Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon

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  Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon Abstract Snakes exhibit extreme cranial kinesis that facilitates ingestion of prey with large cross-sectional area, but this ability is widely predicted to reduce bite performance due to decreased structural rigidity. Consequently, most large-bodied snakes rely on envenomation or constriction to subdue prey prior to ingestion. Species within the genus Drymarchon represent a notable exception: these large, non-venomous, non-constricting snakes routinely consume a wide range of prey, including large and potentially dangerous vertebrates, using only simple seizing and pinioning behaviors. Here, we quantify bite performance in three species of Drymarchon ( D. corais, D. couperi, and D. melanurus ), examine morphological predictors of biting performance, compare biting pressure to constriction pressure in similarly sized snakes, and synthesize dietary records across the genus. Our results sh...

The genus Kimula (Opiliones: Laniatores: Kimulidae) in Puerto Rico, Greater Antilles

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 The genus Kimula (Opiliones: Laniatores: Kimulidae) in Puerto Rico, Greater Antilles

Abstract

The Antillean endemic harvestman genus Kimula, was originally established to accommodate the single Puerto Rican species Kimula elongata, the type species of the type genus of Kimulidae. The genus and the species were originally described based only on external morphology, neglecting genital characters, and thus preventing accurate identification and delimitation of the genus and the family. Here, we used an integrative approach, combining morphological observations, a phylogenetic analysis of four molecular markers (COI, 18S, 28S, and H3), and a genetic distance analysis of COI gene sequences from three K. elongata populations found in Puerto Rico to delimit the species. The analysis supports the recognition of a new species within the genus. We describe the new species Kimula boriquen sp. nov. from El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico and provide a detailed redescription of K. elongata, including the first description and illustration of its male genital morphology. Based on the morphology of these two Puerto Rican species, we propose an updated diagnosis for Kimula sensu stricto, which may guide future revisions of the genus.

Pereira, M.P., Colmenares, P.A. & Pérez-González, A. (2026) The genus Kimula (Opiliones: Laniatores: Kimulidae) in Puerto Rico, Greater Antilles. Zootaxa, 5862 (2), 245–270. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5862.2.3