Hidden diversity in plain sight: four new species of Nemesia (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) from the Córdoba Province of Spain

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  Hidden diversity in plain sight: four new species of Nemesia (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) from the Córdoba Province of Spain Abstract A taxonomic revision of the species of Nemesia Audouin, 1826, distributed in the vicinity of Córdoba City, southern Spain, is presented. Four new species are described: Nemesia morana sp. nov. (female), N. kodama sp. nov. (male and female), N. rosae sp. nov. (male and female), and N. tamajoni sp. nov. (male and female). These species are distinguished by distinct morphological characters, including the shape of the spermathecae, palpal bulbs, and spinnerets, as well as by burrow architecture. Fieldwork was conducted across two of the three major habitat types in the region—the humid, forested mountains of Sierra Morena and the croplands and riparian forests of the Guadalquivir Valley—while the third, the “campiña”, which is mainly composed of agricultural landscapes, remains poorly explored. Sampling methods included pitfall trapping and the direct e...

Fluctuating asymmetry in spider-hunting wasps as a possible indicator of stress in Brazilian Atlantic Forest landscapes

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Fluctuating asymmetry in spider-hunting wasps as a possible indicator of stress in Brazilian Atlantic Forest landscapes

Abstract

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  1. Habitat loss and land-use intensification are among the major drivers of biodiversity decline worldwide, leading to measurable effects on organismal morphology, physiology, behaviour and developmental stability that cascade to survival, reproduction and population dynamics.
  2. Using fluctuating asymmetry (FA), we analysed whether Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) opacum Brèthes, 1914 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), one of the species found in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, reflects the level of stress experienced by certain spider-hunting wasps. In addition, female wing size was analysed across 18 landscapes with varying characteristics between 2012 and 2024.
  3. The landscape metrics used in this analysis included forest, agricultural and pasture cover. FA was estimated using Procrustes scores, while wing size was measured by centroid size (CS).
  4. Simple regression analyses revealed a positive relationship between FA and agricultural cover, while CS was positively associated with forest cover and negatively related to agricultural cover (p < 0.05). These results suggest that populations in more intensively farmed landscapes experience greater developmental instability.
  5. Habitat simplification and environmental stressors induced by intensive agricultural management in agricultural landscapes further impair insect developmental homeostasis, increasing the likelihood of reduced developmental stability and increased FA.
  6. Although T. opacum is considered a species related to open habitats, our results indicate that forested areas play an important role in promoting larger wing size, likely by providing key prey resources and foraging opportunities.
Ribeiro, M. C., & Tunes Buschini, M. L. Fluctuating asymmetry in spider-hunting wasps as a possible indicator of stress in Brazilian Atlantic Forest landscapesAssimetria flutuante em vespas caçadoras de aranhas como possível indicador de estresse em paisagens da Mata Atlântica brasileira. Ecological Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.70062