First Verified Record of a Giant Nursery Web Spider (Euprosthenops sp.) from Pakistan

This video presents the first modern, illustrated, and verifiable record of a giant nursery web spider of the genus Euprosthenops (family Pisauridae) from Pakistan.
Adult males and females were photographed and filmed repeatedly between 2020 and 2024 from Jagal (Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the Margalla Foothills (Islamabad Capital Territory). Until now, the presence of Euprosthenops in Pakistan was considered doubtful due to the lack of diagnostic images or confirmed documentation.

The spiders documented here show:
• Large pisaurid body size with elongated legs
• Compact eye arrangement typical of Euprosthenops
• Active hunting behavior and nursery-web association
• Clear sexual dimorphism between males and females

This genus is scientifically important because Euprosthenops dragline silk is among the stiffest and strongest spider silks ever studied, with exceptionally high poly-alanine content and unique molecular architecture. The genus has been widely used in silk biomechanics and spidroin research, yet its South Asian distribution remained unresolved.

⚠️ Species-level identification is intentionally conservative and retained at Euprosthenops sp., pending genitalic or molecular confirmation.

📌 This video establishes a verified baseline record for Pakistan.

A detailed scientific manuscript with figures, discussion, and references will be available on the upcoming BiodiversiGrapher® website.

📍 Location
• Jagal, Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
• Margalla Foothills, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan

📅 Observation Period
June 2020 – November 2024
📷 Recording
Field photography & videography under natural and low-light conditions

🎵 Music
YouTube Audio Library

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📚 Detailed scientific documentation will be published at:
👉 www.biodiversigrapher.com (launching soon)
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