Family Lycosidae Research Articles

M-Aminophenylacetylene induces maternal care in a predatory spider.

Maternal care is critically important for the survival of offspring in various animals. Spiders in the family Lycosidae are known for their hunting ability and maternal care behaviors. Predation on newly hatched spiderlings (pulli) by mother spiders decreases when they come into contact, and they carry the pulli on their dorsal surface. However, the factors inducing maternal care in lycosid spiders have not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated maternal care in Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae, Lycosidae) females. We proposed that the physical interaction between pulli and mother spiders induces maternal care via m-aminophenylacetylene (m-A), a novel regulator of maternal care. The presence of pulli on the dorsal abdomen of non-mother spiders suppressed pulli predation and increased the pulli-carrying rate, and the absence of pulli on the mother spiders increased pulli predation and decreased the pulli-carrying rate. The compound m-A was abundant in mother spiders, and it could be induced in non-mother spiders when they carried pulli. The topical application of m-A to non-mother spiders and m-A injection decreased pulli predation and increased the pulli-carrying rate, respectively; these findings indicate that m-A in both internal tissues and the integument is required for the induction of maternal care behavior, and the interaction between pulli and females induces the production of m-A. In-depth study of the regulatory mechanism of maternal care will enhance our understanding of spider biology and behavior.

Spider diversity in different habitats at District Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.

Spider species are important for maintaining ecological balance, controlling insect populations, and providing potential sources of medicinal compounds. Highlighting the importance of spider species, the present study was aimed at exploring the diversity of spider fauna and species richness in various habitats in District Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, from March 2021 to December 2021. Spiders were collected through different methods: pitfall traps, cryptic searching, ground hand collection, aerial hand collection, and vegetation beating. Then, the captured spiders were washed in alcohol and preserved in a combination of 80% alcohol and 20% glycerol for further observation. Identification was carried out with the help of available spider identification keys and literature. A total of 578 specimens representing 29 species from 17 families and 26 genera were collected and identified. Family Lycosidae was the most dominant family (13.49%), followed by Salticidae (10.2%), Araneidae (8.47%), Tetragnathidae (7.61%), Pholicidae (6.4%), Oxyopidae (5.88%), Thomisidae (5.7%), Clubionidae (5.53%), Sicariidae (5.19%), Scytodidae (5.01%), Corinnidae (4.67%), Agelenidae (4.32%), Cheiracanthiidae and Sparassidae (4.15%), Oecobiidae and Hersiliidae (3.97%) and Theridiidae was the rarest among all (1.21%). The most commonly identified species are Hippasa partita, Lycosa poonaesis, Lycosa terrestris, Draposa oakleyi, Plexippus paykulli, Menemerus nigli, Thyene imperialis, Thyene bivittate and Hasarius adansoni. Argiope versicolor, Neoscona theisi, Tetragnatha extensa, Crossopriza lyoni, and Oxyopes Javanus. During the present study, it was observed that spider species were abundantly found in warm areas from May to August, which demonstrates that the spider fauna of the study area is very rich but has yet to be explored.

Sown Covers Enhance the Diversity and Abundance of Ground-Dwelling Predators in Mediterranean Pear Orchards

Intensive agriculture has a strong impact on the structure of arthropod communities in soil. Sown covers can contribute to their conservation, especially for generalist predators such as spiders and predatory beetles. The aim of this research was to assess the effect of cover crop management on the abundance and diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods. For this purpose, a three-year experiment was conducted in a pear orchard that was divided into three blocks with two plots each: one with a sown cover of mixed plants from different families, including Boraginaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, and Fabaceae, and the other with no cover, in which any spontaneous plants were periodically removed without using herbicides. The abundance of ground-dwelling arthropods was sampled using pitfall traps. The sown cover increased the overall richness of arthropods. Additionally, spiders from the families Lycosidae and Linyphiidae, as well as beetles from the families Carabidae and Staphylinidae, were more abundant in the sown cover. Conversely, detritivores such as collembolans and beetles from the family Tenebrionidae were less abundant in the cover. The abundance of ants was not affected by the type of cover. The sown cover increased the diversity of arthropods in the crop, as well as the abundance of generalist predators.

