The new zodariid genus Suffascar, gen. nov. is described from Madagascar. It is apparently endemic to the island, common and speciose. Twelve new species were discovered and are here described: Suffascar albolineatus, sp. nov., S. fianara, sp. nov., S. fisheri, sp. nov., S. fitzpatrickae, sp. nov., S. gigas, sp. nov., S. griswoldi, sp. nov., S. macromma, sp. nov., S. micromma, sp. nov., S. nonus, sp. nov., S. scutatus, sp. nov., S. sufficiens, sp. nov. and S. tofti, sp. nov. It is well known that Zodariidae with femoral organs are specialised consumers of ants or termites, although the exact role of these glands still remains obscure. Suffascar is part of the ‘dual femoral organ clade’ (DF), which also includes Asceua Thorell, 1887, Suffasia Jocqué, 1991, and Suffrica Henrard & Jocqué, 2015. Using a morphology-based phylogenetic analysis, we test whether zodariids sharing the dual femoral organ are part of the same group as the ‘single femoral organ clade’ (SF) or form a separate monophyletic group. It appears that SF and DF constitute clearly monophyletic entities with a sister-group relation. These groups may be considered as distinct subfamilies and, together, they may turn out to be sister to the Storeninae (which then could be re-established). An analysis that focuses on these questions is underway.

The Australasian spiny trapdoor spiders of the family Idiopidae (subfamily Arbanitinae) are revised at the generic level, using a multi-locus molecular phylogenetic foundation and comprehensive sampling of all known lineages. We propose a new family- and genus-group classification for the monophyletic Australasian fauna, and recognise 10 genera in four tribes. The Arbanitini Simon includes Arbanitis L. Koch, 1874 (61 species), Blakistonia Hogg, 1902 (one species) and Cantuaria Hogg, 1902 (43 species). The Aganippini Simon includes Bungulla Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, gen. nov. (two species), Eucanippe Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, gen. nov. (one species), Eucyrtops Pocock, 1897 (two species), Gaius Rainbow, 1914 (one species) and Idiosoma Ausserer, 1871 (14 species). The Cataxiini Rainbow and Euoplini Rainbow include just Cataxia Rainbow, 1914 (11 species) and Euoplos Rainbow, 1914 (12 species), respectively. Two distinctive new genera of Aganippini are described from Western Australia, and several previously valid genera are recognised as junior synonyms of existing genus-group names, including Misgolas Karsch, 1878 (= Arbanitis; new synonymy), Aganippe O. P.-Cambridge, 1877 (= Idiosoma; new synonymy) and Anidiops Pocock, 1897 (= Idiosoma; new synonymy). Gaius stat. rev. is further removed from synonymy of Anidiops. Other previously hypothesised generic synonyms are supported by both morphology and molecular phylogenetic data from 12 genes, including the synonymy of Neohomogona Main, 1985 and Homogona Rainbow, 1914 with Cataxia, and the synonymy of Albaniana Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918, Armadalia Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918, Bancroftiana Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 and Tambouriniana Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 with Euoplos. At the species level, the identifications of Eucy. latior (O. P.-Cambridge, 1877) and I. manstridgei (Pocock, 1897) are clarified, and three new species are described: Bungulla bertmaini Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, sp. nov., Eucanippe bifida Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, sp. nov. and Idiosoma galeosomoides Rix, Main, Raven & Harvey, sp. nov., the latter remarkable for its phragmotic abdominal morphology. The Tasmanian species Mygale annulipes C. L. Koch, 1842 is here transferred to the genus Stanwellia Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 (family Nemesiidae), comb. nov., Arbanitis mestoni Hickman, 1928 is transferred to Cantuaria, comb. nov. and Idiosoma hirsutum Main, 1952 is synonymised with I. sigillatum (O. P.-Cambridge, 1870), new synonymy. In addition to the morphological synopses and an illustrated key to genera, molecular diagnoses are presented for all nominal taxa, along with live habitus and burrow images to assist in field identification. The Australasian idiopid fauna is highly diverse, with numerous new species known from all genera. As a result, this study provides a taxonomic and nomenclatural foundation for future species-level analyses, and a single reference point for the monographic documentation of a remarkable fauna.

Species richness in the seas has been underestimated due to the combined challenges presented by the taxonomic impediment, delimitation of species, preponderance of cryptic species, and uneven sampling effort. The mismatch between actual and estimated diversity varies by region and by taxon, leaving open questions such as: are hotspots for well-known taxa also hotspots for poorly known taxa? We address these challenges and this question for shallow-water scyphozoan jellyfishes in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP). We increased sampling effort at 34 coastal locations along the TEP, and combined analyses of four molecular markers and up to 53 morphological characters. We applied phylogenetic analyses under Bayesian and maximum likelihood frameworks, barcoding, and statistical multivariate analyses of morphological data to estimate species richness. Where only five Discomedusae were reported previously, we found a total of 25 species. Of these, 22 species are new to science, two are non-indigenous, and one is a previous record; the other four prior records had been misidentified. The new discoveries evince the need to evaluate the evolutionary relationships with neighbouring regions to understand fully the origins of jellyfish diversity in the TEP and will lead to revision of the systematics and taxonomy of Scyphozoa.