Henard, A.,  Logghe, G.,  Bronne, L.,  Smitz, N.,  Vanderberken, M.,  Attaque, A. & Van Keer, K. 2024. ‘First record of Nigma puella (Simon, 1870) in Belgium, validated by genetic identification (Araneae, Dictynidae)’. Journal of the Belgian Arachnological Society 39(2): 103-115. ISSN: 2795-8957.  (PR).

Article in a scientific Journal / Article in a Journal

The presence of the bleeding heart spider Nigma puella (Simon, 1870), a member of the Dictynidae family, had not been formally confirmed in Belgium until now. The species was recorded in Tihange in 2023 through a photograph posted on Observations.be / Waarmeningen.be, the Belgium participatory platform for monitoring biodiversity. Subsequently, in 2024, two males and a female were captured at the same site. Their identity is now confirmed through sequencing a fragment of their cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene and examining their morphological characteristics. A list of key characters is also presented for the three species of Nigma Lehtinen, 1967 found in Belgium. The list of Dictynid species occurring in Belgium is updated.