Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider

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  Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider ABSTRACT Sex differences in behavior and functional traits are often attributed to differences in mating effort intensity, but the role of sex-specific parental demands remains poorly understood. Using the jumping spider Toxeus maxillosus —where males engage in mate searching and courtship without providing parental care, while females provide extended maternal care from egg attendance to offspring maturity (around 3 months)—we conducted an exploratory investigation into whether these distinct selective pressures led to divergence in spatial behaviors and nest architecture. Results revealed that males and females showed equivalent accuracy, latency, and learning-related performance in both a route-planning test under water stress and a color-pattern associative memory task. In contrast, during nest-construction assays, females built complex, multi-entrance structures that closely matched the container'...

Hidden in the dark: five new species of Pinelema (Araneae: Telemidae) from caves in northern Vietnam with remarks on the genus diversity and conservation

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Hidden in the dark: five new species of Pinelema (Araneae: Telemidae) from caves in northern Vietnam with remarks on the genus diversity and conservation

Abstract
Five new cave-dwelling species of the genus Pinelema Wang & Li, 2012 from northern Vietnam are described based on both sexes: Pinelema onganh, new species; P. cavernalis, new species; P. huifengi, new species; and P. nagaoi, new species, from Cao Bang Province, and P. aurata, new species, from Dien Bien Province. Three of these species exhibit marked morphological adaptations to subterranean life, including the absence of eyes, depigmentation, and leg elongation. For each species, detailed images of their diagnostic characters are provided. When possible, barcode sequences of the new species are obtained and compared with published Pinelema sequences in a pairwise analysis to assess the interspecific genetic variation of the genus. The significance of Pinelema species diversity in the Southeast Asian karst regions is also briefly discussed, along with conservation challenges linked to their strict habitat requirements.

Ballarin, Francesco & Nguyen, Duc Anh & Eguchi, Katsuyuki. (2025). Hidden in the dark: five new species of Pinelema (Araneae: Telemidae) from caves in northern Vietnam with remarks on the genus diversity and conservation. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 73. 548-567. 10.26107/RBZ-2025-0036.