Sessions

New Caledonia is an isolated Pacific archipelago characterized by high biodiversity and endemism, but its jumping spider (Salticidae) fauna remains scarcely documented. About 42 species have been reported from the island so far, but the actual number is most likely at least twice as many. My study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of New Caledonian Salticidae by examining unidentified specimens collected a few decades ago for the Hungarian Natural History Museum, and few years ago for the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris. Using stereomicroscopy, photography, and detailed morphological illustrations, I have recognized eight morphospecies belonging to four genera. Four species, Trite pennata Simon, 1885; Trite gracilipalpis Berland, 1929; Rhondes neocaledonicus (Simon, 1889); Corambis jacknicholsoni Patoleta & Żabka, 2019 were identified by using illustrations and descriptions in the literature, whereas four species and a genus have been described as new to science: Dondidacus piskalis Bjørndal & Szűts, gen. et sp. n., Trite scorpiola Bjørndal & Szűts, sp. n., Trite cycni Bjørndal & Szűts, sp. n., and Corambis dordingullini Bjørndal & Szűts, sp. n. The results demonstrate the value of detailed morphological examination and museum collections in documenting the poorly known diversity of New Caledonian Salticidae. The specimens examined provide further information on the morphology and diversity of New Caledonia’s jumping spiders and highlight the potential for additional taxonomic discoveries.