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...

Hidden cryptic spiders: Eight new species of Paratropis from Colombia and Ecuador (Araneae, Paratropididae)

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Hidden cryptic spiders: Eight new species of Paratropis from Colombia and Ecuador (Araneae, Paratropididae)

Abstract

Eight new species of the genus Paratropis Simon, 1889 from Colombia and Ecuador, Paratropis amfe sp. nov., P. aurelianoi sp. nov., P. calarca sp. nov., P. chami sp. nov., P. lluspiosa sp. nov., P. macca sp. nov., P. salsa sp. nov., P. urku sp. nov., are here diagnosed, described and illustrated. Distribution of Paratropis is expanded to Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, French Guiana, Ecuador, and Colombia. This work contributes to a better understanding of the taxonomy of Paratropis mainly under a biodiversity crisis scenario.

Tauber, Emilia, Carlos Perafán, and Fernando Pérez-Miles. 2025. “Hidden Cryptic Spiders: Eight New Species of Paratropis from Colombia and Ecuador (Araneae, Paratropididae)”. European Journal of Taxonomy 997 (1):51–76. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.997.2921.