A new Cataleptoneta species (Araneae, Leptonetidae) from sulfidic caves in Greece and Albania

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  A new Cataleptoneta species (Araneae, Leptonetidae) from sulfidic caves in Greece and Albania Abstract A new species of the genus Cataleptoneta Denis, 1955, Cataleptoneta sulfur sp. nov ., is described from caves in the Vromoner Canyon (Sarandaporo River Valley), on the Greek–Albanian border (northwestern Greece and southern Albania), on the basis of both sexes. Drawings, scanning electron micrographs, and digital images of diagnostic features are presented. Analysis of COI mitochondrial barcode sequences confirmed the species distinction from all the other sequences. Within the species two separate lineages, unique to each cave were found. The genus Cataleptoneta is not monophyletic as now circumscribed and confirmed also by the phylogenetic analysis of the sequences. Urák I, Ştefan A, Motoc RM, Brad T, Zsigmond A-R, Sarbu SM, Szűts T (2026) A new Cataleptoneta species (Araneae, Leptonetidae) from sulfidic caves in Greece and Albania. ZooKeys 1294: 89-107. https://doi.org/...

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