Updates and perspectives on reproductive behavior of South American wolf spiders

The family Lycosidae is one of the spider families with the greatest diversity of species and with varied and striking strategies. Studies on Neotropical wolf spiders have contributed new and valuable information to the field of sexual selection for several decades, having discovered cases that differ markedly from previously known patterns, not only for the family but for spiders in general. Here we provide a review of studies on reproductive biology of South American wolf spiders in recent decades, focusing on the subfamilies Lycosinae, Allocosinae and Sossipinae. The promising possibilities of the spiders of this family to test fundamental hypotheses in sexual selection and reproductive biology are highlighted, and we outline areas of particular interest for future studies. We hope that this review will inspire further studies on a broader range of wolf spider species in the Neotropics.

Antibacterial Potential Analysis of Novel α-Helix Peptides in the Chinese Wolf Spider Lycosa sinensis.

The spider Lycosa sinensis represents a burrowing wolf spider (family Lycosidae) widely distributed in the cotton region of northern China, whose venom is rich in various bioactive peptides. In previous study, we used a combination strategy of peptidomic and transcriptomic analyses to systematically screen and identify potential antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in Lycosa sinensis venom that matched the α-helix structures. In this work, the three peptides (LS-AMP-E1, LS-AMP-F1, and LS-AMP-G1) were subjected to sequence analysis of the physicochemical properties and helical wheel projection, and then six common clinical pathogenic bacteria (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) with multiple drug-resistance were isolated and cultured for the evaluation and analysis of antimicrobial activity of these peptides. The results showed that two peptides (LS-AMP-E1 and LS-AMP-F1) had different inhibitory activity against six clinical drug-resistant bacteria; they can effectively inhibit the formation of biofilm and have no obvious hemolytic effect. Moreover, both LS-AMP-E1 and LS-AMP-F1 exhibited varying degrees of synergistic therapeutic effects with traditional antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin, and doxycycline), significantly reducing the working concentration of antibiotics and AMPs. In terms of antimicrobial mechanisms, LS-AMP-E1 and LS-AMP-F1 destroyed the integrity of bacterial cell membranes in a short period of time and completely inhibited bacterial growth within 10 min of action. Meanwhile, high concentrations of Mg2+ effectively reduced the antibacterial activity of LS-AMP-E1 and LS-AMP-F1. Together, it suggested that the two peptides interact directly on bacterial cell membranes. Taken together, bioinformatic and functional analyses in the present work sheds light on the structure-function relationships of LS-AMPs, and facilitates the discovery and clinical application of novel AMPs.

Occurrence of spider fauna in relation to biotic and abiotic factors in rice eco system

Occurrence of spider fauna in relation to biotic and abiotic factors in rice eco system was studied at Central Research Station and Department of Entomology, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, during Kharif 2018-2019 and kharif 2019-20. A total of 622 spider specimens belonging to 9 species, 7 genera and 4 families were collected from rice ecosystem under Bhubaneswar conditions by various sampling methods. The four recorded spider families in order of abundance were Araneidae < Tetragnathidae < Lycosidae < Oxyopidae. Araneidae and Tetragnathidae were the two dominant spider families as four species viz., spotted orb weaver, Neoscona elliptical (Tikader and Bal), grass cross spider, Argiope catenulate (Doleschall), orb weaving spider, Araneus sp, Larinia orb weaver, Larinia sp were recorded under family Araneidae where as three species viz., big jawed spider, Tetragnatha mandibulata (Walckenaer), long jaw spider, Tetragnatha maxillosa (Thorell), tailed tetragnathid spider, Tetragnatha javana (Thorell) were recorded under family Tetragnathidae. The families Lycosidae and Oxyopidae were represented by single species viz., wolf spider, Pardosa pseudoannulata (Boes and Strand) and lynx spider, Oxyopes bharatae (Gajbe), respectively. All the nine spider species recorded were active at vegetative stage, reproductive stage and ripening stage of the crop. Maximum population of spider (1.40/ m2) was noticed at reproductive phase during 45th std week (Nov 4-10) synchronizing with the peak activity period of BPH (18/hill) and WBPH (17/hill). A highly significant positive correlation existed between population of spiders irrespective of species and the incidence of leaf folder, WBPH, BPH and gundhi bug in both the seasons. Spider population regardless of species showed non significant negative correlation with minimum temperature, morning relative humidity, evening relative humidity and rainfall.

