Systematic revision of the Savignia genus group (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Erigoninae) with notes on their cephalic lobe evolution

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  Systematic revision of the Savignia genus group (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Erigoninae) with notes on their cephalic lobe evolution Abstract The Savignia genus group includes nine morphologically complex yet similar genera where species were assigned based mainly on the cephalic lobes. Among these genera, males of Diplocephalus Bertkau, 1883, Savignia Blackwall, 1833 and Araeoncus Simon, 1884 show some of the most extraordinary cephalic lobes among dwarf spiders (Linyphiidae, Erigoninae). In this study we undertake the first phylogenetic analysis of the Savignia genus group. We use 269 morphological characters (175 newly defined) and 70 taxa (59 ingroup taxa) to reconstruct the relationships and evolutionary trends of cephalic lobes in this lineage. Our findings show that cephalic lobes with varying shapes and sizes appear in several Savignia genus group lineages, highlighting that it is not a good diagnostic character. The high support in several clades allows the redefinition of t...

A taste for ants: potential obligate myrmecophagy in Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae)

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A taste for ants: potential obligate myrmecophagy in Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae)

Abstract

Ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by the genus Lasaeola Simon, 1881 is a behaviour sporadically reported in the scientific literature and frequently observed in images uploaded to various online platforms. While these scattered observations confirm the existence of this predator-prey interaction, a systematic analysis of these observations has never been undertaken. Here, we present the first formal analysis and compilation of documented cases of myrmecophagy in Lasaeola, providing evidence that obligate ant predation is a likely foraging strategy for this genus.

A taste for ants: potential obligate myrmecophagy in Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae), 
Dentici A & Bianco VFL (2025), Eine Vorliebe für Ameisen: Potentielle obligate Myrmekophagie durch die Gattung Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae), Heft 70, 24-28 10.30963/aramit7005