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Cardoso RC, Ferreira RL, Souza-Silva M. Multi-spatial analysis on cave ecosystems to predict the diversity of subterranean invertebrates. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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2
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Pellegrini TG, Ferreira RL, Zampaulo RDA, Vieira L. Three new troglobitic Coarazuphium (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Zuphiini) species from a Brazilian hotspot of cave beetles: exploring how the environmental attributes of caves drive ground-beetle niches. SUBTERRANEAN BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.43.73185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Three new species of troglobitic beetles of the genus Coarazuphium are described from specimens collected in iron ore caves in the Flona de Carajás in Brazil, doubling the number of known species for the Carajás region. The new species of Coarazuphium are morphologically similar to the already described species from the same region and are distributed in a small geographic range. From all Coarazuphium species of the region, including the new ones, two stand out, C. spinifemur and C. xingusp. nov., which are the smallest Coarazuphium species. Both species have shorter legs and antennae when compared to the others. The main characteristic that differentiates C. xikrinsp. nov. and C. kayaposp. nov. from the other two species from the Carajás region, C. tapiaguassu and C. amazonicum, is that the new species have more numerous setigerous punctures dorsally on the head. With the three new species added to the six already described congeners, the area of intense mining of the Carajás region includes the highest diversity of obligatory cave-dwelling beetles in Brazil, representing a hotspot of cave beetles. Coarazuphium xikrinsp. nov. and C. amazonicum co-occur in some of the caves of the Carajás region, which is possible due to putative niche differentiation between the species. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining legal provisions that ensure the preservation of caves, especially those most relevant regarding physical and biotic aspects, which is crucial for the conservation of Brazilian subterranean biodiversity.
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Microhabitats - integrative environmental factors for species communities of Coleoptera in the karst landscape. Biologia (Bratisl) 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00683-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Trevelin LC, Simões MH, Prous X, Pietrobon T, Brandi IV, Jaffé R. Optimizing speleological monitoring efforts: insights from long-term data for tropical iron caves. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11271. [PMID: 33959423 PMCID: PMC8054738 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the factors underpinning species abundance patterns in space and time is essential to implement effective cave conservation actions. Yet, the methods employed to monitor cave biodiversity still lack standardization, and no quantitative assessment has yet tried to optimize the amount and type of information required to efficiently identify disturbances in cave ecosystems. Using a comprehensive monitoring dataset for tropical iron caves, comprising abundance measurements for 33 target taxa surveyed across 95 caves along four years, here we provide the first evidence-based recommendations to optimize monitoring programs seeking to follow target species abundance through time. We found that seasonality did not influence the ability to detect temporal abundance trends. However, in most species, abundance estimates assessed during the dry season resulted in a more accurate detection of temporal abundance trends, and at least three surveys were required to identify global temporal abundance trends. Finally, we identified a subset of species that could potentially serve as short-term disturbance indicators. Results suggest that iron cave monitoring programs implemented in our study region could focus sampling efforts in the dry season, where detectability of target species is higher, while assuring data collection for at least three years. More generally, our study reveals the importance of long-term cave monitoring programs for detecting possible disturbances in subterranean ecosystems, and for using the generated information to optimize future monitoring efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xavier Prous
- Environmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale S.A., Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thadeu Pietrobon
- Environmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale S.A., Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Iuri Viana Brandi
- Environmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale S.A., Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo Jaffé
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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Parimuchová A, Dušátková LP, Kováč Ľ, Macháčková T, Slabý O, Pekár S. The food web in a subterranean ecosystem is driven by intraguild predation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4994. [PMID: 33654189 PMCID: PMC7925651 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84521-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Trophic interactions of cave arthropods have been understudied. We used molecular methods (NGS) to decipher the food web in the subterranean ecosystem of the Ardovská Cave (Western Carpathians, Slovakia). We collected five arthropod predators of the species Parasitus loricatus (gamasid mites), Eukoenenia spelaea (palpigrades), Quedius mesomelinus (beetles), and Porrhomma profundum and Centromerus cavernarum (both spiders) and prey belonging to several orders. Various arthropod orders were exploited as prey, and trophic interactions differed among the predators. Linear models were used to compare absolute and relative prey body sizes among the predators. Quedius exploited relatively small prey, while Eukoenenia and Parasitus fed on relatively large prey. Exploitation of eggs or cadavers is discussed. In contrast to previous studies, Eukoenenia was found to be carnivorous. A high proportion of intraguild predation was found in all predators. Intraspecific consumption (most likely cannibalism) was detected only in mites and beetles. Using Pianka's index, the highest trophic niche overlaps were found between Porrhomma and Parasitus and between Centromerus and Eukoenenia, while the lowest niche overlap was found between Parasitus and Quedius. Contrary to what we expected, the high availability of Diptera and Isopoda as a potential prey in the studied system was not corroborated. Our work demonstrates that intraguild diet plays an important role in predators occupying subterranean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Parimuchová
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Šrobárova 2, 041 54, Košice, Slovakia.
