Notes on the identity of the orb-weaver spider Araneus nox Simon, 1877 (Araneae: Araneidae) from India, including its transfer to Eriovixia Archer, 1951 and one new synonymy

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  Notes on the identity of the orb-weaver spider Araneus nox Simon, 1877 (Araneae: Araneidae) from India, including its transfer to Eriovixia Archer, 1951 and one new synonymy The orb-weaver genus Araneus Clerck, 1757 has historically served as a heterogeneous assemblage for numerous araneid spiders lacking clear generic placement, and several Asian species formerly assigned to Araneus have subsequently been transferred to more narrowly defined genera. One species that still needs further investigation on its true identity is Araneus nox (Simon, 1877), originally described as Epeira nox Simon, 1877 from Basilan Island, Philippines, and later transferred to Araneus by Simon (1905). In the same year as the description of Epeira nox, Thorell (1877) described Epeira pilula from the Moluccas (Indonesia), which was subsequently synonymised under Epeira nox by Simon (1880). Despite its broad Oriental distribution, the taxonomic identity and generic placement of A. nox have remained insuff...

Natural diet, trophic niche and prey selectivity of a euryphagous bark predator, Neotama mexicana (Araneae: Hersiliidae), in a semi-urban forest of Caldas, Colombia

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Natural diet, trophic niche and prey selectivity of a euryphagous bark predator, Neotama mexicana (Araneae: Hersiliidae), in a semi-urban forest of Caldas, Colombia

Abstract

Sit-and-wait predators often exploit resources efficiently by consuming a wide range of prey. This study provides the first assessment of the natural diet and prey selectivity of the spider Neotama mexicana (Hersiliidae) in a tropical humid forest in Manizales, Colombia. Both diurnal and nocturnal surveys were conducted to document actual and potential prey. A total of 102 prey items were recorded. Although no statistically significant positive selectivity was detected at the order level, N. mexicana showed a marked tendency to consume spiders (particularly Clubiona and Anyphaenidae) and a lower tendency to feed on dipterans, hemipterans, hymenopterans, and psocopterans. These findings indicate that N. mexicana is a euryphagous predator, primarily consuming cursorial arthropods. Future studies should determine whether this feeding pattern is common among hersiliids, whether this species possesses morphological or behavioral adaptations for araneophagy, and how prey nutritional quality influences its diet.
Galvis-Cano, Y. A., Gómez, J. Á., Castro, G. R., Aceves-Aparicio, A., Robledo-Ospina, L. E., & García, L. F. (2026). Natural diet, trophic niche and prey selectivity of a euryphagous bark predator, Neotama mexicana (Araneae: Hersiliidae), in a semi-urban forest of Caldas, Colombia. Food Webs, e00438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2026.e00438