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

Posted by
  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...

Predation on a juvenile Terciopelo (Bothrops asper) by a tarantula (Stichoplastoris denticulatus) in Tirimbina Biological Reserve, Costa Rica

Posted by

 


Predation on a juvenile Terciopelo (Bothrops asper) by a tarantula (Stichoplastoris denticulatus) in Tirimbina Biological Reserve, Costa Rica

The Terciopelo (Bothrops asper) is a mostly nocturnal and terrestrial species that inhabits lowland and foothill rain-forests and altered habitats (e.g., agricultural areas, pastures, and human settlements) from northern Mexico to the Pacific lowlands of Colombia and Ecuador at elevations of 0–1,500 m  asl  (Leenders  2016;  Savage  2002).  Few  predators  are  known to target adults but raptors (e.g., Laughing Falcons, Herpetotheres  cacchinans;  Swallow-tailed  Kites,  Elanoides forficatus; and Crane Hawks, Geranospiza caerulescens) and snakes (e.g., Mussuranas, Clelia clelia, and possibly Central American  Indigo  Snakes,  Drymarchon  melanurus)  might  prey on them (Sasa et al. 2009).

Villegas, S., Charlyn Elizondo Montano, & Justin Rodríguez Castro. (2026). Predation on a juvenile Terciopelo (Bothrops asper) by a tarantula (Stichoplastoris denticulatus) in Tirimbina Biological Reserve, Costa Rica. Reptiles & Amphibians, 33(1), e23400. https://doi.org/10.17161/randa.v32i1.23400