A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species

  A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species Abstract The ability to adhere to surfaces is particularly relevant for cursorial predatory arthropods like hunting spiders, which often traverse relatively complex environments characterized by large variation in substrate properties. Here, we evaluated the adhesive performance of six hunting spider species that are common in eastern temperate North America and lack specialized tarsi for climbing smooth or inclined surfaces [Lycosidae: Pardosa lapidicina Emerton, 1885 and Rabidosa rabida (Walckenaer, 1837); Oxyopidae: Oxyopes salticus Hentz, 1845; Pisauridae: Pisaurina mira (Walckenaer, 1837); Dolomedidae: Dolomedes triton (Walckenaer, 1837), and Dolomedes scriptus Hentz, 1845]. We tested adhesion performance as shear load resistance (g) on a glass plate, and as the angle of failure (°) when the plate was gradually inclined relative to horizontal. Average angle of failure and shear resistance differed among ...

First record of Pandava Lehtinen, 1967, in the Middle East, with a new record of Nurscia albomaculata (Lucas, 1846) (Araneae: Titanoecidae) from Iraq

 


First record of Pandava Lehtinen, 1967, in the Middle East, with a new record of Nurscia albomaculata (Lucas, 1846) (Araneae: Titanoecidae) from Iraq

Abstract

We report the first record of the titanoecid spider genus Pandava Lehtinen, 1967, from the Middle East, represented by P. hunanensis Yin & Bao, 2001, a species previously known only from southern China. Additionally, Nurscia albomaculata (Lucas, 1846) is recorded for the first time from Iraq. These records fill a knowledge gap of more than 110 years regarding the representation of the family Titanoecidae in Iraq. The occurrence of Pandava in Iraq represents a remarkable westward and northward range extension of approximately 3000 km from its nearest previously known natural distribution.

Al-Khailani, M. A., & Al-Khazali, A. M. (2026). First record of Pandava Lehtinen, 1967, in the Middle East, with a new record of Nurscia albomaculata (Lucas, 1846) (Araneae: Titanoecidae) from Iraq . Ecologica Montenegrina94, 254–263. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2026.94.18