Artesian springs, commonly referred to as mound springs, are isolated unique threatened wetlands in arid central Australia that harbor a large number of endemic and relict species. Wolf spiders (Lycosidae) are the dominant invertebrate predators in mound springs and are the most abundant spider family present. Nine species are common, five of which are known to occur in other Australian wetland habitats, such as river floodplains and lakeshores: Artoria howquaensis Framenau 2002, Hogna crispipes (L. Koch 1877) new combination (= Trochosa pulveresparsa (L. Koch 1877) new synonymy; = Geolycosa tongatabuensis (Strand 1911) new synonymy; = Tarentula tanna Strand 1913 new synonymy; = Lycosa waitei Rainbow 1917 new synonymy; = Lycosa strenua Rainbow 1920 new synonymy; = Lycosa rainbowi (Roewer 1951) new synonymy), Venatrix arenaris (Hogg 1905), V. fontis Framenau & Vink 2001, and V. goyderi (Hickman 1944). Four species commonly found in mound springs are described as new: Artoria victoriensis new species, Hogna diyari new species, H. kuyani new species, and Tetralycosa arabanae new species. Venatrix fontis and T. arabanae are mainly found at mound springs and have only rarely been recorded from other wetland habitats. Tetralycosa Roewer 1960 is revalidated with Lycosa meracula Simon 1909 as type species. The genus is defined by its unique male pedipalp morphology with a deeply divided tegulum that carries a mesally directed spur on its retrolateral section opposing the hook-shaped median apophysis. Three Australian species are transferred to Tetralycosa: T. alteripa (McKay 1976) new combination, T. eyrei (Hickman 1944) new combination and T. oraria (L. Koch 1876) new combination (= Trochosa candicans (L. Koch 1877) new synonymy; = Lycosa meracula Simon 1909 new synonymy). Hogna pexa (Hickman 1944) new combination, an Australian wolf spider

The natural prey of the crab spider Xysticus loeffleri Roewer 1955, living under stones, was studied. The percentage of feeding specimens in the population studied was low (1.4–4.6%), and it declined with the beginning of the breeding period. Investigation has shown that X. loeffleri is a polyphagous predator. Representatives of twelve arthropod orders were found in its diet. Arachnids (opilionids and spiders) formed the major food component constituting ca. 70% of prey captured. No insect order was present in any considerable percentage. Several worker ants were observed as prey suggesting that X. loeffleri is a myrmecophagic spider. Seven incidences of cannibalism were recorded, which all involved predation on adult conspecifics (two males and five females). The length of prey killed by X. loeffleri ranged between 1.25 and 15.00 mm (mean 4.68 mm) and constituted from 14.3–187.5% (mean 64.2%) of length of their captors. The most frequently captured prey were small arthropods not exceeding half the size of the spiders.

This paper describes the first South American species of Hesperopilio Shear 1996, a genus previously known from a single species, H. mainae Shear 1996, from Western Australia. The new species is known from a single adult female and is one of the largest and most colorful species of the superfamily Caddoidea. The generic diagnosis of Hesperopilio is emended to accommodate information from the new species.

RESUMEN. En el presente artículo se describe la primera especie sudamericana de Hesperopilio Shear 1996, un género previamente representado por una sóla especie, H. mainae Shear 1996, de Western Australia. La nueva especie se conoce de una sóla hembra adulta y es de las más grandes y más coloridas de la superfamilia Caddoidea. La diagnosis genérica de Hesperopilio se enmienda para acomodar la información de esta nueva especie.

Spiders of the species Lycosa tarentula (Linnaeus 1758) (Araneae, Lycosidae) use a vector navigation system while homing under natural conditions. Under laboratory conditions, in the absence of information relative to the sun's position or any pattern of polarized light, L. tarentula uses a path integration system which consists of turning at a fixed angle similar to one that could carry it to its burrow. In the absence of light, the angle is random. In this study we ask whether the spiders acquire the information about the angle turned during the outward journey through the anterior lateral eyes (ALEs), whose visual fields are directed towards the ground. To answer this question, two groups of animals were studied: one group with only the ALEs covered and another group with all eyes except ALEs covered. Our results show that ALE information alone is adequate to obtain the angle at which the animal should turn when homing.

