ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELS BY TITYUS SERRULATUS LUTZ & MELLO, 1922 AND TITYUS STIGMURUS (THORELL, 1876) (ARACHNIDA: SCORPIONES)

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  ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELS BY TITYUS SERRULATUS LUTZ & MELLO, 1922 AND TITYUS STIGMURUS (THORELL, 1876) (ARACHNIDA: SCORPIONES) Summary Scorpions are venomous animals with high plasticity and can serve as models for biogeographical, natural history, and evolutionary studies. Ecological niche modeling can help in understanding essential characteristics of the geographic distribution of species, as well as allowing the prediction of future distribution patterns. Our objective was to model the ecological niche of the scorpion species *Tityus serrulatus * and *Tityus stigmurus* , as well as to identify the variables that influence their distribution in different biomes and their range limits in the Amazon, Caatinga, and Cerrado biomes. Data were obtained from 12 Brazilian arachnological collections. Bioclimatic variables were obtained from the WorldClim database, and niche modeling was implemented using the Maximum Entropy algorithm. The results showed that the Atlantic Forest bio...

Two New Troglobitic Species of Giupponia Pérez-González & Kury, 2002 (Opiliones: Gonyleptoidea) from Caves of Bahia, Northeastern Brazil

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Two New Troglobitic Species of Giupponia Pérez-González & Kury, 2002 (Opiliones: Gonyleptoidea) from Caves of Bahia, Northeastern Brazil

Simple Summary

Among the most fascinating environments on Earth are caves. These places are usually humid and have little to no light, creating unique conditions for life. Throughout history, caves have often been linked to legends and mysteries, sometimes seen as homes of unknown creatures or even gateways to other worlds. Interestingly, the idea that caves shelter unusual or “strange” creatures is not entirely wrong, as new troglobitic (name given to animals that live only in caves) species are still being discovered in these environments today. In this study, we describe two new species of arachnids belonging to the order Opiliones (commonly known as harvestmen). These species belong to the genus Giupponia, which, until 2002, included only a single known species. These new species were found in an important region in northeastern Brazil, the Serra do Ramalho karst area, known for its large number of caves, some of them extensive and visually striking. Describing new species helps us better understand biodiversity and provides important information to support the conservation of these unique environments and their fauna.

Gallão, J. E., Bichuette, M. E., Kury, A. B., & Hara, M. R. (2026). Two New Troglobitic Species of Giupponia Pérez-González & Kury, 2002 (Opiliones: Gonyleptoidea) from Caves of Bahia, Northeastern Brazil. Animals, 16(11), 1609. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16111609