Notes on Indian wolf spiders: IV. Transfer of species previously included in the genera Crocodilosa Caporiacco, 1947 and Geolycosa Montgomery, 1904 (Araneae: Lycosidae)

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  Notes on Indian wolf spiders: IV. Transfer of species previously included in the genera Crocodilosa Caporiacco, 1947 and Geolycosa Montgomery, 1904 (Araneae: Lycosidae) The enigmatic Crocodilosa Caporiacco, 1947 sensu lato currently consists of five nominal species distributed in Africa and Asia (World Spider Catalog 2026). It was established for C. kittenbergeri Caporiacco, 1947, with a superficial generic diagnosis relying only on somatic features such as length of eye rows, leg spination and relative leg lengths (Caporiacco 1947). Roewer (1955), following Caporiacco’s (1947) generic diagnosis, drastically increased the number of Crocodilosa species by transferring several species from other lycosid genera, but most of these subsequently added species were later reassigned to their appropriate genera (World Spider Catalog 2026), highlighting the need for a re-examination of the type species and remaining congeners to clarify the validity of Crocodilosa. At present, the genus ha...

Expression and function of two olfactory-related genes in response to methyl salicylate in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae)

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Expression and function of two olfactory-related genes in response to methyl salicylate in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae)

The wolf spider (Pardosa pseudoannulata) is common in rice fields. Olfaction is crucial for perceiving chemical information, and our previous research indicated that methyl salicylate (MeSA), a common herbivore-induced plant volatile (HIPV), significantly attracts P. pseudoannulata. However, few studies have examined the functions of spiders' olfactory-related genes and their interactions with HIPVs. This study aimed to identify olfactory-related genes associated with MeSA in P. pseudoannulata. Transcriptome analysis revealed four differentially expressed olfactory-related genes in response to MeSA in P. pseudoannulata. Subsequent molecular docking analysis indicated that MeSA had a strong predicted binding affinity with proteins of two key olfactory-related genes (PpseNPC2-7 and PpseSNMP2). These two genes were cloned, and their expression patterns were investigated in various body parts of male and female spiders. PpseNPC2-7 and PpseSNMP2 showed significantly higher expression in leg I, pedipalps, and cephalothorax compared to the abdomen in both males and females. Following RNA interference treatment targeting PpseNPC2-7 in females and PpseSNMP2 in males, Y-type olfactory choice experiments revealed a significantly reduced preference for MeSA in dsRNA-treated spiders. Additionally, notable declines in relative electrophysiological responses were observed in five body parts (pedipalps, cephalothorax, leg I, leg II, and leg IV) in dsRNA-treated male and female spiders. These findings demonstrate the significant roles of the PpseNPC2-7 and PpseSNMP2 genes in MeSA recognition by P. pseudoannulata and lay a strong foundation for further exploration into the olfactory molecular mechanisms underlying HIPV responses in spiders.

WANG, Z., Cong-Cong, L., XIAO, F., ZHU, J., ZHANG, H., ZHANG, S., ... LIU, T. (2026). Expression and function of two olfactory-related genes in response to methyl salicylate in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae). EJE, 123, Article 233-247. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2026.023