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Issue: Vol. 5641 No. 1: 26 May 2025
Type: Monograph
Published: 2025-05-26
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5641.1.1
Page range: 1-95
Abstract views: 223
PDF downloaded: 7

Catalog of the spiders of Tunisia (Arachnida: Araneae)

Laboratoire Diversité; Gestion et Conservation des Systèmes Biologiques; LR18ES06; Faculté des Sciences de Tunis; Université de Tunis El Manar; 2092 Tunis; Tunisie; UMR CNRS 6553 Ecobio; Université de Rennes; 263 Avenue du Gal Leclerc; CS 74205; 35042 Rennes cedex; France; Association Tunisienne de la Vie Sauvage; Appartement 2; Bloc A; Residence Ennakhil; 1 Rue du Koweït; 2070 La Marsa; Tunisie.
Laboratoire Diversité; Gestion et Conservation des Systèmes Biologiques; LR18ES06; Faculté des Sciences de Tunis; Université de Tunis El Manar; 2092 Tunis; Tunisie
UMR CNRS 6553 Ecobio; Université de Rennes; 263 Avenue du Gal Leclerc; CS 74205; 35042 Rennes cedex; France; Institute for Coastal and Marine Research; University Nelson Mandela; Port Elizabeth; South Africa
Terrestrial Ecology Unit; Ledeganckstraat 35; B-9000 Gent; Belgium
Araneae Arachnology Taxonomy Species distribution Checklist North Africa Review

Abstract

A comprehensive catalog of all species of the order Araneae from Tunisia is presented, based on a compilation of data from all published sources up to the present. The catalog documents 423 species belonging to 224 genera and 45 families, including 28 endemic species. Six species are considered as nomina dubia in the World Spider Catalog (2025), and therefore removed from the list together with 18 others, with explanations provided for their exclusion. A total of 1377 records is obtained, and each species is documented with all its localities cited in the literature. The taxonomic composition, number and distribution of records in the country are analyzed. The most speciose families are Gnaphosidae (52 species), Theridiidae (51 species), Linyphiidae (45 species), Salticidae (42 species) and Lycosidae (29 species); together (219 species), they represent more than half of the species currently known to the country. The distribution of records is considerably uneven both taxonomically and geographically. A striking 187 species, representing 44.1% of the Tunisian spider fauna, are recorded from only a single locality. By contrast, only 79 species, representing 18.6% of Tunisian spiders, are recorded from more than five localities. Some localities, especially major cities, have been intensively sampled, while vast regions, like the desert, remain underexplored. In addition to cataloging, this study reviews the history of araneology in Tunisia and highlights the necessity of expanding research beyond taxonomic and faunistic studies. The present status and future perspectives of araneology in Tunisia are discussed, with recommendations for advancing araneological research in the country. This work represents the most detailed and comprehensive documentation of spiders in Tunisia so far, paving the way for future research and conservation of these arachnids in the country.

 

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How to Cite

Kmira, G., Nasri-Ammar, K., Petillon, J. & Bosmans, R. (2025) Catalog of the spiders of Tunisia (Arachnida: Araneae). Zootaxa, 5641 (1), 1–95. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5641.1.1