The taxonomy and systematics of European house spiders, currently constituting the ill‐defined Tegenaria−Malthonica complex (including Aterigena) in the family Agelenidae, are revised. In Europe four monophyletic genera and 81 species are defined. One genus, Eratigena gen. nov., and seven species are described as new; at species level 17 new synonyms and 20 new combinations are proposed, and the original combination of 14 species is reinstated. Five species could not be placed (incertae sedis) because of insufficient material and one taxon is regarded as ‘nomen dubium’. On the basis of a detailed morphological assessment, 88 characters were chosen for a cladistic analysis. Phylogenetically informative characters include mostly spination patterns as well as spinneret and genital structures. In addition to morphology, three gene sections [cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (NADH1) 28S] were analysed. Morphological and molecular analyses were performed individually and in combination applying maximum parsimony and Bayesian tree search methods. In all resulting trees Malthonica and Tegenaria in their present composition are either polyphyletic or paraphyletic. Consequently, we redefined the two genera and erected a new genus, Eratigena gen. nov. Identification keys are provided for the European agelenid genera as well as for the European species of Tegenaria and Eratigena gen. nov. The genera and most of the constituent species are described and illustrated. The new classification has also been applied to some extra European members of the Tegenaria‐Malthonica complex resulting in additional three new synonyms, seven reversals to the original combination, and four new combinations. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London

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Funnel web spiders from Sardinia: Taxonomical notes on some Tegenaria and Malthonica spp.

The paper is the third contribution in the series devoted to spider species new to the fauna of Iran. The family Miturgidae, seven genera (Agelescape, Dictyna, Firmicus, Paracedicus, Poecilochroa, Prochora, Sidydrassus) and 30 species are recorded from Iran for the first time. The hitherto doubtful Iranian record of Benoitia lepida (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876) (Agelenidae) is confirmed by the specimens newly collected from Khorasan-e Razavi Prov. A map of collecting localities is provided and 15 species are illustrated by digital photos. РЕЗЮМЕ. Настоящая работа является третьим сообщением в серии статей посвященных новым видам пауков для фауны Ирана. Семейство Miturgidae, семь родов (Agelescape, Dictyna, Firmicus, Paracedicus, Poecilochroa, Prochora, Sidydrassus) и 30 видов отмечаются впервые для Ирана. Ранее считавшаяся сомнительной находка Benoitia lepida (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876) (Agelenidae) подтверждена материалом, собранным в провинции Хорасан-Резави. Приводится карта с указаниями точек находок всех видов, и 15 проиллюстрирваны цифровыми фотографиями.

Two new genera, Ponsoonops and Bipoonops, are established for groups of species characterized by sexually dimorphic dorsal abdominal scutum expression (with a scutum present in males but not females), male palps with a separate cymbium and bulb, and a patterned abdomen. Both genera belong therefore to the Varioonops complex, represented now by three described Neotropical genera. Members of Ponsoonops are united by three putative synapomorphies in males: a "pierlike" dorsal scutum completely fused to the epigastric scutum, a patch of short setae ventrodistally on metatarsi I and II, and a short anteromedian protrusion on the endites. Female Ponsoonops specimens differ from other members of the Varioonops complex in having small lateral sclerites at the epigynal area and a smooth sternum. Members of Bipoonops share a large, irregularly shaped, rather indistinct dark spot posteriorly on the carapace, a putative synapomorphy, and a moderately rugose sternum surface; males are characterized by a distinct, bipartite conductor. A total of 22 Ponsoonops species, 21 new to science, are described: P. duenas, P. hamus, and P. tacana from Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, P. bilzi, P. lucha, P. samadam, P. sanvito, and P. viejo from Costa Rica, P. bollo, P. boquete, P. coiba, P. fanselix, P. frio, P. lerida, P. mirante, P. panto, P. salimsa, and P. vuena from Panama, P. pansedro from Colombia, P. micans (Simon, transferred from Dysderoides) from Venezuela, P. yumuri from Cuba, and P. lavega from the Dominican Republic. Bipoonops is described for three new species found on the western slope of the Andes in Ecuador: B. baobab, B. pucuna, and B. tsachila.

The genera complex Tegenaria/Malthonica is a problematic spider group of the family Agelenidae. Besides taxonomical problems, new European species are described on a regular basis. Here two species from Portugal, Tegenaria barrientosi sp. n. and Tegenaria incognita sp. n., are described. Both species show a significant similarity to T. bucculenta, T. feminea and T. montigena, a species group restricted to the Iberian Peninsula. T. barrientosi sp. n. can be separated by the pyramidal shaped ventral branch of the conductor, the shape and arrangement of the RTA and the proportion of the bulblength to the cymbium-length, the run and shortness of the copulatory ducts with the diverticulae originating laterally and the irregularly sclerotized egg-shaped spermathecae, which are touching each other anteriorly. T. incognita sp. n. can be separated by the very broad lateral branch and the almost completely hidden lateroventral branch of the RTA, the shape of the conductor with the terminal end pointing towards posterior, the inwards directed epigynal teeth, the run and shortness of the copulatory ducts with the anteriorly originating diverticulae.

Zoropsis spinimana (Araneae: Zoropsidae) first record in Germany. The first two records of Zoropsis spinimana (Dufour, 1820) in Germany are presented together with a further discovery of the species in Central Switzerland. A spreading of the species from South to North along traffic routes is supposed and climate change is suggested as a possible reason for the species establishing itself in Central Europe.