New species and records of ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) from Iraq

Abstract

Newly taxonomic and faunistic data on five ground spiders (Gnaphosidae) in Iraq are provided. Talanites gilgamesh sp. nov. is described as a new species, according to two females collected from Thi Qar Province. Minosia simeonica Levy, 1995 and Synaphosus shirin Ovtsharenko, Levy & Platnick, 1994 are reported from Iraq for the first time, representing two new generic records for the fauna of this country. Additionally, new localities are reported for T. sumericus Zamani & Marusik, 2022 and Minosiella intermedia Denis, 1958. Photographic documentation of specimens, including their copulatory organs and habitats, is provided alongside mapped records detailing the known distribution of the species.