Based on several small collections, new taxonomic and faunistic data on spiders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Lebanon are presented. Six species are described as new to science: Dorceus saif Szűts & Zamani, sp. nov. (♂; Saudi Arabia), Loureedia melanconi Szűts & Zamani, sp. nov. (♂; Saudi Arabia) (both Eresidae), Leptopilos hajarensis Zamani & Marusik, sp. nov. (♀; UAE), Synaphosus dulcicola Zamani & Marusik, sp. nov. (♀; UAE) (both Gnaphosidae), Arctosa formosa Zamani & Marusik, sp. nov. (♂♀; UAE) (Lycosidae), and Prodidomus emiratus Zamani & Marusik, sp. nov. (♀; UAE) (Prodidomidae). In addition, the previously unknown male of Trichothyse golan (Levy, 1999) (Gnaphosidae) is illustrated and described. Finally, one new family record, 16 new generic records and 22 new species records are documented, and the previous record of Sahastata infuscata (Kulczyński, 1901) (Filistatidae) from Yemen is rejected.

Equine piroplasmosis, caused by Theileria equi, T. haneyi and Babesia caballi, significantly impacts on the veterinary and economic aspects of the global horse industry. However, many countries, including Vietnam, have not yet conducted epidemiological surveys to determine the prevalence of these haemoparasites. This study aimed to detect T. equi and/or B. caballi infections in horses and to identify their genotypes. Blood samples were collected from 154 apparently healthy horses in eight districts of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, and Son La provinces located in the northern part of the country. Twenty-four horses (15.58

This study represents the first step toward a systematic revision of the velvet spider genus Eresus Walckenaer, 1805 in the Caucasus. Here, Eresus transcaucasicus sp. nov. is described using an integrative approach, based on male specimens collected from the South Caucasus. The species was previously reported as E. kollari Rossi, 1846 from Armenia and as Eresus sp. from Georgia. Intraspecific variations in both coloration patterns and conductor shape, which have been rarely documented in this genus, are illustrated. The validity of previous records of E. kollari in the region is discussed.

While between-habitat comparisons are commonplace in ecology, we know very little about the changes among species assemblages within habitats. Here we aimed to examine within-habitat processes in spider assemblages across three elevations in tropical forests, using a design tailored both geographically and methodologically for this purpose. We hypothesised greater within-habitat beta TD (caused by lower connectivity), decreasing body sizes (because of lower temperatures) and less frequent ballooning (due to greater isolation) with increasing elevation. We collected spiders at five within-habitat (horizontal) distances at each elevation in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, applying standardised protocols. We assessed differences among assemblages using taxonomic and functional beta-diversity measures and their components. We applied PerMANOVAs to test for different beta between elevations, PERMDISP to evaluate within-habitat variability, exponential and power-law models to examine within-habitat distance-decay, and community weighted values of traits to capture functional patterns for each trait. As predicted, within-habitat beta TD was greater at higher elevations, with stronger distance-decay relationships (taxonomic and functional). Also, as predicted, high elevation assemblages appeared to show smaller body sizes and lower ballooning frequency. Our results demonstrate the uniqueness of mountain assemblages and that the Udzungwa Mountains, as well as other mountainous areas, should receive increasing conservation attention, as they provide unmissable opportunities to conserve, through small additions or connections, countless small-range or habitat-restricted endemic species.

Parasteatoda tabulata (Levi, 1980) (Araneae: Theridiidae), a cobweb spider species of Asian origin, is reported for the first time from Hungary. Specimens were collected in and around the outdoor area of a garden centre in Budapest. Photographs of the copulatory organs and the habitus of voucher specimens from Hungary are provided.

The genus Eresus Walckenaer, 1805 includes some of the world's most charismatic spiders; however, its taxonomy requires considerable improvement. Not only are morphological studies lagging behind, but the molecular exploration of the genus is still in its infancy. This is especially true for the Caucasian, Middle Eastern, and East Asian faunas. In this study, we describe seven new Eresus species from Iran based on males. We also provide new illustrations of E. hermani Kov & aacute;cs et al., 2015 based on both male paratypes and of E. sandaliatus (Martini and Goeze, 1778) based on specimens from the Netherlands. Previous records of the genus in Iran are also re-evaluated. In total, we generated 18 new DNA barcodes (representing 16 species), and performed phylogenetic analyses for 33 sequences. We also performed species' delimitation analyses for these sequences recovering 24 species. The phylogeny revealed six distinct maternal lineages, three of which we recognize formally as species groups. The newly described taxa reveal high species' diversity in Iran, bringing the total to eight species. Based on our preliminary results, we see the eastern Caucasus as a potential refugium for the sandaliatus species group of the genus.

