Spiders of Tunisia (Araneae): Past, Present and Future

Despite numerous recent and historical contributions, the arachnofauna of Tunisia remains severely understudied because of limited research efforts, taxonomic challenges, scattered literature, absence of local araneologists, and a lack of comprehensive reviews serving as a knowledge baseline. This has resulted in significant gaps in our understanding of spider diversity and distribution in the region. This study aims to: 1) summarize the history of araneology in Tunisia, addressing current challenges and highlighting gaps in research; 2) present a comprehensive catalog of all Araneae species from Tunisia, analyzing taxonomic composition, number of records, and species distribution across the country; and 3) discuss the future perspectives of araneology in Tunisia, offering recommendations for future research and conservation efforts. Keywords Catalog ; biodiversity ; North Africa ; species distribution ; species list ; taxonomic review