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Taxonomy, phylogeny, and size evolution in Megaraneus
Many spider species show large differences in size between males and females, but biologists still do not fully understand how or why...
Sep 24


Female sexual cannibalism and male reproductive strategies
Sexual cannibalism — the consumption of one mating partner by the other before, during, or after copulation — is documented across...
Sep 17


In Pisaura mirabilis, opposites might attract
Animal personalities - consistent behavioral tendencies - can play an important role in mating decisions. This study tests the idea that...
Sep 17


Help us sample the African hermit spider!
The objective of our project is to provide a robust scientific framework for testing organismal spread and invasion. Our model organisms...
Jun 24


Bark spider cryptic diversity highlights need for taxonomic expertise
Bark spiders (genus Caerostris ) are large spiders distributed across the Old-World tropics. Caerostris are characterized by web...
Apr 25


To mate or to steal food? A male spider’s dilemma
We report a sequence of unusual male behaviors observed in the spider species Nephila pilipes (family Nephilidae), a sexually size...
Apr 18


Variance decomposition in surface versus cave isopod populations
A longstanding question in evolutionary biology is how within-population phenotypic variation is maintained under natural selection. The...
Feb 11


Systematics and evolution of raft and nursery-web spiders
Pisauridae - nursery-web spiders - are a global and heterogeneous assemblage of spider genera with diverse morphologies and lifestyles....
Feb 4


Dolomedes fishing spider biology
Dolomedes may easily be considered to be among the most charismatic spider taxa. Known colloquially as fishing or raft spiders, this...
Dec 2, 2024


Reviving an an endangered European butterfly
In this study, we focus on Coenonympha oedippus , an endangered butterfly species protected under Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats...
Sep 3, 2024


Nephila male preference for female size and web clusters
Sexual size dimorphism theory predicts biased operational sex ratios (OSRs) and an uneven distribution of males among certain females. We...
Sep 2, 2024


Spider kleptoparasites on orb web resource patches
The ideal free distribution (IFD) theory predicts that individuals are free to move among habitat patches and distribute among them...
Aug 30, 2024


Spiders manipulate and exploit firefly signals
Predators often search for prey while moving through the environment, but there are important exceptions, including the way sedentary...
Aug 19, 2024


A spider, an ant, and a termite walk into a bar
Ants and termites are insect groups that make up most of the insect biomass in tropical ecosystems. Due to their social structure and...
Jul 15, 2024


DNA barcoding insufficiently identifies European wild bees
Noticeable declines in insect populations have become of concern. Among the system services that functioning ecosystems provide,...
Mar 25, 2024


A 400% increase in Dolomedes diversity on Madagascar
Madagascar is well known for its diverse and unique biota. The combination of a unique geological history of Madagascar and its long...
Feb 27, 2024


Behavioural sex differences in the raft spider
We delved into the fascinating world of Dolomedes fimbriatus, a spider species with significant size differences between females and...
Dec 6, 2023


Mating plugs: for mating or sperm protection
It is generally thought that mating plugs, where present, impede or reduce the possibilities of female subsequent mating. However, mating...
Nov 29, 2023


First stygobiotic form of Garra in Iran
We report the first finding of the stygobiotic form of the cyprinid fish Garra rufa (Heckel, 1843), discovered in a single locality in...
Oct 18, 2023


A new intertidal trapdoor spider species discovered in Taiwan
Spiders are successful predators that inhabit nearly all kinds of terrestrial and even freshwater habitats. However, only a handful of...
Oct 10, 2023
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