Arácnido Taxonomy

  Living underground: first record of myrmecophily in a species of tarantula (Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae: Catumiri Guadanucci, 2004) Abstract Myrmecophily is widespread among arthropods but remains poorly documented in spiders, particularly in Mygalomorphae. Tarantulas (Theraphosidae) have not previously been shown to form true myrmecophilous associations, with existing records limited to anecdotal observations. Here, we provide the first robust evidence of myrmecophily in a tarantula, based on combined field and experimental data. Fieldwork in the Ñacuñán Biosphere Reserve (Monte Desert, Argentina) revealed that individuals of a species of Catumiri Guadanucci 2004 inhabit nests of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis Emery 1887. Of 45 excavated nests, 16 (35.5%) contained spiders, with a total of 69 individuals recorded. The presence of multiple developmental stages, including early instars cohabiting with adult females, indicates that reproduction and early development ...