Eresus rubrocephalus, a new species of ladybird spider discovered in Morocco. / Ph. Authors of the study ‹ › A new species of ladybird spider, named for its striking entirely red head and carapace, has been discovered in Morocco. The species, Eresus rubrocephalus, was formally described in a peer-reviewed study published in September 2025. The spider was found near Sidi Allal El Bahraoui, northeast of Rabat, in a cork oak (Quercus suber) grove growing on iron-rich red sandy soil. Two male specimens were collected in June and October 2021 in sparse undergrowth covered with herbaceous plants. The species is currently known from a single locality, highlighting both its rarity and the need for further field research in the region, according to the study led by János Gál of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, alongside an international team of Hungarian and Moroccan researchers. The specimens collected in Morocco are visually unique among all European, North African, and Asian relatives, the researchers say. While ladybird spiders are known for their vivid red abdomens dotted with black spots, the Sidi Allal El Bahraoui spiders have a completely red cephalothorax. The spider's abdomen is also marked with two pairs of black spots, the first pair having a distinctive raindrop shape, another trait that sets it apart from related species. Beyond its unusual appearance, the team confirmed the spider's status as a new species through detailed microscopic examination of male copulatory organs and genetic analysis, including COI DNA barcoding. The genetic results showed significant divergence from all known Eresus species, reinforcing the conclusion that Eresus rubrocephalus is not a color variant but a genuinely distinct taxon. The discovery adds to a growing list of recently described ladybird spiders from Morocco, including Eresus almaghrib, Eresus gharbi, and Eresus elhennawyi. «The description of this species suggests the existence of a species formation and evolutionary hot spot in North Africa focusing on Morocco», the researchers conclude. The authors emphasize that further combined morphological and genetic surveys could reveal additional unknown species.
