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...

From burrows to spotlight: first description of the female of Eresus lavrosii Mcheidze, 1997 (Araneae, Eresidae), with notes on the natural history

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From burrows to spotlight: first description of the female of Eresus lavrosii Mcheidze, 1997 (Araneae, Eresidae), with notes on the natural history

Abstract

Eresidae (velvet spiders) is a relatively small family of spiders, most-diversified in the African continent. The present study provides the first description of the female of Eresus lavrosii Mcheidze, 1997, which has remained undiscovered for over two decades. We also briefly review the species’ history and add knowledge of its ecology, biology, and distribution. Diagnostic drawings and digital photographs of female and male copulatory organs, alongside COI barcoding results, photographs of live and preserved specimens, and of microhabitat are also presented.

Seropian A, Bulbulashvili N, Makharadze G, Kovács G (2025) From burrows to spotlight: first description of the female of Eresus lavrosii Mcheidze, 1997 (Araneae, Eresidae), with notes on the natural history. Caucasiana 4: 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.4.e151922