Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider

  Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider ABSTRACT Sex differences in behavior and functional traits are often attributed to differences in mating effort intensity, but the role of sex-specific parental demands remains poorly understood. Using the jumping spider Toxeus maxillosus —where males engage in mate searching and courtship without providing parental care, while females provide extended maternal care from egg attendance to offspring maturity (around 3 months)—we conducted an exploratory investigation into whether these distinct selective pressures led to divergence in spatial behaviors and nest architecture. Results revealed that males and females showed equivalent accuracy, latency, and learning-related performance in both a route-planning test under water stress and a color-pattern associative memory task. In contrast, during nest-construction assays, females built complex, multi-entrance structures that closely matched the container'...

FIRST CHECKLIST OF THE NON-ACARINE ARACHNIDS (CHELICERATA: ARACHNIDA) OF THE CHAPADA DIAMANTINA NATIONAL PARK, BRAZIL

 


FIRST CHECKLIST OF THE NON-ACARINE ARACHNIDS (CHELICERATA: ARACHNIDA) OF THE CHAPADA DIAMANTINA NATIONAL PARK, BRAZIL


Abstract

This work aims to provide regionalized information on the non-acarine arachnids inhabiting the Brazilian Chapada Diamantina National Park (PARNA-CD), and its surroundings, to support studies for protecting endemic species and preventing human accidents by these animals. We used registers of five arachnological collections covering 36 years, validated by the world catalogs of each order. We found 67 arachnid species from five orders, 42 families, in the six municipalities surrounding PARNA-CD. Araneae (54 species) and Scorpiones (ten species) were the most representative orders. We found no records of the other orders except for Pseudoscorpiones (two species) and Amblypygi (one species). Only one spider species (Tmesiphantes hypogeus), and two scorpions (Troglorhopalurus lacrau and T. translucidus) were assessed on the IUCN criteria for conservation. Twenty-six species are endemic to Brazil, of which five have no records in any location other than PARNA-CD. At least one medically important species was encountered in each municipality, from the genera: Latrodectus, Loxosceles, Phoneutria, and Tityus. Given the recent rate of human-mediated changes (undue land-use) where several Brazilian caatinga areas were exposed, endemic species from this list should be the priority target for long-term ecological and behavioral studies.

Andrade de Sá, J., Kobler Brazil, T., Emmanuel Soares Barreto, D. and Maria Lira-da-Silva, R. (2025) “FIRST CHECKLIST OF THE NON-ACARINE ARACHNIDS (CHELICERATA: ARACHNIDA) OF THE CHAPADA DIAMANTINA NATIONAL PARK, BRAZIL”, Boletín de la Sociedad Zoológica del Uruguay, 34(1), p. e34.1.5. doi: 10.26462/34.1.5.