What’s a Spider? Designation of the Neotype for the First Animal Species Ever Described, Araneus angulatus Clerck 1757 (Araneae: Araneidae)

Posted by
  What’s a Spider? Designation of the Neotype for the First Animal Species Ever Described, Araneus angulatus Clerck 1757 (Araneae: Araneidae) Abstract We designate a neotype for the Eurasian spider species Araneus angulatus Clerck, 1757, thereby fixing the objective application of the species name, the genus name Araneus Clerck 1757, the family name Araneidae Clerck 1757, and the superfamily name Araneoidea Clerck 1757. By etymology and arachnological tradition, it also unofficially fixes the application of the ordinal name Araneae Clerck 1757 and thus answers the uncontroversial question, “What’s a spider?” A. angulatus also happens to be historically the first animal species ever described because Clerck (1757) has priority over Linnaeus (1758). Neotype designation is justified for three reasons: the syntypes of A. angulatus are lost; “ A. angulatus ” contains significant COI sequence divergence, potentially representing intraspecific variation, misidentifications, or as many...

Delayed Cannibalism in the Litter-Dwelling Scorpion Mesotityus pusillus (Pocock, 1893) (Scorpiones, Buthidae): Evaluating Kin Recognition as a Possible Explanation

Posted by

 


Delayed Cannibalism in the Litter-Dwelling Scorpion Mesotityus pusillus (Pocock, 1893) (Scorpiones, Buthidae): Evaluating Kin Recognition as a Possible Explanation

Abstract

The small size and limited defensive capacity are factors responsible for the high mortality of juveniles. Thus, offspring recognition is an important trait for juvenile survival, especially in generalist predators. In this study, we investigated aspects related to offspring discrimination in females of the scorpion Mesotityus pusillus. A total of 172 juveniles from 32 females were divided into two groups: females with their own offspring and females with unrelated juveniles. Predation events were recorded daily for 20 days. Predation occurrence and the proportion of juveniles consumed did not differ significantly between groups. Females with their own offspring tended to take longer to initiate predation than females exposed to unrelated juveniles, although this difference was not statistically significant. Our results reveal differences in the timing of cannibalistic behavior without providing clear evidence for consistent avoidance of cannibalism. While kin recognition cannot be excluded as a possible explanation, alternative mechanisms, such as familiarity, prior association, or environmental cues, may also contribute. These findings highlight a potential role of temporal offspring discrimination in shaping cannibalistic behavior, which may influence juvenile survival and reproductive success in M. pusillus.

Rodríguez-Medina, L.S., de Araujo Lira, A.F. & Pordeus, L.M. Delayed Cannibalism in the Litter-Dwelling Scorpion Mesotityus pusillus (Pocock, 1893) (Scorpiones, Buthidae): Evaluating Kin Recognition as a Possible Explanation. J Insect Behav 39, 20 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-026-09915-3