Broad-Scale Climatic Gradients Drive Multiple Facets of Scorpion Beta Diversity in Northeastern Brazil

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  Broad-Scale Climatic Gradients Drive Multiple Facets of Scorpion Beta Diversity in Northeastern Brazil ABSTRACT Aim Beta diversity analyses clarify mechanisms structuring ecological communities, but their multidimensional facets remain poorly explored in arthropods. Here, we quantified taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional beta diversity in scorpions, partitioned these facets into species replacement and richness differences, and evaluated the relative importance of spatial structure and environmental conditions in driving community assembly. Location Northeastern Brazil, South America. Taxon Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Methods Taxonomic beta diversity was estimated using species presence across 70 sites in northeastern Brazil. Phylogenetic turnover was calculated from a multi-locus molecular tree, and functional beta diversity was derived from morphometric and ecological traits. All beta diversity facets were decomposed into replacement and richness-difference component...

Catalog of the spiders of Tunisia (Arachnida: Araneae)

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Catalog of the spiders of Tunisia (Arachnida: Araneae)

Abstract

A comprehensive catalog of all species of the order Araneae from Tunisia is presented, based on a compilation of data from all published sources up to the present. The catalog documents 423 species belonging to 224 genera and 45 families, including 28 endemic species. Six species are considered as nomina dubia in the World Spider Catalog (2025), and therefore removed from the list together with 18 others, with explanations provided for their exclusion. A total of 1377 records is obtained, and each species is documented with all its localities cited in the literature. The taxonomic composition, number and distribution of records in the country are analyzed. The most speciose families are Gnaphosidae (52 species), Theridiidae (51 species), Linyphiidae (45 species), Salticidae (42 species) and Lycosidae (29 species); together (219 species), they represent more than half of the species currently known to the country. The distribution of records is considerably uneven both taxonomically and geographically. A striking 187 species, representing 44.1% of the Tunisian spider fauna, are recorded from only a single locality. By contrast, only 79 species, representing 18.6% of Tunisian spiders, are recorded from more than five localities. Some localities, especially major cities, have been intensively sampled, while vast regions, like the desert, remain underexplored. In addition to cataloging, this study reviews the history of araneology in Tunisia and highlights the necessity of expanding research beyond taxonomic and faunistic studies. The present status and future perspectives of araneology in Tunisia are discussed, with recommendations for advancing araneological research in the country. This work represents the most detailed and comprehensive documentation of spiders in Tunisia so far, paving the way for future research and conservation of these arachnids in the country.

I am deeply grateful to Ghassen Kmira for kindly sharing the full paper with me through ResearchGate.

Kmira, Ghassen, Karima Nasri-Ammar, Julien Petillon, and Robert Bosmans. 2025. “Catalog of the Spiders of Tunisia (Arachnida: Araneae)”. Zootaxa 5641 (1). Auckland, New Zealand:1-95. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5641.1.1.