This study is part of a series devoted to the systematic revision of the velvet spider genus Eresus Walckenaer, 1805 (Araneae: Eresidae) in Western Asia, and represents a milestone toward understanding the biodiversity of this group in the South Caucasus and adjacent territories. Currently, only three species of Eresus are known from the South Caucasus, although the presence of E. kollari Rossi, 1846 is highly questionable. Integrating both morphological data and COI barcoding results, we herein describe and illustrate five new species: E. albimarginatus Seropian and Zamani, sp. nov. (male), E. deminutus Seropian and Bulbulashvili, sp. nov. (male), E. gulliver Seropian and Arsenashvili, sp. nov. (male female), E. megobroba Seropian and Bulbulashvili, sp. nov. (male), all from Georgia, and E. tigrani Zamani, Seropian, Zarikian and Sz & udblac;ts, sp. nov. (male female) from Armenia and Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic). An updated phylogeny, incorporating 23 newly generated sequences, revealed eight distinct maternal lineages, four of which are formally recognized as species-groups. Previous South Caucasian records of E. kollari and E. tristis Kroneberg, 1875 are considered misidentifications and are, therefore, rejected. We provide a map of the known localities of South Caucasian Eresus species, based on examined material and data from social networking platforms.

Equine piroplasmosis, which is caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi , has a significant impact on the veterinary and economic aspects of the global horse industry. However, many countries, including Vietnam, have not yet conducted epidemiological surveys to determine the prevalence of these haemoparasites. The aim of this study was therefore to detect T. equi and/or B. caballi infections in horses and to identify their genotypes. Blood samples were collected from 154 seemingly healthy horses in 8 districts of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, and Son La provinces located in the northern part of the country. Twenty-four horses (15.58%, 95% CI: 10.70–22.14%) were infected with T. equi in six districts. Babesia caballi was not detected. No significant association was found between gender, host age, and the number of infected horses. Phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rRNA sequences from the positive DNA samples revealed genotypes A, C, and E.The results of this study confirm the presence of equine theileriosis in northern Vietnam and highlight the need for nationwide studies of equine piroplasmosis involving a large sample size.

The species Xysticus lendli is known only from its original description of a single male and one doubtful record so far. Here, we illustrate and redescribe the species based on 34 specimens in total and describe its female for the first time. We illustrated the male palp via compound micrographs and scanning electron micrographs. We generated a DNA barcode and placed it into a current phylogenetic scaffold to confirm the species’ placement of Spiracme, a long-debated sister- or subgroup of Xysticus; hence, a new combination of Spiracme lendli (Kulczyński, 1897), comb. nov. is proposed. We illustrated the visually similar Xysticus mongolicus and the type species of Spiracme, S. striatipes, and compared them to S. lendli to aid future distinctions between those species.

A hasadékpókok (Filistatidae család) a Mediterráneum jellegzetes és elterjedt képviselői. Eleddig egyetlen magyar előfordulásukról volt tudomásunk, 1985-ben PEKKA LEHTINEN három példányt gyűjtött (az adatok közlésére 2019-ben került sor), melyek a Turkui Egyetem gyűjteményében találhatóak. A családnak további magyarországi észlelései a várakozások ellenére nem voltak, és majdnem négy évtized után került újra elő: 2024. április 20-án egy hím példányt sikerült fogni Budapesten, ami a Magyar Természettudományi Múzeumban került elhelyezésre. A majdnem negyvenévnyi észlelési hiátus a csoport kevéssé ismert jellegéből adódhat. A jelen közlemény számos habitus- és párzószervi fotót közöl, a jövőbeli azonosítás elősegítésére.

The fundamental value of universal nomenclatural systems in biology is that they enable unambiguous scientific communication. However, the stability of these systems is threatened by recent discussions asking for a fairer nomenclature, raising the possibility of bulk revision processes for "inappropriate" names. It is evident that such proposals come from very deep feelings, but we show how they can irreparably damage the foundation of biological communication and, in turn, the sciences that depend on it. There are four essential consequences of objective codes of nomenclature: universality, stability, neutrality, and transculturality. These codes provide fair and impartial guides to the principles governing biological nomenclature and allow unambiguous universal communication in biology. Accordingly, no subjective proposals should be allowed to undermine them.

