In Memoriam: Giraldo Alayón García

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  In Memoriam: Giraldo Alayón García -  Photo © Facebook/National Museum of Natural History of Cuba In Memoriam: Giraldo Alayón García The arachnological community mourns the loss of Giraldo Alayón García, a Cuban zoologist whose work helped bring the spiders of Cuba and the wider Caribbean into clearer scientific view. As a researcher and curator at Cuba’s National Museum of Natural History, Dr. Alayón devoted decades to studying arachnids. His publications on spider taxonomy, evolution, and biogeography gave other researchers a stronger foundation for understanding the region’s biodiversity. He also shared that knowledge through teaching and scientific exchange far beyond Cuba. For those of us who care about taxonomy, his legacy is a reminder of the patient work behind every species description: examining specimens, recording differences, and preserving knowledge that others can build upon. His contributions will continue to guide the study of Caribbean spiders for years to ...

A comprehensive evaluation of the aculear sensory structures in scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones)

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A comprehensive evaluation of the aculear sensory structures in scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones)

Abstract
The scorpion telson is composed of a bulbous shaped base with two venom glands and an acu-leus with two venom channels that open to the exterior. The cuticular surface of the aculeus is covered with acu-lear peg sensilla and pore holes. These sensillar pegs are located on the aculeus surface of the telson and function as contact chemoreceptors. Data on aculear peg sensilla are presented from both parvorders, four families, 15 genera and 15 species of extant scorpions. Although all aculear peg sensilla have a similar structure in all species and sexes in terms of their general morphology, their location and frequency on the surface of the aculeus cuticle varies. The shape of these sensilla is similar in all species, and the distribution density on the cuticle surface differs from species to species. The single slit sensilla were observed at various intervals and numbers in the aculeus-bulb connection area of the telson. 

Erdek, Melek & Yağmur, Ersen. (2024). A comprehensive evaluation of the aculear sensory structures in scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). 33. 355–374. 10.15298/arthsel.33.3.05.