Intraspecific interactions in adult whip spiders (Phrynus marginemaculatus) were investigated in a laboratory setting to quantify agonistic interactions and to determine predictors of contest outcome. Males were initially paired with size-symmetric or size-asymmetric opponents to assess the effect of size symmetry on contests. Three weeks later, the same males were paired with either the same opponent, or a different opponent to determine whether or not individuals remember earlier encounters. Finally, we quantified aspects of female-female contests. Agonistic encounters between males are characterized by varying degrees of pedipalpal opening, elevation displays, and rapid flicking (∼ 29 Hz) of the antenniform leg. Duration of elevation displays was a predictor of contest outcome, with individuals being more likely to win if they held an elevated posture for longer than their opponent during the contest. Relative size influenced both contest duration and weight loss, with contests between size-symmetric males lasting longer and resulting in greater weight loss than size-asymmetric contests. In second contests, familiar encounters were both shorter in duration and involved fewer aggressive displays than unfamiliar second contests, suggesting that males were able to remember previous opponents. Females were less likely to exhibit aggressive displays than males, and female contests were shorter in duration than male contests. Overall, the results of our study suggest that agonistic interactions in P. marginemaculatus are extremely complex, varying with the sex and size-symmetry of individuals and involving elaborate signaling, and that there may be a large role for learning and memory.

Examination of some thomisid specimens collected from Taiwan, three species are newly recorded from this fauna: Misumenops pseudovatius (Schenkel 1936), Phrynarachne ceylonica (O.P.-Cambridge 1884), Xysticus croceus (Fox 1937). In addition, four new species are described: Lysiteles digitatus, L. torsivus, Takachihoa onoi, and Tmarus lanyu.

The present paper gives a review of the Solenysa spiders. Five of the six known Solenysa species were examined, including the types of S. longqiensis, S. wulingensis and S. circularis. Illustrations of these five species as well as diagnoses and distributional data of all species are provided.

We tested the hypothesis that the response of Paraphidippus aurantius (Lucas 1833) (Salticidae) to a simulated threat of predation would depend on a combination of spider size and reproductive status. In ponderosa pine forests of Colorado we located nests with spiders of varying sizes that were either adult female spiders guarding offspring or juvenile female and male spiders. To simulate a predator threat we applied a disturbance to the sides of spider nests using repeated puffs of air expressed from a rubber bulb or by blowing. We recorded the threat intensity (number of puffs) required to displace spiders from their nests, and then monitored the immediate responses of spiders to this threat. The threat intensity required to displace spiders guarding offspring was 2.3 times that of non-guarding spiders, and guarding spiders fled less than half as far as non-guarding spiders. Spider size had no effect on the threat intensity required for displacement, but larger spiders fled further than small ones. We then destroyed nests and monitored the long term responses of the spiders. Nests containing offspring were constructed with 4.6 times the mass of silk as those without offspring. When spiders rebuilt their nests, spider tenure in rebuilt nests did not differ between guarding spiders and non-guarding spiders. Spider size was negatively related to nest tenure for non-guarding spiders, but there was no such relationship for guarding spiders. These results suggest that both the short term and long term outcomes of interactions between P. aurantius and other predators may be influenced by a combination of spider size and offspring guarding behavior.

We tested the hypothesis that coffee systems with organic management have higher spider diversity by comparing a control (rainforest area) and two coffee systems, one with organic and the other with conventional management. Spiders were sampled every two weeks over three months during the dry season and three months during the rainy season in 2000. Spider alpha diversity was analyzed using Shannon and Simpson indices. We also used the Cody index for beta diversity and cluster analysis for analyzing changes in species abundance hierarchies. 2261 individuals were collected (including juveniles and adults) representing 20 families, 56 genera and 97 species. In most cases the alpha diversity indices showed no relation between management gradient and spider diversity. When compared across seasons, spider diversity differed significantly only in organic management. Species turnover among the three sites (Cody index) was highest between the two coffee farms but not so clearly in the dry vs. rainy season; the conventional management shared the fewest species with the forest. Cluster analysis showed changes in abundance hierarchy related to management type. Our results did not support the proposed hypothesis of a direct positive correlation between management gradient and alpha spider diversity. In contrast, beta diversity showed that management and seasons influenced species composition.