| | - Lenka Petráková Dušátková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ľubomír Kováč
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Šrobárova 2, 041 54, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Táňa Macháčková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Slabý
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
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Unique behavioural modifications in the web structure of the cave orb spider Meta menardi (Araneae, Tetragnathidae). Sci Rep 2021; 11:92. [PMID: 33420121 PMCID: PMC7794372 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79868-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decade there has been a renewed interest in the study of behavioural adaptations to environmental constraints with a focus on adaptations to challenging habitats due to their reduced ecological complexity. However, behavioural studies on organisms adapted to nutrient poor subterranean habitats are few and far between. Here, we compared both morphological traits, in terms of relative leg lengths, and behavioural traits, captured in the geometry of the spider web, between the cave-dwelling spider, Meta menardi, and two aboveground species from the same family (Tetragnathidae); Metellina mengei and Tetragnatha montana. We found that the webs of the cave spider differed significantly from the two surface-dwelling species. The most dramatic difference was the lack of frame threads with the radii in the webs instead attaching directly to the surrounding rock, but other differences in relative web size, web asymmetry and number of capture spiral threads were also found. We argue that these modifications are likely to be adaptations to allow for a novel foraging behaviour to additionally capture walking prey within the vicinity of the web. We found only limited evidence for morphological adaptations and suggest that the cave orb spider could act as a model organism for studies of behaviour in energy-poor environments.
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Mammola S, Hesselberg T, Lunghi E. A trade‐off between latitude and elevation contributes to explain range segregation of broadly distributed cave‐dwelling spiders. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe) Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS) University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG) Water Research Institute (IRSA) National Research Council (CNR) Verbania Pallanza Italy
| | | | - Enrico Lunghi
- Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze Sezione di Zoologia "La Specola" Firenze Italy
- Natural Oasis Prato Italy
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Abstract
The discipline of subterranean biology has provided us incredible information on the diversity, ecology and evolution of species living in different typologies of subterranean habitats. However, a general lack of information on the relationships between cave species still exists, leaving uncertainty regarding the dynamics that hold together cave communities and the roles of specific organisms (from the least to the most adapted species) for the community, as well as the entire ecosystem. This Special Issue aims to stimulate and gather studies which are focusing on cave communities belonging to all different typologies of subterranean habitats, with the overarching goal to corroborate the key role of the subterranean biology in ecological and evolutionary studies.
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Mammola S, Arnedo MA, Fišer C, Cardoso P, Dejanaz AJ, Isaia M. Environmental filtering and convergent evolution determine the ecological specialization of subterranean spiders. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG) IRSA—Water Research Institute National Research Council Verbania Pallanza Italy
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe) Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS) University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Miquel A. Arnedo
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Biodiversity Research Institute University of Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Cene Fišer
- Department of Biology Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe) Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS) University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Andrea J. Dejanaz
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin Italy
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10
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Mammola S, Cardoso P, Angyal D, Balázs G, Blick T, Brustel H, Carter J, Ćurčić S, Danflous S, Dányi L, Déjean S, Deltshev C, Elverici M, Fernández J, Gasparo F, Komnenov M, Komposch C, Kováč L, Kunt KB, Mock A, Moldovan O, Naumova M, Pavlek M, Prieto CE, Ribera C, Rozwałka R, Růžička V, Vargovitsh RS, Zaenker S, Isaia M. Continental data on cave-dwelling spider communities across Europe (Arachnida: Araneae). Biodivers Data J 2019; 7:e38492. [PMID: 31636503 PMCID: PMC6794329 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.7.e38492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) are widespread in subterranean ecosystems worldwide and represent an important component of subterranean trophic webs. Yet, global-scale diversity patterns of subterranean spiders are still mostly unknown. In the frame of the CAWEB project, a European joint network of cave arachnologists, we collected data on cave-dwelling spider communities across Europe in order to explore their continental diversity patterns. Two main datasets were compiled: one listing all subterranean spider species recorded in numerous subterranean localities across Europe and another with high resolution data about the subterranean habitat in which they were collected. From these two datasets, we further generated a third dataset with individual geo-referenced occurrence records for all these species. NEW INFORMATION Data from 475 geo-referenced subterranean localities (caves, mines and other artificial subterranean sites, interstitial habitats) are herein