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...

A three-dimensional immunofluorescence atlas of the brain of the hackled-orb weaver spider, Uloborus diversus

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A three-dimensional immunofluorescence atlas of the brain of the hackled-orb weaver spider, Uloborus diversus

Abstract

Spider orb-web building is a captivating, rare example of animal construction, whose neural underpinnings remain undiscovered. We created a three-dimensional atlas for the hackled-orb weaver, Uloborus diversus, based on immunostaining for the presynaptic component, synapsin, in whole-mounted spider synganglia. Whereas spider neuroanatomy has thus far been most comprehensively studied in cursorial species, this optically sectioned atlas contributes a continuous, finely resolved model of the central nervous system of an orb-web building spider. Aligned to this volume, we examined the expression patterns of neuronal populations representing many of the classical neurotransmitters and neuromodulators (GABA, acetylcholine, serotonin, and octopamine/tyramine), as well as a subset of neuropeptides (allatostatin A, crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP), FMRFamide, proctolin) – detailing immunoreactivity in an unbiased fashion throughout the synganglion to reveal co-expression in known structures (such as the arcuate body), as well as novel neuropils not readily apparent in prior spider research, including the tonsillar neuropil as well as a potential protocerebral bridge. These structures provide targets for future functional studies, and taken together, could represent a spider equivalent of the central complex, contributing to behaviors such as web-building.

Gregory Artiushin, Abel Corver, Andrew Gordus (2026) A three-dimensional immunofluorescence atlas of the brain of the hackled-orb weaver spider, Uloborus diversus eLife 14:RP107732. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.107732.3