A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species

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  A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species Abstract The ability to adhere to surfaces is particularly relevant for cursorial predatory arthropods like hunting spiders, which often traverse relatively complex environments characterized by large variation in substrate properties. Here, we evaluated the adhesive performance of six hunting spider species that are common in eastern temperate North America and lack specialized tarsi for climbing smooth or inclined surfaces [Lycosidae: Pardosa lapidicina Emerton, 1885 and Rabidosa rabida (Walckenaer, 1837); Oxyopidae: Oxyopes salticus Hentz, 1845; Pisauridae: Pisaurina mira (Walckenaer, 1837); Dolomedidae: Dolomedes triton (Walckenaer, 1837), and Dolomedes scriptus Hentz, 1845]. We tested adhesion performance as shear load resistance (g) on a glass plate, and as the angle of failure (°) when the plate was gradually inclined relative to horizontal. Average angle of failure and shear resistance differed among ...

On the Identity of Some Taxa in the Tarantula Tribe Hapalopini, with Two Synonymies, and Description of Four New Genera and Three New Species (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

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On the Identity of Some Taxa in the Tarantula Tribe Hapalopini, with Two Synonymies, and Description of Four New Genera and Three New Species (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

Abstract

Four new genera are described to resolve the recent placement of non-congeneric species in Hapalopus Ausserer, 1875 and Thrixopelma Schmidt, 1994. Further taxonomic notes on Hapalopini are provided. Crypticarachne gen. nov. is described for the newly combined monotypic species Crypticarachne nadineae (Sherwood & Gabriel, 2022) comb. nov. Devicarina gen. nov. is described to house the newly combined species Devicarina akroa (Moeller, Galleti-Lima & Guadanucci, 2024) comb nov. (type species) and Devicarina guidonae (Moeller, Galleti-Lima & Guadanucci, 2024) comb. nov. which were clearly misplaced in Hapalopus. Ewok gen. nov. is described for six newly combined and two newly described species: Ewok aymara (Chamberlin, 1916) comb. nov., Ewok aycaramba sp. nov., Ewok christineae (Sherwood & Gabriel, 2024) comb. nov. (type species), Ewok cyaneolum (Schmidt, Friebolin & Friebolin, 2005) comb. nov., Ewok eliseanneae (Sherwood & Gabriel, 2024) comb. nov., Ewok kainae sp. nov., Ewok kimraykawsaki (Signorotto et al., 2025) comb. nov. and Ewok pruriens (Schmidt, 1998) comb. nov. Warmiru gen. nov. is described to accommodate the newly combined species Warmiru lagunas (Schmidt & Rudloff, 2010) comb. nov. and Warmiru longicolli (Schmidt, 2003) comb. nov. (type species). Thrixopelma peruvianum (Schmidt, 2007) syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of Warmiru longicolli comb. nov. based on spermathecal morphology. Finally, Anqasha lima sp. nov. is described based on material from Peru in accordance with Article 13 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The recent misidentification of palpal bulb keels by Kaderka & QuispeColca (2025) is corrected, and Thrixopelma zaratensis Kaderka & Quispe-Colca, 2025 is newly transferred to Ewok gen. nov. with Ewok zaratensis syn. nov. placed as a junior synonym of Ewok christineae comb. nov.

Sherwood, D., Gabriel, R., Peñaherrera-R., P., León-E., R. J., Rollard, C., Leguin, E.-A., Brescovit, A. D. & Lucas, S. M. (2025f). On the identity of some taxa in the tarantula tribe Hapalopini, with two synonymies, and description of four new genera and three new species (Araneae: Theraphosidae). ZooNova 46: 1-23. doi:10.5281/zenodo.17612014