We review the systematics of the tetragnathid spider genus Sancus Tullgren, hitherto known from a single species from Kilimanjaro. The type species Sancus bilineatus Tullgren is redescribed and diagnosed from the only other known species, S. acoreensis (Wunderlich) new combination. Leucognatha Wunderlich is a junior synonym of Sancus, which thus eliminates two monotypic tetragnathid genera. A phylogenetic analysis of 15 tetragnathid and eight outgroup genera confirms the monophyly of Sancus and places it precisely in Tetragnathidae. We discuss the phylogenetic relationships among tetragnathid genera and the peculiar biogeography of Sancus, now known from east African mountains (Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya) and from the Azores in the northeastern Atlantic.

Over the last decade, numerous papers focusing on the fauna of the Canary Islands have reported that many spectacular species radiations have taken place, leading to a very high level of endemicity in this archipelago. The species of the genus Pholcus are a very good example of such a fascinating process. The Canary Islands harbor the highest number of endemic species of this genus. Therefore, in order to obtain a detailed picture of the diversity and the phylogeny of the Canarian Pholcus, a complete taxonomic revision is required. The present work is the second contribution to achieve this goal. Three new species of Pholcus are described: Pholcus bimbache, P. anachoreta and P. corniger. The first endemic species of Pholcus from El Hierro (P. bimbache) is reported; P. anachoreta is the only Pholcus species found on the Montaña Clara Islet; and P. corniger is the second and most troglomorphic species known from Tenerife.

The new species Cupiennius chapanensis is described from a mangrove forest in the coastal regions of Chiapas, México. The most noticeable characteristic of the species is the bright red coloration of the chelicerae, given by a covering of long setae on the anterior surface; because of this coloration, it has been previously confused with Phoneutria fera Perty 1833. It is generally similar to Cupiennius getazi Simon 1891, but lacks the spotted pattern on the ventral surface of the femora, together with other differences in genitalic morphology. Cupiennius salei Keyserling 1877 was also found on the same forest during the wet season, while C. chiapanensis appeared in the dry season. Adults of both species were never collected at the same time. This is also the first record of C. salei at the sea level, being previously considered a highland species.

RESUMEN. Se describe Cupiennius chiapanensis nueva especie, la décima del género. Fue recolectada del manglar de la costa de Chiapas, México. La característica más notoria es la coloración roja brillante de sus quelíceros, dada por una cubierta de sedas largas en el frente del quelícero. Esta coloración ha provocado que se le confunda con Phoneutria fera Perty 1833 en tres referencias que se documentan. En general, es similar a Cupiennius getazi Simon 1891, pero no exhibe el patrón moteado en la superficie ventral de los fémures, además de otras diferencias en su estructura genital que se discuten. Se encontró también en el mismo bosque a Cupiennius salei Keyserling 1877 durante la época de lluvias, mientras que C. chiapanensis apareció durante la época de secas. Los adultos de ambas especies nunca fueron recolectados en la misma época. Este también es el primer registro de C. salei a nivel del mar, pues era considerada una especie de tierras altas.

The previously unknown sexes of 13 species of Linyphiidae and Theridiidae are described and illustrated for the first time. These include the following members of the Linyphiidae: Centromerus furcatus (Emerton) female, Cheniseo sphagnicultor Bishop & Crosby female, Coloncus siou Chamberlin male, Dismodicus alticeps Chamberlin & Ivie female, Floricomus praedesignatus (Bishop & Crosby) female, Glyphesis idahoanus (Chamberlin) male, Gnathonaroides pedalis (Emerton) female, Lepthyphantes intricatus (Emerton) female, Scyletria inflata Bishop & Crosby female, Sisicus penifusifer Bishop & Crosby female, Walckenaeria clavipalpis Millidge male; and two members of the Theridiidae: Thymoites minnesota Levi female and Robertus crosbyi (Kaston) male. Synonymy, new records, and comments on distribution, habitat and taxonomy are also given. The generic placement of Glyphesis idahoanus (Chamberlin) and Glyphesis scopulifer (Emerton) is confirmed.

Pitfall traps are widely used to capture arthropods. The type of fluid employed in the traps can affect size and condition of the catch. Direct comparisons of different fluids allow entomologists to avoid suboptimal solutions, and facilitate comparisons between studies using different fluids. We compared capture efficiency and preservation attributes between five fluids in a field experiment with special respect to spiders (Araneae) and ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Catches in pure water, ethanol-water and ethanol-glycerin were less well preserved than in brine or ethylene glycol-water. Brine and ethanol-glycerin showed low capture efficiencies, presumably because their high specific density made arthropods float and thereby facilitated escape. Only the mixture of ethylene glycol and water combined good preservation attributes with high capture efficiency, and therefore represented the best solution.

