Assembly of Guanine Crystals as a Low-Polarizing Broadband Multilayer Reflector in a Spider, .

The diminishing of the polarization effect is important in the applications of dielectric multilayer reflectors in many optical systems, such as low-loss broadband waveguides, optical fibers, and LEDs. Low-polarizing broadband reflections were identified from birefringent-guanine-crystal-based multilayer reflectors in the skins of some fish. Previous models for these intriguing natural optical phenomena suggested the combined action of two populations of guanine crystals with an orthogonal low-refractive-index optic axis.

Globally distributed occurrences utilised in 200 spider species conservation profiles (Arachnida, Araneae).

Background: Data on 200 species of spiders were collected to assess the global threat status of the group worldwide. To supplement existing digital occurrence records from GBIF, a dataset of new occurrence records was compiled for all species using published literature or online sources, from which geographic coordinates were extracted or interpreted from locality description data.

New Information: A total of 5,104 occurrence records were obtained, of which 2,378 were from literature or online sources other than GBIF.

Species conservation profiles of a random sample of world spiders IV: Scytodidae to Zoropsidae.

Background: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the most widely used information source on the extinction risk of species. One of the uses of the Red List is to evaluate and monitor the state of biodiversity and a possible approach for this purpose is the Red List Index (RLI). For many taxa, mainly hyperdiverse groups, it is not possible within available resources to assess all known species.

Species conservation profiles of a random sample of world spiders III: Oecobiidae to Salticidae.

Background: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the most widely used information source on the extinction risk of species. One of the uses of the Red List is to evaluate and monitor the state of biodiversity and a possible approach for this purpose is the Red List Index (RLI). For many taxa, mainly hyperdiverse groups, it is not possible within available resources to assess all known species.

Species conservation profiles of a random sample of world spiders II: Gnaphosidae to Nemesiidae.

Background: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the most widely used information source on the extinction risk of species. One of the uses of the Red List is to evaluate and monitor the state of biodiversity and a possible approach for this purpose is the Red List Index (RLI). For many taxa, mainly hyperdiverse groups, it is not possible within available resources to assess all known species.

Species conservation profiles of a random sample of world spiders I: Agelenidae to Filistatidae.

Background: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the most widely used information source on the extinction risk of species. One of the uses of the Red List is to evaluate and monitor the state of biodiversity and a possible approach for this purpose is the Red List Index (RLI). For many taxa, mainly hyperdiverse groups, it is not possible within available resources to assess all known species.

Structural origins of coloration in the spider Berland, 1913 (Araneae: Theridiidae) from Madagascar.

This study investigates the structural basis for the red, silver and black coloration of the theridiid spider, (Berland, 1913) from Madagascar. Specimens of this species can retain their colour after storage in ethanol for decades, whereas most other brightly pigmented spider specimens fade under identical preservation conditions. Using correlative optical, structural and chemical analysis, we identify the colour-generating structural elements and characterize their optical properties.