Photoreceptor physiology of two species of crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae)

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  Photoreceptor physiology of two species of crab spiders (Araneae: Thomisidae) Abstract Spiders are a diverse order of predatory arachnids with more than 53.000 described species, most of which have eight eyes. Many webless hunting spiders, most noticeably the jumping spiders (Salticidae) have been shown to have excellent eyes with high spatial resolution and colour vision. The family of crab spiders (Thomisidae) is also hypothesized to be visual hunters, employing a “sit and wait” or ambush hunting technique; however, little is currently known about their visual capacity. Here we use extracellular electrophysiology to examine the photoreceptor physiology of two crab spiders living in two different ecological niches.  Ozyptila praticola  (C.L. Koch, 1837) hunts on the ground in dim habitats whereas  Xysticus cristatus  (Clerck, 1757) hunts in the typical bright open grasslands. We test the hypotheses that (1) each species has special-purpose eyes, (2) that male...

Richness analysis and completeness of the scorpion fauna of Aguascalientes, Mexico with an identification key to species

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Richness analysis and completeness of the scorpion fauna of Aguascalientes, Mexico with an identification key to species

Abstract
The scorpion fauna of the state of Aguascalientes was revised based on specimens deposited in scientific collections and fieldwork. We evaluated the completeness of the scorpion species inventory of the Colección Zoológica of the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes (CZUAA) based on nonparametric estimators. The results indicate that the number of species increased from 11 to 13, recording for the first time Chihuahuanus glabrimanus (Sissom & Hendrixson, 2005), a psammophilic species, and Centruroides balsasensis Ponce-Saavedra and Francke, 2004, a medically relevant species for public health. Finally, an identification key to the scorpion species of Aguascalientes is provided and a recount of ecological and biological traits of the species herein is studied. 

Fernanda, Chávez Samayoa & Escoto, Jaime & González Santillán, Edmundo. (2024). Richness analysis and completeness of the scorpion fauna of Aguascalientes, Mexico with an identification key to species. REVISTA MEXICANA DE BIODIVERSIDAD. 95. 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2024.95.5380.