Maternal care efficiency of the ghost spider of the new eldar genus (Araneae: Anyphaenidae, Anyphaeninae) against new Pseudagaurax Malloch species (diptera: chloropidae)

The care of parents in nature can occur in different ways and vary in intensities and strategies, being maternal care one of the patterns widely observed in animals. In spiders, parents’ investment is carried out mainly by women. Despite this, newborn eggs can still be the objectives of a series of natural enemies. In a remnant of the Atlantic forest in Brazil, the women of the spider Eldar Galadrielae sp. Nov., Anyphaenidae family, build nests on the edge of the forest by folding the leaves of the plants. However, information about plants chosen for Nest, the importance of maternal care by females in the survival of offspring, and predators are completely unknown. In this study, (1) we present new information about the nest built by females of Eldar Galadrielae sp. nov.; (2) compared the predation rate in spider eggs Eldar Galadrielae in nests with and without the presence of the female; (3) provided morphological descriptions and distribution maps to the genre Eldar Gen nov. as well as the presentation; and (4) the described Pseudagaurax Vasconcellosi sp. nov. as the fidder of spider eggs. This is the first report on an interaction between Pseudagax Flies and any Spiders from Anyphaenidae. Our results support the highest predation rates in women. Eldar Galadrielae sp. nov. nests Although the consumption of eggs was 100% in the nests attacked by the flies, the general rate of nests was low, since the flies were only recorded in three of the 12 nests that maintained female attention, which indicates that the active protection of the egg bags by the females can increase the possibilities of survival of the offspring.

Villanueva-Bonilla, Ga, de Oliveira, LFM, Brescovit, Ad et al. Many problems for a solo mother: maternal care efficiency of the new genre ghost spider Eldar (Araneae: Anyphaenidae, Anyphaeninae) against new species Pseudagax Malloch (diptera: chloropidae). SCI NAT 11233 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/S00114-025-01982-4