Three regions of Brazilian Amazonia within the state of Rondônia were searched for the presence of solifuges by means of pitfall traps. A new solifuge, Mummucia taiete, was found at two sites inside Vilhena region, which are “Cerrado” enclaves surrounded by Amazonian forest. This new species is described here and is the seventh from Brazil. Populations of M. taiete from these two sites were compared regarding some autoecological parameters. Results showed populations from the two sites are similarly diurnal and male biased, as observed in M. mauryi and M. coaraciandu. On the other hand, these populations differ in density and juvenile/adult ratio.

RESUMO.Três regiões da Amazônia brasileira pertencentes ao Estado de Rondônia foram investigadas quanto à presença de Solifugae por meio de armadilhas “pitfall”. Um novo solífugo, Mummucia taiete, foi encontrado dois locais no município de Vilhena, que são enclaves de Cerrado circundados por floresta Amazônica. Esta nova espécie de Solifugae é descrita aqui e é a sétima do território brasileiro. Populações de Mummucia taiete desses dois locais foram comparadas quanto a alguns parâmetros autoecológicos. Resultados indicam que as populações se assemelham pelos hábitos diurnos e pelo maior número de machos, como observado para outras espécies como Mummucia mauryi and Mummucia coaraciandu.Por outro lado, essas populações diferem em densidade e na razão jovens/adultos.

Two new species of the genus Atypus, Atypus sternosulcus new species from Andong and A. suwonensis new species from Suwon, are newly described from Korea.

The present study reports for the first time on the behavior prior to, during and after the copulation of a member of the haplogyne spider family, Tetrablemmidae and describes the web of this species. Prior to copulation, male and female of Indicoblemma lannaianum from Thailand sometimes avoided each other or the female scared the male away, apparently by vigorous vibrations of her body. When first copulations were initiated, they lasted from 1.21 to 3.8 h with an average of 2.25 ± 0.71 h (n = 17). Some females accepted a second male for mating 3–9 days after first mating. There was no significant difference between the duration of first and second copulations but significantly more trials were needed to induce the second copulations. In the copulatory position, the male was inverted and faced in the same direction as the female. He seized the female's opisthosoma with apophyses on his chelicerae which fit into grooves on a female's ventral plate in this way building a locking mechanism during copulation. The pedipalps were inserted alternately. The web of I. lannaianum consisted of a longish narrow sheet, which was made of many short threads forming a zigzag pattern and additional long oblique threads overdrawing the sheet and functioning as signal threads.

Nesticodes rufipes is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, being strongly associated with humans. However, few behavioral and ecological studies have investigated interspecific interactions between these spiders and insects of medical and veterinary importance. Here, we have investigated prey choice by N. rufipes when two different prey species, Musca domestica and Dermestes ater, were offered simultaneously. We also quantified the capture of these prey types by this predator in a poultry house and analyzed the association between prey-choice with physical characteristics of the prey. Finally, we discuss whether there is an antagonistic intraguild interaction in such a system composed of N. rufipes (top predator), D. ater (predator of larvae of M. domestica and prey of N. rufipes) and M. domestica (N. rufipes' prey). We found that Musca domestica were more abundant than D. ater in N. rufipes webs in the poultry house. Spiders given a choice of adults of M. domestica plus adults of D. ater, and also on adults plus larvae of M. domestica, preyed more on adult flies than on the other prey types. This preference was probably associated with the lesser mass and shorter lengths of adult flies. Our experiments demonstrated that the predation impact of N. rufipes on D. ater is low when compared to M. domestica. This result provides evidence that an antagonistic interaction between these predators does not occur, suggesting that they are in fact acting either synergistically or additively on M. domestica prey.

The pholcid spiders from Tibet, China, are reviewed. Seven species belonging to three genera are recorded. A new genus, Tibetia, is established, and four new species, Pholcus medog, P. zham, Belisana gyirong and B. mainling are described. And two new combinations are formed: Tibetia everesti (Hu & Li 1987) is transferred from Pholcus, and Belisana yadongensis (Hu 1985) is transferred from Spermophora.

