The neonicotinoid imidacloprid impairs the predatory performance and functional response of the jumping spider Helpis minitabunda (Araneae, Salticidae)

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  The neonicotinoid imidacloprid impairs the predatory performance and functional response of the jumping spider Helpis minitabunda (Araneae, Salticidae) Abstract The neonicotinoid imidacloprid can cause lethal and sublethal effects in non-target organisms, including impaired behavior, reduced fertility, disrupted locomotion, and reduced predatory performance in arthropods. Spiders are among the most abundant arthropod predators in terrestrial ecosystems, including agricultural ecosystems, yet the effects of neonicotinoids on the predatory function of jumping spiders remain poorly understood. The functional response of a predator describes how predation rates change with prey density and is key to understanding predator–prey dynamics. We tested whether acute exposure to a commercial formulation of imidacloprid at field-recommended concentrations alters the functional response of the Aussie bronze jumping spider, Helpis minitabunda (L. Koch, 1880). We compared the predation of treat...

A new trapdoor spider of the genus Actinopus (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Actinopodidae) from Argentina

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A new trapdoor spider of the genus Actinopus (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Actinopodidae) from Argentina

Abstract

A small species of the spider genus Actinopus Perty 1833 from Copo National Park in Argentina is described—Actinopus chilikuti sp. nov. The new species belongs to a small group that in Argentina previously comprised three morphologically homogeneous species. Detailed morphological descriptions of both sexes, illustrations and geographic distribution of the new species are presented.

Ríos-Tamayo, D. & Goloboff, P. A. (2025). A new trapdoor spider of the genus Actinopus (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Actinopodidae) from Argentina. Zootaxa 5563(1): 255-263. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5563.1.17