Biodiversity of Spider and other arthropods Inhabiting Cowpea under Effect of Fish culture water and nitrogen fertilization and its Yield, Protein at Fayoum Governorate Ayman Y. Zaki1 and Ahmed I. Aly2 1 Vegetable and Aromatic Plant Mites Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Dokii, Giza, Egypt. E-mail: ayzaki1975@yahoo.com 2 Vegetable Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre,

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of two sources water (Fish culture water (Fcw) and Nile freshwater (Nfw)) and nitrogen levels fertilizer on biodiversity of Spider, other arthropods, the yield and protein of cowpea. Spiders were determined throughout the period of study using the Shannon-Wiener and Simpson Indices of diversity. A total of 394 individuals (228 in Fcw and 166 Nfw) represented by 10 families of 19 identified genera, of higher diversity index in Fcw system. According to Simpson, it was found that Fcw system included the highest number of dominant species. Family Lycosidae recorded the highest number of spiders where 170 individuals with two egg sac and 123 individuals with two egg sac of Fcw system and Nile freshwater system respectively. Sorensen Quotient of Similarity between Fcw system and Nfw system are nearly approximate, as they recorded 64 % of similarity by 81.25%. Other Arthropods were represented by 23 species belonging to 16 identified families, 7 unidentified families, and 12 orders. A total of 2832 individuals in Fcw system and 2169 individuals in Nfw system were counted from 9 observations on cowpea from seedling to maturity by using pitfall trap. A total of 471 individuals in Fcw system and 592 individuals in Nfw system by using Leaves. Statistical analysis for spider, soil fauna, pests on leaves, yield and protein were discussed

A further study on the wolf spider subfamily Artoriinae from China(Araneae: Lycosidae).

The further collection and study of Chinese wolf spiders, family Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833, expand the known distribution of the subfamily Artoriinae Framenau, 2007 from Yunnan to Guangxi, Guizhou, and Sichuan Provinces of South China. Sinartoria gen. nov. is described to include two new species, S. damingshanensis sp. nov. (type species) and S. zhuangius sp. nov. In addition, a new Artoria species, A. hamata sp. nov. is described and new distribution records for A. ligulacea (Qu, Peng Yin, 2009) and A. parvula Thorell, 1877 are provided. Within the Artoriinae, Sinartoria gen. nov. appears to be most similar to the South American Lobizon Piacentini Grismado, 2009, but their relationship will remain contentious without a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of artoriine genera.

Molecular diversification of antimicrobial peptides from the wolf spider Lycosa sinensis venom based on peptidomic, transcriptomic, and bioinformatic analyses.

The venom of Lycosoidea spiders is a complex multicomponent mixture of neurotoxic peptides (main components) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as minor components. In this study, we described the high-throughput identification and analysis of AMPs from Lycosa sinensis venom (named LS-AMPs) using a combination strategy that includes the following three different analysis approaches: (i) peptidomic analysis, namely reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) separation plus top-down sequencing by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS); (ii) transcriptomic analysis, namely cDNA library construction plus DNA sequencing; (iii) bioinformatic analysis, namely analysis and prediction for molecular characters of LS-AMPs by the online biology databases. In total, 52 sequences of AMPs were identified from L. sinensis venom, and all AMPs can be categorized into eight different families according to phylogenetic analysis and sequence identity. This is the largest number of AMPs identified from a spider species so far. In the present study, we demonstrated molecular characteristics, such as complex precursor, N- and/or C-terminally truncated analogs, and C-terminal amidation of LS-AMPs from L. sinensis venom. This is a preliminary investigation on the molecular diversification of venom-derived AMPs from the wolf spider species (family Lycosidae), and a detailed investigation on the functional diversity of LS-AMPs will be preformed in the future.

