to capture prey. Despite resembling the related genus Phonognatha as both do not have tubercles on the abdomen, the newly described spiders are distinct in their behaviour of creating silk-lined holes in the branches of trees for shelter, as well as their different genitalia.

The holotype of the new species was discovered and subsequently preserved at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery following an expedition to Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

“This is part of a long-term research that aims to document the entire Australian spider fauna, which will be of extreme importance for conservation management plans and the continuation of the decadal plan for taxonomy and biosystematics in Australia and New Zealand.”

Dr. Pedro Castanheira, contributing author.
Distribution records of Venomius tomhardyi.
Image by Rossi et al.

Researchers also sourced supplementary specimens from scientific arachnology collections, with researchers examining approximately 12,000 records in Australian and overseas institutions.

“It is really important to keep describing new spiders to assess the total biodiversity of these predators in Australia,” added the study’s first author MSc Giullia Rossi.

***

Original source:

Rossi GF, Castanheira PS, Baptista RLC, Framenau VW (2023) Venomius, a new monotypic genus of Australian orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Araneidae). Evolutionary Systematics 7(2): 285-292. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.7.110022

***

Follow the Evolutionary Systematics journal on Twitter and Facebook.

Persian Gold Tarantula: a new species from Iran for Tarantula Appreciation Day 2023

Its “woolly, golden hairs” were one of the features so unique it was not necessary for additional individuals to be collected

Guest blog post by Dr Alireza Zamani (@Arachno_AZ)

In the latest issue (1174th) of the scientific open-access journal ZooKeys, you can find our paper describing a new species of tarantula (family Theraphosidae) found in northwestern Iran. 

This species belongs to Chaetopelma, a relatively small genus, distributed in Crete, Sudan, and the Middle East, and one of the only two tarantula genera inhabiting the Mediterranean region. 

Our discovery is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it marks the first record of this genus in Iran and the third known species of tarantulas in this country. Additionally, it extends the known range of Chaetopelma spiders by almost 350 km eastwards. 

We named this species Chaetopelma persianum, paying homage to its occurrence in Iran, which has historically been known as Persia. As a potential common name, we suggest “Persian Gold Tarantula”, where we are also making a reference to the “woolly, golden hairs’’ on its carapace.

The newly described tarantula species (Chaetopelma persianum) seen in a defensive posture.
Photo by Kari Kaunisto. 

For the purpose of our study, we only had one specimen: a female with a leg span of almost 9 cm, available. Yet, its distinct characteristics allowed us to confidently differentiate it from other known Chaetopelma species. 

This tarantula is an obligate burrower and inhabits high elevations in well-vegetated mountainous regions of the northern Zagros Mountains. The holotype specimen was collected from a self-made ground burrow on sloped rocky ground, amidst sparse low vegetation and grasses. 

It all started with local nature enthusiast Mehdi Gavahyan, who photographed a wandering male and sent me the photo. When I figured it was most likely an undescribed species, I asked him to team up with Amir Hossein Aghaei, a nature enthusiast and a friend of mine, and send me specimens of these spiders for further examination. Unfortunately, they only managed to collect that one female. However, it turned out to be enough for us to describe the Persian Gold Tarantula!

Additionally, thanks to local citizen scientists and naturalists, we later also got hold of photos of another two males of the same genus, taken very close to the type locality of the new species: one in Sardasht in West Azerbaijan Province of Iran, and the other in the surroundings of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq. While it is highly probable that both these males belong to Ch. persianum, this cannot be confirmed until further examination of collected material from both sexes is conducted.

Burrow of Persian Gold Tarantulas in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. The arrow in the photo on the right indicates the location of the burrow. Photos by Amir Hossein Aghaei.

During our research, we also noted that one species of Chaetopelma described from Cameroon is misclassified and should be transferred to another genus. However, this transfer is pending until the type material undergoes examination.

Looking ahead, we believe that more comprehensive investigations employing integrative methods would greatly benefit the taxonomy of Chaetopelma. 

Habitat of the newly described Persian Gold Tarantula (Chaetopelma persianum) in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran.
Photo by Amir Hossein Aghaei.

For example, Ch. olivaceum, a species with seven junior synonyms and one of the broadest ranges within the entire family, covering an area of approximately 1,493,978 km2, might potentially have cryptic species within its range. Moreover, the disjunct distribution of Ch. olivaceum in Turkey, where it occurs both in the southern regions and as far north as Istanbul, raises the possibility of distinct species status for the latter population, which is geographically isolated from the rest of the recorded occurrences. Integrative studies incorporating molecular data could offer insights into this. 

Additionally, further collection efforts in lesser-sampled or completely unexplored regions, such as Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, eastern Turkey and western Iran, could lead to the discovery of additional Chaetopelma species or records. These findings would be instrumental in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the taxonomy and distribution of this genus.

Research paper:

Zamani A, West RC (2023) A new species of Chaetopelma Ausserer, 1871 (Araneae, Theraphosidae) from Iran. ZooKeys 1174: 75-84. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1174.109135 

***

Follow the work by Alireza @Arachno_AZ on Twitter.

Don’t forget to also keep up-to-date with the latest publications in ZooKeys by following the journal on Twitter and Facebook.

You can also sign up for the journal newsletter from the ZooKeys homepage.

From Down Under to Underground: surprising daddy long-legs spiders discovered in Australia and Réunion

Both spiders were named after mythical underground creatures. The study was published in the journal Subterranean Biology.

Australia’s rich and diverse fauna never fails to surprise us, as a new spider species has been documented from the continent.

The novel species, a blind daddy long-legs, was found in boreholes in the arid Pilbara of Western Australia. It is the first cave-adapted daddy long-legs spider reported from the continent, with other blind species of its genus so far only found in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

Belisana coblynau, male.

“It represents a subfamily that was previously thought to be restricted to the tropical north and east of the continent,” says Bernhard Huber, one of the authors of a recent study published in the journal Subterranean Biology.

“The new species suggests that these spiders were widely distributed in Australia before the continent’s aridification in the last tens of millions of years,” he adds.

Together with it, another extraordinary daddy long-legs species was described as new-to-science from Réunion island. It was collected in the Grotte de La Tortue, a 300,000-year-old lava tube. Its closest known relatives are in eastern Africa, which begs the question how the species reached the island.

Grotte de La Tortue
Grotte de La Tortue
Grotte de La Tortue. Photos by Credit T. Percheron

The researchers believe its ground-dwelling ancestor arrived to Réunion “relatively recently and by highly accidental means (such as rafts or storms)” but adapted quickly to subterranean life.

“If our generic assignment is correct, then the ancestor of Buitinga ifrit must have reached Réunion from East Africa within the last few million years,” they write in their paper.

Buitinga ifrit, male.

Curiously, both spiders were named after mythical underground dwellers: Belisana coblynau,after “the mythical gnome-like creatures that are said to haunt mines and quarries,” and Buitinga ifrit, after “a demon in Islamic mythology that is often associated with the underworld.”

Original source:

Huber BA, Meng G, Clark HL, Cazanove G (2023) First blind daddy long-legs spiders from Australia and Réunion (Araneae, Pholcidae). Subterranean Biology 46: 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.46.105798

Follow Subterranean Biology on social media:

facebook
twitter