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 niche modeling approach to unveil the absence of pycnothelid spiders (Mygalomorphae: Pycnothelidae) in a mountainous grassland of central Argentina

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A niche modeling approach to unveil the absence of pycnothelid spiders (Mygalomorphae: Pycnothelidae) in a mountainous grassland of central Argentina

ABSTRACT

The family Pycnothelidae comprises medium to small-sized spiders that construct silk tubes under stones or logs or dig burrows in open environments. In Argentina, Acanthogonatus centralis Goloboff, 1995 and Stenoterommata platensis Holmberg, 1881 are two species commonly found in central region, associated to the mountainous grasslands or to the La Plata River Basin. The Tandilia mountainous grassland is an extended belt located southeastern Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Although some pycnothelid spiders are distributed close to this mountainous system, they are not recorded in Tandilia. Through niche modeling we attempt to evaluate the influence of bioclimatic variables in shaping the distribution of these species and explore their absence in the mountainous belt under past, present and future climatic conditions. We found that Tandilia is a non-suitable area for the establishment of the populations of these species with the exception of Stenoterommata platensis under a future scenario of climatic change.

Nicoletta, M., & Ferretti, N.. (2025). A niche modeling approach to unveil the absence of pycnothelid spiders (Mygalomorphae: Pycnothelidae) in a mountainous grassland of central Argentina. Iheringia. Série Zoologia, 115, e286369. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4766e286369