Distribution and Abundance of Spider Fauna in Zaria Local Government Area, North West, Nigeria

Spiders are among the most diverse arthropod groups of organisms. This study investigated the distribution and abundance of spiders in five locations in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study was conducted for five months, from April to August, 2018. Samples were collected twice each month using vegetation beating, trapping using bottle and handpicking methods. The abundance of each species of spider identified was expressed in percentages while diversity was revealed using Shannon-Wiener diversity index. A total of 217 spiders were collected from all the study locations which belong to 14 families, 24 genera and 28 species. The study locations differ in terms of vegetation, topography and habitat structures. Family Lycosidae was found to be the dominant family which include four genera and five species, followed, by Agelenidae, Amaurobidae and Gnaphosidae which have a species proportion of 10.7% each and 3 species abundance. Area II (Tudun Serika) the most diverse, with 60 spiders collected in this area, belonging to 11 families, 18 genera and 19 species. Area IV (_________) was the least in terms of spider species diversity and abundance with only 12 spiders, belonging to four genera and four families. Cesonia bilineata had high dominance index of 1.315. There is need for proper documentation of spider species available in Nigeria.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Halocosa hatanensis (Araneae: Lycosidae)

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a desert wolf spider, Halocosa hatanensis (Lycosidae) was reported. The circular molecule is 14,257 base pairs (bp) in length and consisted of 77.8% AT nucleotides, containing two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNAs, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 1 control region, and 1 AT-rich region. The length of 13 PCGs is 10,782 bp in total, encoding 3638 amino acids. The phylogenetic analyses upon mitogenomes proves its relatively basal position within Lycosidae. It would provide further evolutionary research data for the wolf spider family Lycosidae.

Koinobint life style of the spider wasp Minagenia (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae) and its consequences for host selection and sex allocation

Spider wasps of the genus Minagenia have evolved koinobiontism as a relatively rare life strategy within the widely diversified hymenopteran family Pompilidae. In this study, we evaluated several aspects of the parasitic strategy of the wasp Minagenia sp. (hereafter, Minagenia) – namely host specificity, ontogeny, and sex determination as a function of host size. We found that Minagenia is highly host specific, being associated only with the genus Lycosa from the family Lycosidae, namely Lycosa u-album (Mello-Leitão, 1938), Lycosa erythrognatha (Lucas, 1836) and Lycosa poliostoma (Koch, 1847) with a parasitism incidence of 18.9%, 15.8% and 12.5%, respectively. Both ecological and taxonomical host traits determine the host selection and sex allocation of Minagenia female wasps. Charnov’s host-size model explains Minagenia’s host-size-dependent sex ratio in combination with the effect of host development stage, host species, and host foraging strategy. We also found that the final instar larva of Minagenia induces behavioural changes in spider hosts. The manipulated spider builds a protective silk chamber as a shelter for parasitoid pupation. Our results suggest that host manipulation seems to be narrowly connected with koinobiont life style throughout Hymenoptera. This study provides new information about the host-parasitoid koinobiont life strategy among spider wasps, which probably arose convergently in distant taxonomical groups within Pompilidae.

Anti-Bacterial Effect of Venom Extracted from Pardosa oakleyi (Family Lycosidae) and Silk Retrieved from Crossopriza lyoni (Family Pholcidae)

Anti-Bacterial Effect of Venom Extracted from Pardosa oakleyi (Family Lycosidae) and Silk Retrieved from Crossopriza lyoni (Family Pholcidae)

Biodiversity of Spider and Other Arthropods Inhabiting Cowpea under Effect of Fish Culture Water and Nitrogen Fertilization and its effect on Yield and Protein at Fayoum Governorate, Egypt

