Sequence capture phylogenomics of eyeless spiders from Texas caves, with emphasis on US federally-endangered species from Bexar County (Araneae, Hahniidae).

Morphological, mitochondrial, and nuclear phylogenomic data were combined to address phylogenetic and species delimitation questions in cave-limited spiders from central Texas. Special effort was focused on specimens and cave locations in the San Antonio region (Bexar County), home to four eyeless species listed as US Federally Endangered. Sequence capture experiments resulted in the recovery of ~200-400 homologous ultra-conserved element (UCE) nuclear loci across taxa, and nearly complete COI mitochondrial DNA sequences from the same set of individuals.

Consumption of energy drinks among Québec college students.

Objectives: Consumption of energy drinks (ED) raises concerns because of adverse health effects possibly linked with high levels of caffeine and sugar intake. The study looks at the scope of ED consumption as well as some of the associated characteristics.

Methods: Thirty-six public colleges in the Canadian province of Québec agreed to participate in a descriptive cross-sectional study (n = 36).

Systematics, conservation and morphology of the spider genus Tayshaneta (Araneae, Leptonetidae) in Central Texas Caves.

The spider genus Tayshaneta is revised based on results from a three gene phylogenetic analysis (Ledford et al. 2011) and a comprehensive morphological survey using scanning electron (SEM) and compound light microscopy. The morphology and relationships within Tayshaneta are discussed and five species-groups are supported by phylogenetic analyses: the anopica group, the coeca group, the myopica group, the microps group and the sandersi group.

Changes in soil macroarthropod communities in relation to forest maturation through three successional stages in the Canadian boreal forest.

The edaphic macroarthropod communities of three sites representative of the forest succession in the Lake Duparquet region (situated in the southern part of the boreal forest, Abitibi, Quebec, Canada) were studied. A 47-year-old deciduous forest, a 144-year-old mixed forest, and a 231-year-old coniferous forest form a successional forest gradient with a vegetation composition that is a function of the time elapsed since the last forest fire. Along with forest succession, there is a reduction in macroarthropod community biodiversity.