Description of nine new species of the Neotropical spider genus Epicratinus Jocqué & Baert, 2005 (Araneae: Zodariidae) from Brazil.

Nine new species of the Neotropical spider genus Epicratinus Jocqué & Baert, 2005 are described. Epicratinus includes now 25 species, all with male and female descriptions. An identification key for all species of the genus and maps for new species.

Fine-scale habitat selection in tree-dwelling spiders: an experimental approach.

Habitat selection by spiders is strongly influenced by biotic factors such as the availability and diversity of prey and abiotic factors such as temperature, humidity, and the structural complexity of the habitat. Structural complexity is an aspect that intensely affects species persistence, population stability, and the coexistence of interacting species. Trees comprise a complex set of microhabitats due to their large biomass and heterogeneity of the architectural components of their trunk surface and branches.

Toxic metals in Amazonian soil modify the bacterial community associated with Diplopoda.

Toxic metal pollution in the Amazon is a serious problem that reduces the quality of water, soil, air, and consequently alters communities of fauna, flora, and microbiota, harming human health and well-being. Our aim was to determine the impact of toxic metals on the structure of the bacterial community associated with Diplopoda in the Amazon rainforest. Animals were kept in microcosms contaminated with cadmium (50 mg.

The sicariid spiders in the state of Bahia, Brazil (Arachnida: Araneae).

Background: Sicariidae is a small family of cryptic and recluse spiders, with 178 species grouped into three genera: and . Only the last two occur in Brazil, where 29 species are recorded, with a greater number of records in the Southeast and South regions. To date, there is no regionalized study of the distribution of these spiders in the Northeast of Brazil.

The more, the merrier: a new colonial species of the orb weaving spider genus Leucauge White, 1841 (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) from the Amazon rainforest.

A new Leucauge species, widespread in the Amazon rainforest, is described and illustrated. Leucauge behemoth n. sp.

A new species of Pinelema Wang & Li, 2012, a relictual telemid spider inhabiting caves in Brazil (Araneae, Telemidae).

A new species of the genus Pinelema Wang & Li, 2012, occurring in caves of the state of Bahia in Northeastern Brazil, is described and illustrated. This species has the typical troglobitic characters, such as the absence of eyes, elongation of legs and setae, and pale, almost depigmented, somatic coloration. Data on the natural history of populations of P.

Taxonomic notes, distribution update and the first chromosomal analysis of Vectius niger (Simon, 1880) and Trochanteria gomezi Canals, 1933 (Araneae: Trochanteriidae).

Spiders of the family Trochanteriidae are characterized by the carapace being extremely flat, with a reflex border, medium posterior eyes flattened, laterigrade legs, the absence of claw tufts, anterior lateral spinnerets with an incomplete distal article, and an inflatable and epiginal plate formed by a divided plate. Two out of the six worldwide genera of Trocantheriids have species in the Brazilian areas: Trochanteria Karsch and Vectius Simon. Here we present the redescription of Vectius niger and morphological data of Trochanteria gomezi, with an expansion of the distribution of these species in the Neotropical region and unpublished chromosomal data of both species.

Chromosomal Study on Selected Small Araneomorph Spiders from Brazil, Including the First Records in Palpimanidae and Theridiosomatidae (Araneae, Araneomorphae).

Among the 50,474 spider species, only 849 have chromosomal data available in the literature. Fifty spider families remain unknown from a cytogenetic perspective. The aim of this study was to analyze chromosomally selected araneomorph spiders from Brazil, to contribute to the cytotaxonomy and chromosome evolution of this group.

Three new subterranean species of the genus Speocera (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae) from caves of the Carajs area in the state of Par, Brazil.

Three new species of the spider genus Speocera Berland, 1914, collected in ferruginous caves in the Carajs region of Par state, Brazil are described: Speocera pinima sp. nov., S.

Sandalodesmus joachimadisi n. sp., the first Chelodesmidae member from Uruguay with an updated key to species of the genus (Diplopoda: Polydesmida).

A new species of Chelodesmidae is described from northern Uruguay, Sandalodesmus joachimadisi n. sp. The new species differs from other congeners by particular features of the gonopods.

Chromosomal diversity in three species of Lycosa Latreille, 1804 (Araneae, Lycosidae): Inferences on diversification of diploid number and sexual chromosome systems in Lycosinae.

Lycosa is one of the most speciose genera in Lycosidae, including species with different sexual chromosome systems (SCS). We carried out cytogenetic analyses in three species of Lycosa, revealing that L. erythrognatha and L.

Two New Species of the Brazilian Millipede Genus Hoffman, 2006 (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae), Including a Key to Males.

The genus Hoffman, 2006 is revisited. Two new species from state of Mato Grosso, Brazil are described: sp. nov.

Cladistic analysis and taxonomic review of the millipede tribe Arthrosolaenomeridini Hoffman, 1976 (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae).

