On a new genus of the fossorial wolf spiders from Middle Asia (Araneae, Lycosidae)

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  On a new genus of the fossorial wolf spiders from Middle Asia (Araneae, Lycosidae) Abstract A new genus, Desertosa gen. nov., is established to accommodate six Middle Asian species of burrowing wolf spiders, of which four are diagnosed and described as new: D. karamola sp. nov. (male, female, SE Kazakhstan), D. kuramin sp. nov. (female, SE Uzbekistan), D. ozernoyi sp. nov. (male, female, SE Kazakhstan), D. zyuzini sp. nov. (male, female, SE Kazakhstan). Two new combinations are proposed: Desertosa kuryk (Esyunin & Efimik, 2025), comb. nov. and D. uzbekistanica (Logunov, 2023), comb. nov.; both ex Lycosa Latreille, 1804. The localities of all Desertosa species are mapped, and an identification key is provided as well. A brief synopsis of the fauna and diversity of the fossorial Lycosidae of Middles Asia is given. Logunov, D.V. & Nekhaeva, A.A. (2026) On a new genus of the fossorial wolf spiders from Middle Asia (Araneae, Lycosidae). Zootaxa, 5782 (2), 283–312. https://doi....

Revealing the identity of Josa chazaliae (Simon, 1897) (Araneae: Anyphaenidae): new species and the highest altitude record for a spider in South America

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Revealing the identity of Josa chazaliae (Simon, 1897) (Araneae: Anyphaenidae): new species and the highest altitude record for a spider in South America

Abstract

We examined the type series of Josa chazaliae (Simon, 1897) from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, composed of three females of two different species. Herein, we propose a lectotype for Josa chazaliae, redescribe the female, and describe the male of this species for the first time. A new species, Josa samaria sp. nov., is proposed based on a female paralectotype of Josa chazaliae. Three additional species, all based on both sexes are described: Josa nadineae sp. nov., Josa berlandi sp. nov., and Josa olimpica sp. nov. All species studied in this work occur in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain system in the world. We compared our geographical data with the records of spiders available in GBIF, the MACN-Ar database along with unpublished records for the described Josa species. The results indicate that the presence of Josa olimpica at altitudes of at least 5500 masl represents the highest record for a spider in South America, and apparently the highest record for any spider in the Western Hemisphere.

Martínez, L., Kochalka, J. A., Cabra-García, J. & Ramírez, M. J. (2025). Revealing the identity of Josa chazaliae (Simon, 1897) (Araneae: Anyphaenidae): new species and the highest altitude record for a spider in South America. Zootaxa 5566(2): 201-242. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5566.2.1