Acta Biologica Sibirica

New data on the spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Dagestan, Russia

Alexander A. Fomichev — 2026-01-15

The study presents a list of 93 spider species collected in Dagestan, 12 of which are new records for the region. The following six species are illustrated: Aelurillus laniger Logunov & Marusik, 2000, Arctosa personata (L. Koch, 1872), Arctosa ravida Ponomarev, 2007, Clubiona caucasica Mikhailov & Otto, 2017 and Cyclosa algerica Simon, 1885. I also provide photographs of live specimens for eight species, taken in their natural habitat, and present the first published photograph of the web of Atypus muralis Bertkau, 1890. Two species, Aulonia kratochvili Dunin, Buchar & Absolon, 1986 and Cyclosa algerica, are recorded for Russia for the first time; the former species is redescribed. A new species, Paracedicus ponomarevi sp. n. (Desidae), is described based on a female specimen. The family Desidae is reported from Russia for the first time. The current state of knowledge on the spider fauna of Dagestan and prospects for future research is discussed.

Meadow communities of the Middle Ob floodplain over two years under different flooding conditions

Egor E. Churakov — 2026-01-15

The paper presents a comparative analysis of changes in species, ecological and biological composition, dominant species composition, and net primary productivity (NPP) of floodplain meadows in low (2023) and high (2024) flooding years. Meadows in the study area exhibited higher productivity in 2024 compared to 2023. In 2024, NPP increased by 45.6% in the forb-grass meadow, by 37.8% in the sedge-reedgrass meadow, and by 34.5% in the elecampane meadow. Changes were observed in species richness, the proportions of ecological groups, and dominant species composition. The most significant changes were recorded in upland meadows that are not regularly flooded. The productivity of the forb-tussock sedge meadow remained virtually unchanged (an increase of only 1.4%), indicating stability and potentially maximum productivity under these conditions. An increase in NPP was attributed to the increase in both above-ground and below-ground phytomass and correlated with structural shifts in the grass stand toward a higher proportion of moisture-demanding species.

The spider wasp family Pompilidae (Hymenoptera: Aculeata: Pompiloidea) in Uzbekistan: annotated checklist with first faunal records

Natalya I. Lebedeva — 2026-01-22

This paper presents, for the first time, a review of the fauna of spider wasps (Pompilidae) of Uzbekistan. The review includes 132 species and 1 subspecies, 4 species undetermined to species level (sp.), belonging to 28 genera, 8 tribes, and 3 subfamilies recorded within the territory of Uzbekistan. The data are based on published literature and materials collected during 1909-1978, which are preserved in the Entomological Collection of the State Museum of Nature of Uzbekistan. Among these, 9 species are recorded for the first time for the fauna of Uzbekistan, namely: Cryptocheilus (Cryptocheilus) alternatus caspius Gussakovskij, 1952; Priocnemis (Priocnemis) minuta (Vander Linden, 1827); Priocnemis (Umbripennis) gypsochtona Gussakovskij, 1930; Tachyagetes (Tachyagetes) excellens (Haupt,1930); Arachnospila (Ammosphex) trivialis (Dahlbom, 1843); Arachnospila (Arachnospila) binaeva Haupt, 1930; Arachnospila (Arachnospila) rufa (Haupt, 1927); Paracyphononyx pavlovskyi Gussakovskij, 1952; Arachnotheutes rufithorax (Costa, 1882).

On the taxonomy of Salagena tesselata Distant, 1897 with description of a new genus and three new species (Lepidoptera, Cossoidea, Metarbelidae)

Polina D. Pavlova — 2026-01-24

A new metarbelid genus, Hermanstaudeilla gen. n. is described, delimited from Salagena Walker, 1865, with its type species Salagena tesselata Distant, 1897. Three new species, H. hillwoodi sp. n. (type locality: Zambia, Hillwood Farm), H. felixtarasenkoi sp. n. (type locality: Tanzania, Ushongo Beach), H. hackeri sp. n. (type locality: Ethiopia, Nechisar National Park) are described from eastern and southern Africa. Adults, genitalia and distribution of all taxa are illustrated in 18 colour figures.