The genus Pterartoria Purcell, 1903 (Araneae: Lycosidae) is revised. The eight species originally included in the genus are redescribed and two new species, P. cederbergensis n. sp. and P. confusa n. sp., are described and figured for the first time. The genus Pteratoriola Roewer, 1959 is synonymized with Pterartoria. An illustrated key to all known species is provided and the systematic position of the genus is discussed.

The relationship between the extent of leg loss and female fitness was investigated in the green lynx spider Peucetia viridans (Hentz, 1832). Adult females and their egg sacs were collected at nine sites in southern California and three measures of bodily characteristics (carapace width, weight, residual index) and three measures of reproductive performance (egg sac weight, egg number, mean sac weight per young) were determined for each spider. Of the 344 spiders sampled, 17.1% were missing one or more legs, with the frequency of leg loss showing no significant differences with respect to the eight limb positions or the four limb pairs among spiders missing one leg. While female size did not differ among leg-loss groups, females which were intact or which had lost one leg were generally heavier and in better body condition than females which had lost two or three legs. Such eight- and seven-legged females also produced heavier egg sacs and more eggs than six-legged females. These findings do not support Guffey's (1999) prediction that female arachnids which lose two legs experience minimal costs, but they are consistent with Brueseke et al. (2001)'s suggestion that reproductive output might be reduced for female spiders which have lost legs. Why females missing three or more legs did not exhibit a comparable, if not more severe, reduction in egg sac weight and egg number than six-legged females is unknown, though it may be related to the small size of this group (8) and peculiarities of the few spiders in it.

The monotypic diplurid genus Orientothele Mirza, Sanap & Kunte, 2017 is placed in synonymy with Macrothele Ausserer, 1871 (Hexathelidae) syn. nov., as it is found to lack the diplurid symplesiomorphy of few or no labial cuspules, as well as all diplurine synapomorphies. For the moment, the type species of Orientothele, O. alyratus Mirza, Sanap & Kunte, 2017 is considered valid and, due to the synonymy of Orientothele with Macrothele, M. alyrata (Mirza, Sanap & Kunte, 2017) comb, nov. is established.

This study contributes to the understanding of the female members of Rhomphaea in the Mediterranean and Macaronesian biogeographic regions: R. longicaudata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872, R. nasica (Simon, 1873), and R. rostrata (Simon, 1873). The unknown female of R. longicaudata O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 is described. It was found that the female previously proposed associated with R. longicaudata was incorrectly matched. An identification key to the three members of the genus is presented. The epigynes of R. rostrata specimens vary amongst individuals but DNA barcode data from specimens with dissimilar epigynes could not support a hypothesis of a species complex.

The type material of Myrmarachne uniseriata Narayan, 1915 (Araneae: Salticidae) is re-examined and redescribed. M. aurantiaca Benjamin, 2015 is recognized as a junior synonym of M. uniseriata.

Archaeidae is a small family of very rare spiders represented by one genus and twelve species in southern Africa. A new species of Afrarchaea from Free State Province, South Africa (A. neethlingi n. sp.) is described here.

Hahnia larseni n. sp. is described, based on both sexes, from Western Cape, South Africa. Sibling species Hahnia clathrata Simon, 1898, known from females only, is redescribed.

The unknown male of Carpathonesticus eriashvilii Marusik, 1987, a species previously known only from Georgia, is described for the first time based on material collected in western and eastern Ukraine. Females of C.eriashvilii and Aituariapontica (Spassky, 1932) are redescribed in detail. Unique or poorly documented characters in these two species are briefly discussed. New records of C. eriashvilii and A. pontica in western Ukraine are the northeasternmost of their ranges.

Sahastata infuscata (Kulczyński, 1901) is redescribed for the first time based on a holotype female from Eritrea. It is removed from synonymy with Filistata puta O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876 and Sahastata nigra (Simon, 1897). The vulva of Sahastata nigra, the type species of the genus, is illustrated correctly for the first time, based on a syntype female.

Ballooning behaviour is a key trait in spiders, generally performed by juveniles, which allows dispersal from short to long distances. Although aerial dispersal can be risky, the avoidance of unsuitable conditions seems to overcome its potential drawbacks. Allocosa senex (Mello-Leitão, 1945) and A. marindia Simó, Lise, Pompozzi & Laborda, 2017 are two sympatric, nocturnal, wolf spiders, inhabitants of sandy freshwater and oceanic coasts of southern South America. We tested ballooning propensity of these species under natural conditions in day (d) and night (n) experiments. We collected adult females of A. senex, A. marindia and Schizocosa malitiosa (Tullgren, 1905) (control group) carrying spiderlings on their backs. We performed trials to test pre-ballooning occurrence of individual spiderlings as follows: 64 for A. senex (30d, 32n), 40 for A. marindia (20d, 20n) and S. malitiosa (31d, 32n). Both Allocosa spp. showed significantly higher frequencies of preballooning than S. malitiosa in both day and night trials. We did not find differences within species in pre-ballooning occurrence between day and night. Temperature, wind speed, humidity and atmospheric pressure were related to pre-ballooning frequencies during day and night in all species. We discuss the results in relation with microhabitat characteristics in such a dynamic environment.

The present work offers records of six species of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from three localities in the eastern part of the Republic of the Sudan. Three represent new species records for the country. Artema kochi (Kulczyński, 1901) (Pholcidae) was collected in New Halfa in Kassala State. Pardosa observans (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876) (Lycosidae) was found in the Dinder National Park in Sennar State, while Pterotricha dalmasi (Fage, 1929) (Gnaphosidae) was recorded from Toker and Khalig Dongnab in Red Sea State. Additionally, the previously recorded species, Eusparassus walckenaeri (Audouin, 1826) (Sparassidae) is recorded for the first time from the Dinder National Park in Sennar state, and Langona alfensis (Heciak & Prószyński, 1983) and Menemerus fagei (Berland & Millot, 1941) (both Salticidae) are reported for the first time from New Halfa in Kassala State.