The distribution, spatial clustering, and density of trapdoor spiders in two California coastal dune ecosystems

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  The distribution, spatial clustering, and density of trapdoor spiders in two California coastal dune ecosystems Abstract Coastal dune ecosystems support endemic trapdoor spiders, yet population data for these species are limited. We conducted the first coastal dune trapdoor spider population estimation surveys at Moss Landing State Beach (California) and for Aptostichus stephencolberti Bond 2008 at Sunset State Beach using randomly selected 1m 2 quadrats across ~26,000 m 2 per site. Burrow densities were similar between sites (Sunset: 0.287 burrows/m 2 ; Moss: 0.453 burrows/m 2 ), yielding estimated population sizes of ~35,206 and ~30,959 individuals, respectively. However, spatial analyses revealed contrasting patterns of burrow distribution. At Sunset State Beach, burrow presence was strongly associated with vegetation and occurred closer to plants, despite vegetation being randomly distributed. In contrast, no vegetation–burrow association was detected at Moss Landing, alth...

Two new species in the spider genus Nanometa (Araneae: Tetragnathidae: Nanometinae) from Tasmania

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Two new species in the spider genus Nanometa (Araneae: Tetragnathidae: Nanometinae) from Tasmania

Two new species in the orb-weaving spider genus Nanometa Simon, 1908 are described, N. ilanejzykowiczi sp. nov. and N. cerastes sp. nov. (family Tetragnathidae Menge, 1866), elevating the number of described Australian species to eight. Both new species have so far only been recorded from Hartz Mountains National Park, southern Tasmania, at about 1,200 metres a.s.l., where two other species, N. tasmaniensis Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020 and N. tetracaena Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020 also occur.

Castanheira PdS, Rossi GdF & Baptista RLC (2023). Two new species in the spider genus Nanometa (Araneae: Tetragnathidae: Nanometinae) from Tasmania. Australian Journal of Taxonomy 38: 1–8. doi: https://doi.org/10.54102/ajt.gcxtp