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...

Three new species of the orb-weaving spider genus Alpaida O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889, the real male of A. guimaraes Levi, 1988 and the male of Aculepeira apa Levi, 1991 (Araneae: Araneidae)

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Three new species of the orb-weaving spider genus Alpaida O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889, the real male of A. guimaraes Levi, 1988 and the male of Aculepeira apa Levi, 1991 (Araneae: Araneidae)

Abstract

Three new species of Alpaida O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889 are described from the Brazilian Amazon region: Alpaida tukano sp. nov., A. kayapo sp. nov. and A. tupinamba sp. nov. Alpaida murtinho Levi, 1988 is newly synonymized with A. guimaraes Levi, 1988 and the male originally associated with A. guimaraes is redescribed as A. tupinamba sp. nov. The true male of A. guimaraes is redescribed, and the male of Aculepeira apa Levi, 1991 is described for the first time.

Pamplona, R., Bonaldo, A.B. & Pantoja, P. (2025) Three new species of the orb-weaving spider genus Alpaida O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1889, the real male of A. guimaraes Levi, 1988 and the male of Aculepeira apa Levi, 1991 (Araneae: Araneidae). Zootaxa, 5696 (1), 63–82. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5696.1.4