The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second

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  Evolutionary biomechanics of maximum running speed in spiders (Araneae)    Abstract Background Maximum running speed is a central performance trait, linking morphology, physiology and behaviour to fitness. It is shaped by physical capacity and ecological selection but may also be constrained by ancestry. To examine how these forces interact across macroevolutionary timescales, we conducted an allometric study in a hyper-diverse arthropod taxon—spiders (Araneae). Results Drawing on running performance data for 258 species from 64 of the 139 extant spider families, we integrated phylogenetic comparative methods and biomechanical modelling to disentangle the effects of body size, ancestry, leg morphology, ecological guild and preferred locomotor orientation. Maximum running speed varied substantially, both across body mass and among species of similar body mass. By accounting for body mass with a recent biomechanical model, we show that size-specific performance carries ...

Systematics of the Western Ghats endemic tarantula subfamily Thrigmopoeinae with the description of a new genus and four new species

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Systematics of the Western Ghats endemic tarantula subfamily Thrigmopoeinae with the description of a new genus and four new species

Abstract
The Western Ghats are a biodiversity hotspot known for its high degree of endemism. The tarantula subfamily Thrigmopoeinae, with two genera and seven species, is endemic to the Western Ghats. A taxonomic account of the Western Ghats endemic tarantula subfamily Thrigmopoeinae is presented. The study is based on a re-examination of existing museum material and a fresh collection from across the Western Ghats. Rediagnosis of the genera Haploclastus Simon, 1892 and Thrigmopoeus Pocock, 1899, is presented with a description of a new genus and four new species. The genus Cilantica gen. nov. is proposed to accommodate Cilantica phsycadelicus comb. nov. and Cilantica kayi comb. nov., and a new species from the southern Western Ghats. Thrigmopoeinae, being endemic to the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, is a vital flagship for invertebrate conservation.

Mirza ZA (2024) Systematics of the Western Ghats endemic tarantula subfamily Thrigmopoeinae with the description of a new genus and four new species. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” 67(2): 183-234. https://doi.org/10.3897/travaux.67.e112517