A spilt plot design field experiment was conducted at Ibshway, Fayoum governorate, Egypt 2017 to study the effect of two sources water (fish culture water and Nile water) and nitrogen levels fertilizer on biodiversity of Spider and other arthropods, also, its effect on yield and protein of cowpea. Community composition of collected spider was determined throughout the period of study using the Shannon-Wiener and Simpson Indices of diversity. A total of 394 individuals (228 fish cultural water and 166 Nile fresh water) represented by 10 families of 19 identified genera, of higher diversity index in fish culture water system. According to Simpson, it was found that Fish culture water system included the highest number of dominant species. Family Lycosidae recorded the highest number of spiders where 170 individuals with two egg sac and 123 individuals with two egg sac of fish culture water system and Nile freshwater system respectively. Sorensen Quotient of Similarity between Fish culture water system and Nile fresh water system are nearly approximate, as they recorded 64 % of similarity by 81.25%. Other Arthropods were represented by 23 species belonging to 16 identified families, 7 unidentified families, and 12 orders. A total of 2832 individuals in fish culture water system and 2169 individuals in Nile freshwater system were counted from 9 observations on cowpea from seedling to maturity by using pitfall trap. A total of 471 individuals in fish culture water system and 592 individuals in Nile freshwater system by using Leaves. Statistical analysis for spider, soil fauna and pests on leaves proved that no significant differences were observed between Fish culture water and Nile water but significant differences in yield and protein. Nitrogen levels were no significant differences in spider and soil fauna but significant differences in pests on leaves, yield and protein. Interaction between water sources and Nitrogen levels were no significant differences in spider but significant differences in soil fauna, pests on leaves, yield and protein.

Understanding selective predation: Are energy and nutrients important?

For generalist predators, a mixed diet can be advantageous as it allows individuals to exploit a potentially broad range of profitable food types. Despite this, some generalist predators show preferences for certain types of food and may forage selectively in places or at times when these foods are available. One such species is the lesser hairy-footed dunnart (Sminthopsis youngsoni). Usually considered to be a generalist insectivore, in the Simpson Desert, Australia, this small marsupial predator has been found to selectively consume wolf spiders (Family Lycosidae), for reasons yet unknown. Here, we tested whether lycosids have relatively high energy or nutrient contents compared to other invertebrates, and hence whether these aspects of food quality can explain selective predation of lycosids by S. youngsoni. Energy, lipid and protein composition of representatives of 9 arthropod families that are eaten by S. youngsoni in the Simpson Desert were ascertained using microbomb calorimetry, chloroform-methanol extraction and Dumas combustion, respectively. Although lycosids contained a high proportion of energy and nutrients, they were not found to yield statistically greater amounts of these food components than many other available arthropod prey that are not selected by S. youngsoni. Our results therefore suggest that alternative factors may be more influential in shaping dietary selection in this marsupial predator, such as high rates of encounter between lycosids and S. youngsoni.

Diel and seasonal activity of ground dwelling spiders (Araneae) in a sandy grassland habitat

The paper concerns the diel and seasonal activity of ground dwelling spiders on a sandy grassland in the Bug River Valley in East-Central Poland. The spiders were captured using pitfall traps in 2009 and 2010 from May to July. The material was collected one day a week, day and night. Traps were checked every 3 h, eight times a day. It was found that for spiders with larger bodies, from the families Lycosidae and Philodromidae, the peak of their activity was in the afternoon, and smaller spiders belonging to the families Linyphiidae and Tetragnathidae showed the greatest activity in the morning. Species Pardosa palustris and Xerolycosa miniata were dominant spiders of the studied grassland. The time of their highest diel activity was different by several hours. It was observed that P. palustris individuals were more numerous in that habitat in early June and X. miniata spiders from mid-June. Spiders of the dominant family Lycosidae were in the highest numbers in the second half of May and in early June, while most of the spiders of other families were captured before or after the period of prevailing presence of dominant spiders.

