Photoreceptor physiology of two species of crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae)

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  Photoreceptor physiology of two species of crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae) Abstract Spiders are a diverse order of predatory arachnids with more than 53.000 described species, most of which have eight eyes. Many webless hunting spiders, most noticeably the jumping spiders (Salticidae) have been shown to have excellent eyes with high spatial resolution and colour vision. The family of crab spiders (Thomisidae) is also hypothesized to be visual hunters, employing a “sit and wait” or ambush hunting technique; however, little is currently known about their visual capacity. Here we use extracellular electrophysiology to examine the photoreceptor physiology of two crab spiders living in two different ecological niches.  Ozyptila praticola  (C.L. Koch, 1837) hunts on the ground in dim habitats whereas  Xysticus cristatus  (Clerck, 1757) hunts in the typical bright open grasslands. We test the hypotheses that (1) each species has special-purpose eyes, (2) that male...

Systematic study of the Ageniellini spider wasp genus Machaerothrix Haupt (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from Japan and Southeast Asia

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Systematic study of the Ageniellini spider wasp genus Machaerothrix Haupt (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from Japan and Southeast Asia

ABSTRACT

A systematic study of Machaerothrix Haupt from Japan and Southeast Asia was conducted. The description of the genus is revised. The female and male of M. tsushimensis natsumiae subsp. n. from Honshu, Japan, the female of M. malaysiensis sp. n. from Malaysia, the male of M. tsushimensis tsushimensis Yasumatsu from Tsushima Is. Japan, and the female of M. quadridentata (Tsuneki) from the Philippines are described for the first time. The female of M. tsushimensis tsushimensis and the male of M. quadridentata are redescribed. A key to all the known species of the genus is presented. The distribution, nesting and social behaviour of the genus are discussed.

Shimizu, A., Kim, J. K., Handa, H., Otsui, K., Yoshimura, J., & Pitts, J. P. (2026). Systematic study of the Ageniellini spider wasp genus Machaerothrix Haupt (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from Japan and Southeast Asia. Journal of Natural History, 60(13–16), 763–790. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2026.2627505