A new species and a new record of Zoicinae Lehtinen & Hippa, 1979 (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Sumatra Island, with notes on miniaturization in wolf spiders

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  A new species and a new record of Zoicinae Lehtinen & Hippa, 1979 (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Sumatra Island, with notes on miniaturization in wolf spiders Abstract A new species of wolf spider, Zoica veloxilla sp. nov., from Sumatra (Indonesia) is described based on both sexes. Lysania pygmaea Thorell, 1890 is recorded from Sumatra for the first time, and its male is illustrated and redescribed. A distribution map for Zoica and Lysania is provided. The problem of miniaturization in wolf spiders is briefly discussed. Based on an analysis of the literature, 32 minute species of wolf spiders in four subfamilies and eleven genera have been reported. The smallest wolf spider known worldwide seems to be Zoica minuta (McKay, 1979) from Australia. Omelko, M.M. & Fomichev, A.A. (2026) A new species and a new record of Zoicinae Lehtinen & Hippa, 1979 (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Sumatra Island, with notes on miniaturization in wolf spiders. Zootaxa, 5869 (2), 339–350. https://doi.o...

Aversive conditioning and memory in the harvester Mischonyx squalidus (Arachnida: Opiliones)

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Aversive conditioning and memory in the harvester Mischonyx squalidus (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Abstract

Aversive conditioning is a form of associative learning. Here, we investigated learning and memory capacity of the harvester Mischonyx squalidus (Roewer, 1913), to examine the formation of short (STM) and long-term memories (LTM). First, we trained harvesters to associate an aversive stimulus (shock) with a neutral stimulus (tea odor). Each subject went through three consecutive trials, in which pairings between the stimuli lasted for 3s, with intervals of 1 (STM) and 30 (LTM) min. Subsequently, to test memory, we introduced the subjects in a choice arena where they could choose between staying in either of two areas: impregnated with tea chemicals or blank. We did this immediately after the conditioning phase or 24h after it. Both protocols were successful for STM within the same-day test, but not for LTM on the following day. In summary, we provide a new method to train aversive conditioning in harvesters and evidence for short-term memory.

Guilherme Ferreira Pagoti, Marina Costa Rodrigues, Gabriel Pimenta Murayama, Rodrigo Hirata Willemart "Aversive conditioning and memory in the harvester Mischonyx squalidus (Arachnida: Opiliones)," The Journal of Arachnology, 53(1), 26-29, (20 June 2025)