A new monotypic genus, Mainosa, is described to accommodate the Australian ‘shuttlecock wolf spider’, Mainosa longipes (L. Koch 1878) (= Lycosa mainae McKay 1979, new synonymy) as the type species. The male of this species is described for the first time. Mainosa longipes differs from other wolf spiders in having a the distinct color pattern of the abdomen, with white transverse bars and lines on a dark surface, and unusually long legs in males. Its genital morphology confirms M. longipes as a member of the subfamily Lycosinae. Mainosa longipes inhabits areas in South Australia and Western Australia with dry sandy soils in Acacia litter, where it constructs palisades around the entrance of its burrow. It appears to reproduce in winter.

Individuals of a Thestylus aurantiurus Yamaguti & Pinto-da-Rocha 2003 population in the Parque Estadual da Serra da Cantareira (São Paulo, SP, Brazil) show an increase of activity throughout the year. This increase is related to the reproductive season of these scorpions, from September to November. The abundance of scorpions was related to environmental factors in four different areas of the park. More scorpions were collected in the higher areas, far away from water sources of the park and not exposed to flooding. A short description of the Thestylus aurantiurus burrows is also presented.

Observations on Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch & Mulaik 1940, feeding on various species of short-horned grasshoppers are presented. In this paper, prey attack strategy, duration of feeding, and behaviors surrounding feeding are reported. The spiders routinely fed on prey larger than themselves. Lightly touching prey with palps prior to feeding was always observed. The first quick bites and the first attachment sites were mostly peripheral, with later attachment sites central, on the head, thorax or abdomen. Feeding times, typically 3–10 hours, ranged up to 23 hours 38 minutes. The first long attachment was usually on a peripheral location of the prey (antenna or leg), but subsequent long attachments were more often central. Overall, 39.5% of long attachments were on the main body of the prey (not antenna or leg). Long attachments were then frequently followed by web spinning, or uncommonly, bradykinesia. Rocking, tugging or pulling at prey between attachments was common. The slow feeding from multiple sites on the prey appears to be an efficient strategy for this sit-and-wait predator to extract maximum nourishment from the large prey.

The new genus Xorilbia (Pseudoscorpiones, Ideoroncidae) is established for three species from the Amazon region previously included in the genus Albiorix: the type species X. arboricola (Mahnert), X. gracilis (Mahnert) and X. lamellifer (Mahnert). The new genus bears a peculiar structure on the arolium that is only found in a few other genera of Ideoroncidae. New locality records are presented for X. gracilis and X. lamellifer, including the first record of X. gracilis from Venezuela.

Fourteen specimens of Vaejovis coahuilae Williams 1968 were born in the laboratory and reared in an incubator at a near-constant 27 °C. A single female reached maturity at the 8^th instar, as previously hypothesized, but unverified, in this species. Two other specimens reached the 7^th instar, but the male died at the molt and the female was not yet mature. Data on the duration and morphometrics of observed instars are provided for all specimens.

The distribution of female Leucauge venusta (Walckenaer 1841) in a coffee plantation in southern Mexico was studied in order to determine the vertical distribution of this spider. Principal component analysis clearly identified the presence of three distinct groups of L. venusta webs, based on the number of spirals/web and principally on the height at which the webs were located; most L. venusta webs (63/100) were close to the ground. Spiders on high webs (153.8 ± 3.6 cm above ground, mean ± S.E.) were significantly larger and heavier than spiders on lower webs. Large spiders had significantly larger, better developed ovaries, than smaller conspecifics, presumably indicative of sexual maturity. Significantly more insects were captured by sticky traps placed at 50 cm height than in the traps placed at 150 cm height; the most numerous captures were Diptera. However, insects caught at 150 cm were significantly larger than those caught at 50 cm above ground. We concluded that as sexual development proceeds, the spider increases the height at which the web is constructed. This vertical migration is associated with changes in web construction and the type of prey captured. These results are discussed in terms of intraspecific competition, predation risks and sexual selection.

We investigated the nest building behavior of Paraphidippus aurantia (Lucas 1833) (Salticidae) following the experimental destruction of their nests. We located 61 nests on 52 pine saplings (43 saplings with one nest, nine with two nests) and carefully displaced all spiders and destroyed their nests. On saplings with two spiders, we removed one spider. Of the 52 nests in which the resident spider was left in place, 29 new nests were constructed in the identical location as the nests we removed. Of the 9 nests in which the resident spider was removed, no new nests were constructed. There were no nests constructed in new locations. Despite other suitable nest site locations, P. aurantia showed extreme nest site fidelity following the disturbance.