Local microgeographic sites subdivided by sharp ecological and climatic contrasts are important platforms for measuring biodiversity patterns and inferring the possible effect of climatic and ecological variables on species distributions and habitat use. Here, we report results from 24 months (September 2019–August 2021) of continuous pitfall trapping collection in Lower Nahal Keziv, Western Upper Galilee, Israel (“Evolution Canyon” II (hereafter—EC II)). This site receives an average annual rainfall of 784 mm and contains two slopes that differ markedly by solar radiation and plant formation. The first is the south-facing slope (SFS), which is characterized as a semiarid garrigue and open grassland. The second is the contrasting north-facing slope (NFS), which is characterized by a more humid East Mediterranean forest. The slopes are separated by a narrow valley bottom (VB). Analysis of ca. 1750 arachnid specimens, collected from 70 pitfall traps along the slopes and valley, indicates significantly different arachnid assemblages between the NFS and SFS, likely due to the differences in solar radiation that affect plant-cover percentage, which in turn affects the arachnid assemblage composition. In addition to 98 arachnid taxa collected and identified to species and morphospecies level, this study resulted in the discovery of two species new to science, which are described as part of this publication (100 arachnid species and 11 additional taxa that were not identified to species, a total of 111 taxa). Our study, moreover, contributes new ecological data on the spatial and temporal distribution of arachnids, and therefore attests to the importance of year-round sampling in an understudied region. Overall, our study enables a better understanding of arachnid diversity and their distributions and serves as a reference for future research aimed at testing the effect of climate change and other environmental factors that influence arachnid assemblages in natural habitats.

Expertise in biodiversity research (taxonomy, faunistics, conservation with taxonomic background) appears to decline worldwide. While the “taxonomic impediment” is discussed extensively in the literature, much fewer papers focus on the identification crisis, i.e., the decreasing number of experts who can identify species, and the decline of species-based biodiversity research. As a test case to explore the gravity of the identification crisis, we chose Hungary, a Central European country with a strong history of comprehensive taxonomic expertise and research output. We set out to answer two main questions. (1) What proportion of the Hungarian fauna could currently be identified by Hungarian experts, and what factors determine which groups are covered; and (2) what are the trends of biodiversity research in Hungary, and what are the underlying reasons for these trends? We show that Hungary lacks active biodiversity experts for almost half of the nearly 36,000 animal species recorded in the country, and more than a quarter of the fauna have only one or two active experts available. We also show that faunistic research experienced a golden era between ca. 1990 and 2010. Since then, however, there has been a strong decline, with the number of active experts and published papers decreased to a level like that of the 1970s. Multiple factors are identified causing this trend, such as increased pressure to publish in high impact journals and increasing administrative duties of professional scientists. The next generation of biodiversity experts needs to be fluent in modern techniques and publication strategies but also maintain robust morphology-based knowledge to be equipped for identification tasks of difficult taxa. Despite being disadvantaged by exclusive application of citation-based evaluation, we do need more positions and focused grants for biodiversity researchers to maintain the country’s knowledge base and to avoid being increasingly dependent on—equally declining—foreign expertise.

The eresid spider genus Loureedia (Miller et al., 2012) was described a decade ago, despite its type species being described in the mid-19th century, which illuminates the difficulties in obtaining specimens. The genus was initially described as monotypic. Ever since, four other species have been assigned to Loureedia, including three newly discovered ones. Primarily due to the extravagant appearance of the males, stories about the discovery of species of Loureedia have been the subject of relatively wide media coverage over the years, leading to numerous new populations and putative undescribed species being documented by naturalists and citizen scientists. These species, although bearing distinct differences in their coloration patterns, typically vary only slightly in the structure of their copulatory organs, the primary traits used in spider systematics. This highlights an important taxonomic problem: while it is easy to diagnose the genus or recognize the species that belong to it, it is challenging to differentiate the species from one another, particularly when using only a single line of evidence. In this paper, we have tackled this issue using an integrative approach, i.e., a combination of molecular markers (the mitochondrial COI) and traditional morphological characters. The effects of different observational angles on the perceived shape of the conductor are discussed. Except for one species, we obtained DNA data of all members of the genus. Based on these data, the first phylogeny for Loureedia is presented, and two North African species, Loureedia maroccana (Gál et al., 2017) and Loureedia jerbae (El-Hennawy, 2005), are revalidated from synonymy. The distribution records of all described species are mapped.

The types of three species of Thana-tus C.L. Koch, 1837 with uncertain taxonomic status, described by Wladislaw Kulczynski from Siberia, have been studied and all three names are synonymized: Thanatus mediocris Kulczynski, 1908 syn.n. from NE Yakutia = T. arcticus Thorell, 1872, T. nigromaculatus Kulczynski, 1885 syn.n. from Kamchatka = T. formici-nus (Clerck, 1757) and T. sibiricus Kulczynski, 1901 syn.n. from West Siberia = T. sabulosus (Menge, 1875). The holotype female of T. nigromaculatus is illustrated. A lectotype females are designated for T. mediocris and T. sibiricus.

The dysderid spider genus Dysderella Dunin, 1992 is surveyed. The genus currently comprises two species: D. caspica (Dunin, 1990) from Azerbaijan and North Caucasus and D. transcaspica (Dunin & Fet, 1985) from Turkmenistan and north-eastern Iran. Herein, D. elburzica sp. nov. is described based on male specimens collected in Tehran Province, northern Iran. All three species are illustrated and their distributions are mapped.