Broad-Scale Climatic Gradients Drive Multiple Facets of Scorpion Beta Diversity in Northeastern Brazil

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  Broad-Scale Climatic Gradients Drive Multiple Facets of Scorpion Beta Diversity in Northeastern Brazil ABSTRACT Aim Beta diversity analyses clarify mechanisms structuring ecological communities, but their multidimensional facets remain poorly explored in arthropods. Here, we quantified taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional beta diversity in scorpions, partitioned these facets into species replacement and richness differences, and evaluated the relative importance of spatial structure and environmental conditions in driving community assembly. Location Northeastern Brazil, South America. Taxon Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Methods Taxonomic beta diversity was estimated using species presence across 70 sites in northeastern Brazil. Phylogenetic turnover was calculated from a multi-locus molecular tree, and functional beta diversity was derived from morphometric and ecological traits. All beta diversity facets were decomposed into replacement and richness-difference component...

Hidden treasures of the Caribbean: two new genera and one new species of Lesser Antillean ischnocoline spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

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Hidden treasures of the Caribbean: two new genera and one new species of Lesser Antillean ischnocoline spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

Abstract
The new genus Caribothele gen. nov. is described to house its type species Caribothele culebrae (Petrunkevitch, 1929) comb. nov., from Puerto Rico, transferred from Holothele Karsch, 1879. Another new genus, Encantarana gen. nov. is described to house Encantarana hamiltoni gen. et sp. nov. based on both sexes, also from Puerto Rico, and is presently monotypic. Four other species misplaced in Holothele Karsch, 1879 are transferred to Caribothele gen. nov., creating the following new combinations: Caribothele denticu-lata (Franganillo, 1930) comb. nov., Caribothele maddeni (Esposito & Agnarsson, 2014) comb. nov., Caribothele shoemakeri (Petrunkevitch, 1926) comb. nov., and Caribothele sulfurensis (Maréchal, 2005) comb. nov.

Acknowledgement

My deepest and most heartfelt gratitude goes to Danni Sherwood for her generosity in sharing this and other forthcoming publications prior to their official release. Her consistent support and willingness to provide early access to such valuable materials are sincerely appreciated and continue to make a meaningful difference in advancing this work.

Sherwood, D., Gabriel, R., Peñaherrera-R., P., Rollard, C., Leguin, E.-A. & Privet, K. 2025: Hidden treasures of the Caribbean: two new genera and one new species of Lesser Antillean ischnocoline spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae). - Natura Somogyienis 46: 99-116.