A new species of the genus Mastophora is described from Argentina. The male of M. vaquera is described from Cuba.

Maraca is proposed as a new name for Iracema Perez-Miles 2000 because it is preoccupied by Iracema Triques 1996 (Pisces). Two new combinations are established.

Little or no genetic divergence is detected using mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequence comparisons across the entire geographic range of the scorpion Euscorpius italicus (Herbst 1800) from Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Greece and Turkey. This is consistent with known absence of patterns of allozymes and morphological variation. Euscorpius italicus is found almost exclusively in human habitations. Its sister species, E. naupliensis, exhibits much higher genetic diversity within southern Greece. We suggest that the natural populations of the thermophilic E. italicus underwent a bottleneck during the glaciations, and that its modern range could be a result of dispersal with humans.

Regurgitation from adult females towards juveniles is a well known phenomenon in social spiders. However, occasional observations in Anelosimus cf. studiosus from Uruguay showed the occurrence of food transfer also between large juveniles. We experimentally tested if well fed penultimate females were capable of regurgitating fluids to starved males, and if well fed penultimate males were capable of regurgitating fluids to starved females. Other isolated and starved penultimate males and females were used as controls. Starved males and females of the experimental groups significantly increased their body weight, whereas body weight decreased in controls. Males increased their weight more than females. We conclude that both well fed penultimate males and females can feed other starved subadults, but when given access to members of the opposite sex, males benefit than females. This bias in the regurgitation exchange among subadults could contribute to accelerate the maturation of males.

Despite their notoriety, little is known about tarantulas in their natural environment. Here we describe activity of juvenile tarantulas (Brachypelma vagans) in and around the maternal burrow as well as emergence and dispersal behavior. Juveniles remain within the natal burrow for several weeks and undergo at least one molt after emerging from the egg sac. Small numbers of juveniles are active at night and emerge along with the adult female where they remain close to the entrance of the burrow. Most juvenile activity outside the burrowed occurred in the early morning shortly after sunrise when the female was no longer active or visible at the burrow entrance. We also observed juveniles dispersing en masse from the maternal burrow. Spiderlings moved away from the burrow in lines, following one behind each other.

Shelter site selection by Mastigoproctus giganteus in an atypical microhabitat in the northern Chihuahuan Desert characterized by hard adobe soils is described for the first time. The majority of the 321 whipscorpions (70.4%) were found within rock crevices during periods of highest daytime ambient temperatures, as compared to those found under plant debris (4.4%) or inside small mammal holes (25.2%). The percentage of available crevices, holes or plant debris that were occupied by whipscorpions was 41.5, 3.8 and 7.3%, respectively. Most occupied crevices (66.7%) were in the shade. Depths of occupied crevices ranged from 6.4–36.7 cm. Crevice widths ranged from 0.7–2.9 cm. Whipscorpions used crevices whose height above the surface of the ground ranged from 6.5 cm–1.1 m. No whipscorpions were observed at the ground surface, even in shaded areas, between 0645 and 1910 hr (CST).

In this paper, we provide the first observations of maternal care for the harvestman family Cranaidae. Adult females of two species, Santinezia serratobialis Roewer 1932, which belongs to the group curvipes, and Santinezia sp., which is probably a new species of the group gigantea, were found in association with egg clutches. Since the microhabitats used for oviposition by these species are very similar, we believe that maternal care may be a synapomorphic trait of the genus Santinezia.

The first description of a Mermithidae–Linyphiidae parasite–host association is presented. The nematode is preserved exiting the abdomen of the host, which is a juvenile Tenuiphantes species (Araneae, Linyphiidae), collected from the Isle of Mull, UK. An updated taxonomic list of known mermithid spider hosts is provided. The ecology of known spider hosts with regard to the direct and indirect life cycles of mermithid worms suggests that both occur in spiders.

Three junior homonyms were detected among the Arachnida and the following replacement names are proposed: Neoarminda for Arminda Roewer 1949 (Opiliones); Alpazia for Lapazia Roewer 1949 (Opiliones); and Araneotanna for Tanna Berland 1938 (Araneae). Accordingly, three new combinations are herein proposed for the respective type species. All three genera are monotypic.