Chelodesmidae is one of the most diverse families belonging to the Polydesmida, comprising almost 800 described species distributed in 172 genera, 20 tribes and two subfamilies. Among the tribes within the Neotropical subfamily Chelodesminae, Arthrosolaenomeridini represents a very interesting group occurring in the Central-West region of Brazil. Currently the tribe contains three genera: Arthrosolaenomeris Schubart, 1943, Gangugia Schubart, 1947, and Angelodesmus Schubart, 1962.

First chromosomal analysis in Deinopidae (Araneae) reveals Sex Chromosome System XXXX, B chromosomes and polymorphism for centric fusion.

Here we present the first cytogentic study concerning Deinopidae and their controversial phylogenetic position. This study karyologically analyzed one population of Deinopis biaculeata Simon, 1906 and five populations of Deinopis plurituberculata Mello-Leitão, 1925. The majority of specimens of D.

Taxonomic review and cladistic analysis of Neotropical spider genus Epicratinus Jocqué Baert, 2005 (Araneae: Zodariidae) with description of eleven new species.

A taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the spider genus Epicratinus Jocqué Baert, 2005 is presented. The phylogenetic analysis is based on a data set including 16 Epicratinus species plus 9 outgroups representing by five related zodariid gen-era and one of them considered most basal as the root. These taxa were scored for 49 morphological characters.

Two new species of the ghost spider genus Macrophyes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893 from Colombia and description of the first male of Mesilla Simon, 1903 (Araneae: Anyphaenidae: Anyphaeninae).

Two new species of the elongated-body ghost spider genus Macrophyes O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893 from Colombia are herein described and illustrated: Macrophyes sanzi n. sp.

Venomous Species (Araneae, Haplogynae, Sicariidae) from Brazil: 2n♂ = 23 and XXY Sex Chromosome System as Shared Characteristics.

The family Sicariidae comprises the genera , and . This latter is subdivided in eight monophyletic groups based on genitalia morphology and molecular analyses: , , , and (South America); (North America); (Mediterranean); and (Africa). In Brazil, the genus is represented by 50 species.

Insights on repetitive DNA behavior in two species of Ctenus Walckenaer, 1805 and Guasuctenus Polotow and Brescovit, 2019 (Araneae, Ctenidae): Evolutionary profile of H3 histone, 18S rRNA genes and heterochromatin distribution.

Ctenidae represents one of the most representative spider families in the tropical forests of Brazil. Its largest genus, Ctenus, has approximately 220 species out of the more than 520 Ctenidae species described, and several authors consider it polyphyletic. Chromosomal data are only available for four species of Ctenus, representing a large gap in the cytogenetic knowledge about the group.

Two new species of the armored spider genus Tetrablemma O. P.-Cambridge, 1873 from northern South America (Araneae: Synspermiata: Tetrablemmidae).

Two new species of the armored spider genus Tetrablemma O. P.-Cambridge, 1873 from Colombia and Venezuela are herein described and illustrated: Tetrablemma tatacoa sp.

On the spider genus Cryptachaea from Peru, Bolivia and cave environments in Brazil: a new species, additional descriptions and new records (Araneae, Theridiidae).

In this paper a new species of Cryptachaea Archer, 1946 based on males and females is described from Brazilian caves: Cryptachaea pilar Santanna Rodrigues, new species from the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo. The females of Cryptachaea parana (Levi, 1963) and C. schneirlai (Levi, 1959) are described and illustrated for the first time.

A review of the millipede genus Rupidesmus Schubart, 1952 (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae).

The chelodesmid genus Rupidesmus Schubart, 1952 is revised. Currently, the genus contains only Rupidesmus ruber Schubart, 1952, herein redescribed, and the new species Rupidesmus aclys n. sp.

The taxonomy of the American Ariadna Audouin (Araneae: Synspermiata: Segestriidae).

The spider genus Ariadna Audouin, 1826 currently comprises 102 of 127 described species of Segestriidae. Its distribution comprises all continents (except Antarctica), but it is mostly found on the tropical and subtropical regions. We present a comprehensive taxonomic revision of Ariadna in the American continent, including 2,519 specimens (i.

Cytogenetic analysis of five Ctenidae species (Araneae): detection of heterochromatin and 18S rDNA sites.

The present study aimed to cytogenetically analyse five Ctenidae species (Keyserling, 1877), (Keyserling, 1891), (Keyserling, 1891), (Simon, 1906), and (Philip Bertkau, 1880), from Brazil. All species presented a 2n♂ = 28 except for , which showed 2n♂ = 29. Analysis of segregation and behavior of sex chromosomes during male meiosis showed a sex chromosome system of the type XX0 in species with 28 chromosomes and XXX0 in .

Two new species of Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae) from Northeastern Brazil.

Two new species of Bothriurid scorpions, Bothriurus delmari n. sp. and B.