Diversity of predatory spider fauna in maize ecosystem

Investigations conducted on the identification of predatory spider fauna in maize ecosystem throughout the crop growth, in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during 2013-2014 yielded around 2821 spiders, belonging to 16 species under 10 genera of 6 families from seedling to maturity stage. Majority of the spiders collected belonged to the families Lycosidae (1671 individuals), Salticidae (459 individuals), Oxyopidae (352 individuals), Gnaphosidae (178 individuals), Corinnidae (96 individuals) and Clubionidae (65 individuals). The predatory spider species dominating in the maize ecosystem included the species Lycosa barnesi , L. pseudoannulata , Pardosa birmanica , Salticus sp. and Hippasa lycosina . Dendrogram analysis of spiders revealed that the families, Clubionidae and Gnaphosidae were closely related when compared to other predatory spider families. Correlation analysis with the weather parameters showed that the predatory spider population had non-significant positive correlation with relative humidity at 14:22 hrs and negative correlation with all other weather parameters viz., maximum temperature, minimum temperature, relative humidity at 07:22 hrs, rainfall, sunshine hours and rainy days.

Aranei, Lycosidae in Coal Open Pit Dump Ecosystem in Kuzbass

Using one of the Kuzbass coal mines as an example, it is shown that Lycosidae is the most important group of spiders that settles in reclaimed dumps at the early stages of overgrowing. The most commonand widespread wolf spiders on the dumps are Alopecosa accentuata, Alopecosa cuneata, and Xerolycosa miniata. The maximum of species diversity and dynamic density was discovered on the slope of the 15-yearolddump, where 14 species of Lycosidae were observed, and the dynamicdensity reached almost 300 specimens per 100 trap-days. The greatest number of the family Lycosidae spiders’ species occurred on the different aged slopes of dumps at the end of June, while on the terraces - in the firsthalf of June. The highest dynamic density of wolf spiders on the slopes and terraces of the reclaimed dumps has been registered in the second half of June. It was close to 300 specimens per 100 trap-days on the slope of the15-year-old dump. This parameter was more stable and had a bigger valueat the control area in early August than on the slopes and terraces of the dumps.

Faunistic Study on Spiders (Araneae) in the Špraněk National Nature Reserve with Suggestion to Conservation Management of the Locality

Spiders (Araneae) are a classic indicator taxon for evaluating the health of natural environments. Here, spiders from the forest ecosystems in Špraněk National Nature Reserve (Olomoucký Region) were investigated. A total of 1195 specimens were collected by pitfall traps, individual collection, sweeping herb vegetation, beating shrubs and trees, and shifting leaf litters. Currently, 126 species from 23 families from April to October 2013 were recorded. The species diversity in the Špraněk area is rather high, representing approximately 14 % of Czech araneofauna. The most abundant species were Pardosa alacris and Xerolycosa nemoralis from the family Lycosidae. Of the identified species, 15 species were found listed in the Red List of Threatened Species in the Czech Republic (EN – 1 species, VU – 5 species, LC – 9 species). Several findings represent the northernmost occurrences of rare thermophilic spiders in Moravia and even the Czech Republic. In addition, the author proposed management methods of the locality and suggests management efforts which can improve conditions for biodiversity within the studied area.

Epigeic Spiders from Lowland Oak Woodlands in the South Moravia Region (Czech Republic)

This paper presents spider faunistics from abandoned coppice oak forest stands located along the South Moravia region. Spiders were collected from May to July 2012 by pitfall trapping at eight different localities. We collected 1945 adult spiders representing 20 families, 53 genera, and 90 species. More than one-third of all the species are known to be xerothermophilous with ecological restrictions to open and partly shaded habitats such as forest-steppe and sparse forests which belong to endangered habitats along central Europe. The most abundant species were Pardosa alacris, P. lugubris and Arctosa lutetiana from the family Lycosidae. In the surveyed area, 24 species were found listed in the Red List of Threatened Species in the Czech Republic (CR – 1 species, EN – 2 species, VU – 15 species, LC – 6 species). In general, we discovered a substantially diversified spider community with a large presence of rare and endangered species characteristic for open and xeric habitats.