Testing cohesive selective paths and evaluating loss of evolutionary information while delimiting species of Brazilian wandering spiders

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  Testing cohesive selective paths and evaluating loss of evolutionary information while delimiting species of Brazilian wandering spiders Abstract Biodiversity is structured in nested Retrospective Reproductive Communities (RRCs) reflecting different levels of information about evolutionary processes. Ranking species involves deciding which level to emphasize, based on a trade-off in information gain and loss. Modeling the selective processes that maintain RRCs along distinct evolutionary paths can inform these trade-offs in species delimitation. We illustrate this approach using the Brazilian wandering spiders (Phoneutria). Integrating genetic markers, geometric morphometrics, color patterns, and environmental data, we applied both established and novel approaches to test divergence through historical natural and sexual selection. We found evidence that selection on ecological niche and ventral abdominal coloration contributed to the formation of four distinct RRCs. Two of these ...

Spiders of the Orsiera Rocciavrè Natural Park and Foresto Ravine Natural Reserve (NW Italy): a faunistic synthesis with data from the “Biodiversity Monitoring Project”

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Spiders of the Orsiera Rocciavrè Natural Park and Foresto Ravine Natural Reserve (NW Italy): a faunistic synthesis with data from the “Biodiversity Monitoring Project”

We present an inventory of the spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) inhabiting the Orsiera Rocciavrè Natural Park and the Foresto Ravine Nature Reserve (NW Italy). This work combines data from bibliographic sources, unpublished material, and new sampling carried out between 2018 and 2019 as part of the “Biodiversity Monitoring Project,” supplemented by verified iNaturalist observations. In total, we report 212 species belonging to 128 genera and 32 families, including 12 new records for Piedmont. The Linyphiidae Blackwall, 1859 and the Gnaphosidae Banks, 1892 are the most represented families, as in other Alpine parks. Most species exhibit Palearctic or European distributions, with a small proportion being endemic, including rare species such as Rhode testudinea Pesarini, 1984, for which new morphological illustrations are provided. The new data presented here allowed us to investigate species richness and abundance along altitudinal gradients, revealing different patterns between transects. In addition, we conducted an indicator species analysis to identify key species within the altitudinal zonation. Beyond the faunal contribution, we emphasize the importance of faunal inventories as a baseline for future studies on the conservation ecology of spiders, particularly within protected areas.

TOLVE M., Rizzioli B., PANE A. & ISAIA M. 2026. — Spiders of the Orsiera Rocciavrè Natural Park and Foresto Ravine Natural Reserve (NW Italy): a faunistic synthesis with data from the “Biodiversity Monitoring Project”. Zoosystema  48 (6): 139-195. https://doi.org/10.5252/zoosystema2026v48a6 . http://zoosystema.com/48/6