DNA barcoding of scorpions from Kosovo, with the first record of Alpiscorpius dinaricus (Di Caporiacco) (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae)

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  DNA barcoding of scorpions from Kosovo, with the first record of Alpiscorpius dinaricus (Di Caporiacco) (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) ABSTRACT This study presents DNA barcoding data for Alpiscorpius dinaricus (Di Caporiacco) and Euscorpius hadzii Caporiacco. Barcode sequences were compared with publicly available reference data to support species identification, together with the evaluation of diagnostic morphological characters. Alpiscorpius dinaricus is recorded from Kosovo for the first time, representing a new national record and contributing to the knowledge of euscorpiid diversity in the region. Diagnostic illustrations of A. dinaricus are provided to facilitate reliable identification and to support future faunistic, taxonomic, and biogeographic studies. Euscorpius hadzii , previously known only from Prizren district, is now reported also from Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains (Western Kosovo). Geci, D., Ibrahimi, H., Bilalli, A., Musliu, M., Strohmeier, T., Koblmüller, S., … S...

Extraordinary Creatures: Jumping Spiders

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Extraordinary Creatures: Jumping Spiders

There are almost 7000 species of jumping spider on the planet, with the family comprising 10–13% of all spiders. Found on all continents except Antarctica, they can live at altitudes of up to 7000 m and are even capable of surviving under water, thanks to hydrophobic hairs that hold a bubble of air around the cuticle. They vary in size from 2 mm up to 25 mm from front to back, with the largest species, Hyllus giganteus, found throughout Southeast Asia. The spiderlings essentially balloon, by spinning electrostatically charged strands of silk that can carry them enormous distances, even travelling from Australia to New Zealand, 3000 km away. They have also done away with many muscles, relying instead on hydrostatic pressure to pneumatically extend their limbs, making them extremely metabolically efficient. Ximena Nelson, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, has been investigating the vision of these extraordinary creatures for 30 years. She tells Journal of Experimental Biology how they hunt, attract a mate and how their multiple eyes provide them with an extraordinarily detailed 360 deg view of the world.

Extraordinary creatures: jumping spiders. J Exp Biol 15 April 2026; 229 (8): jeb252551. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.252551