Researchers from the College of Education for Sciences at Dhi Qar University in southern Iraq and Finland's Turku University have successfully discovered a new species of spider with global significance.

This academic milestone was achieved by Assistant Professor Ghasan Adnan from Dhi Qar University in collaboration with Dr. Alireza Zamani from Turku University. The newly discovered spider species has been named Eresus urus Al-Yacoub & Zamani, 2025, as a tribute to the ancient civilization of Ur in Mesopotamia during the 21st century BCE, according to a statement issued by Dhi Qar University on Tuesday.

The study's images were selected as the cover for the current issue of the British journal Arachnology, highlighting the importance and precision of the research. This journal is published by the British Arachnological Society (BAS), established in 1958, one of the oldest organizations specializing in the study of arachnids.

The university's statement also noted that the new spider species has been documented in the Swedish World Spider Catalog (WSC), which specializes in cataloging spider species and their global distribution.

Male and female specimens of this new species were collected in Dhi Qar Governorate, specifically in the regions of Shatra and Nasiriyah. It is classified under the group of spiders known as "Ladybird Spiders."

Dhi Qar University emphasized that this study represents a significant scientific contribution to biodiversity, advancing the understanding of ecosystems and supporting efforts to protect biological diversity, especially in environmentally unexplored areas.