This checklist records the occurrence of 1413 species of spiders (Araneae) in 43 families in Canada and Alaska. Distributions of species are given by state, territory and province. Each species name is presented in its original combination, followed by primary synonyms, if any. The list is dominated by members of the family Linyphiidae (39.5% of total species). Highest numbers of species are recorded for Ontario (746), British Columbia (700) and Québec (677). We record 69 species that are thought to be introduced from elsewhere and 321 that are known in the Palaearctic.
Frederickus, gen. nov. (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Erigoninae) is described in honor of Dr. Frederick A. Coyle. The genus is diagnosed by the combination of scattered hair-tipped tubercles on the chelicerae, and male palp with a long straight distal suprategular apophysis (DSA) paralleled by the embolic membrane (EM). Two species are included: Frederickus coylei sp. nov. and Frederickus wilburi (Levi and Levi, 1955) comb. nov. transferred from Collinsia (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1913). Frederickus coylei was previously known as Spirembolus vasingtonus, a nomen nudum. A phylogenetic analysis based on morphology places Frederickus in the "distal erigonines" of Miller and Hormiga (2004). The addition of Frederickus to the character matrix leads to important changes of the relationships within the distal erigonine clade suggesting phylogenetic instability in that clade. Diagnoses, descriptions, locality records, habitat information and distribution maps are given for the two species.
The spider genus Nanoa gen. nov. (Araneae, Pimoidae) is described to place Nanoa enana , a new species of pimoids from Western North America. Parsimony analysis of morphological characters provides support for the monophyly of Pimoa plus Nanoa and corroborates the monophyly of Pimoidae and of the clade Linyphiidae plus Pimoidae.
Spiders found in international cargo brought into North America are sometimes submitted to arachnologists for identification. Often, these spiders are presumed to be of medical importance because of size or a submitter's familiarity with a toxic spider genus from the continent of origin. Starting in 2006, requests were made for spiders found in international cargo brought into North America, in addition to the specimens from similar cargo shipments already in our museum collections. This was an ad hoc study that allowed us to focus on spiders of concern to the discoverer. We identified 135 spiders found in international cargo. A key for the most common species is provided. The most frequently submitted spiders were the pantropical huntsman spider, Heteropoda venatoria (L.) (Sparassidae), and the redfaced banana spider, Cupiennius chiapanensis Medina Soriano (Ctenidae). Spiders of medical importance were rare. The most common cargo from which spiders were submitted was bananas with most specimens coming from Central America, Ecuador, or Colombia. Lack of experience with nonnative fauna caused several experienced American arachnologists to misidentify harmless ctenid spiders (C. chiapanensis, spotlegged banana spider, Cupiennius getazi Simon) as highly toxic Phoneutria spiders. These misidentifications could have led to costly, unwarranted prophylactic eradication measures, unnecessary employee health education, heightened employee anxiety and spoilage when perishable goods are left unloaded due to safety concerns.
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