Herpetological misinformation and sensationalism: media framing on biological and ecological aspects of the golden lancehead (Bothrops insularis)

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  Herpetological misinformation and sensationalism: media framing on biological and ecological aspects of the golden lancehead (Bothrops insularis) Abstract The internet is currently one of the most important means of communication, which may include the circulation of misinformation. Snakes have always been a target of the sensationalist media, being pictured as scary and aggressive animals to be killed indiscriminately by humans. Such fear based on misinformation may compromise species conservation. Here, we address the spread of misinformation about Bothrops insularis and Queimada Grande Island in digital media, highlighting the negative impact on public perception and species conservation. The analysis of 230 online sources revealed that approximately 94% of them contained false information, many using sensationalist language, especially regarding the toxicity of the venom and the population density of the snake, as well as bringing contents that did not align with scientific d...

A new trapdoor spider, Nemesia hesperides sp. nov. (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae), from a home garden

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A new trapdoor spider, Nemesia hesperides sp. nov. (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae), from a home garden

ABSTRACT


Home gardens can serve as refuges for arthropod biodiversity. Here we describe a new species of trapdoor spider known only from a home garden. Nemesia hesperides sp. nov. builds a simple burrow with a wafer-type trapdoor formed by a fine sheet of web, characteristic shared with N. dorthesi Thorell, 1875, N. entinae Calvo & Pagán, 2022, N. santeugenia Decae, 2005, N. santeulalia Decae, 2005 and N. shenlongi Pertegal et al., 2022, species that share a similar morphology. The presence of Nemesia hesperides sp. nov. in a garden managed by ecological methods and its absence in the surrounding gardens managed only for a recreative use, shows the importance that management plays in the conservation role of home gardens.


Pertegal C, Pinilla Rosa M. A new trapdoor spider, Nemesia hesperides sp. nov. (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae), from a home garden. Graellsia [Internet]. 2023Nov.22 [cited 2023Nov.28];79(2):e202. Available from: https://graellsia.revistas.csic.es/index.php/graellsia/article/view/735