made available. For each subterranean locality, information about the composition of the spider community is provided, along with local geomorphological and habitat features. Altogether, these communities account for > 300 unique taxonomic entities and 2,091 unique geo-referenced occurrence records, that are made available via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (Mammola and Cardoso 2019). This dataset is unique in that it covers both a large geographic extent (from 35° south to 67° north) and contains high-resolution local data on geomorphological and habitat features. Given that this kind of high-resolution data are rarely associated with broad-scale datasets used in macroecology, this dataset has high potential for helping researchers in tackling a range of biogeographical and macroecological questions, not necessarily uniquely related to arachnology or subterranean biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of TurinTurinItaly
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandLaboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandLaboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Dorottya Angyal
- Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History MuseumBudapestHungary
- UMDI, Faculty of Sciences, UNAM National Autonomous University of Mexico, Sisal, MexicoUMDI, Faculty of Sciences, UNAM National Autonomous University of MexicoSisalMexico
| | - Gergely Balázs
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Theo Blick
- Independent Researcher, Hummeltal, GermanyIndependent ResearcherHummeltalGermany
| | - Hervé Brustel
- Ecole d'Ingénieur de Purpan, Toulouse, FranceEcole d'Ingénieur de PurpanToulouseFrance
| | - Julian Carter
- Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales, Cardiff, United KingdomAmgueddfa Cymru National Museum WalesCardiffUnited Kingdom
| | - Srećko Ćurčić
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
| | - Samuel Danflous
- Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, FranceConservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi-PyrénéesToulouseFrance
| | - László Dányi
- Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History MuseumBudapestHungary
| | - Sylvain Déjean
- Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi-Pyrénées, Tolouse, FranceConservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi-PyrénéesTolouseFrance
| | - Christo Deltshev
- National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, BulgariaNational Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of SciencesSofiaBulgaria
| | - Mert Elverici
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, Erzincan, TurkeyDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Erzincan Binali Yıldırım UniversityErzincanTurkey
| | - Jon Fernández
- Independent researcher, Basque Country, SpainIndependent researcherBasque CountrySpain
| | - Fulvio Gasparo
- Commissione Grotte “E. Boegan”, Società Alpina delle Giulie, C.A.I., Trieste, ItalyCommissione Grotte “E. Boegan”, Società Alpina delle Giulie, C.A.I.TriesteItaly
| | - Marjan Komnenov
- Independent Researcher, Blwd Kuzman Josifovski Pitu, Skopje, MacedoniaIndependent Researcher, Blwd Kuzman Josifovski PituSkopjeMacedonia
| | - Christian Komposch
- OEKOTEAM - Institute for Animal Ecology and Landscape Planning, Graz, AustriaOEKOTEAM - Institute for Animal Ecology and Landscape PlanningGrazAustria
| | - L’ubomír Kováč
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, SlovakiaInstitute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
| | - Kadir Boğaç Kunt
- Zoological Collection of Cyprus Wildlife Research Institute, Kyrenia, CyprusZoological Collection of Cyprus Wildlife Research InstituteKyreniaCyprus
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eskişehir Technical University, Eskişehir, TurkeyDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eskişehir Technical UniversityEskişehirTurkey
| | - Andrej Mock
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, SlovakiaInstitute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik UniversityKošiceSlovakia
| | - Oana Moldovan
- Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaEmil Racovitza Institute of SpeleologyCluj-NapocaRomania
| | - Maria Naumova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, BulgariaInstitute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of SciencesSofiaBulgaria
| | - Martina Pavlek
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, CroatiaRuđer Bošković InstituteZagrebCroatia
- Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, CroatiaCroatian Biospeleological SocietyZagrebCroatia
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Biodiversity Research Institute, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Biodiversity Research Institute, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Carlos E. Prieto
- Department of Zoology & Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, SpainDepartment of Zoology & Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque CountryBilbaoSpain
| | - Carles Ribera
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Biodiversity Research Institute, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Biodiversity Research Institute, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Robert Rozwałka
- Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński UniversityWarsawPoland
| | - Vlastimil Růžička
- Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech RepublicBiology Centre, Institute of EntomologyČeské BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Robert S. Vargovitsh
- Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, UkraineSchmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of UkraineKievUkraine
| | - Stefan Zaenker
- Verband der deutschen Höhlen- und Karstforscher e.V., Fulda, GermanyVerband der deutschen Höhlen- und Karstforscher e.V.FuldaGermany
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of TurinTurinItaly
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Villanueva-Bonilla GA, Safuan-Naide S, Pires MM, Vasconcellos-Neto J. Niche partitioning and coexistence of two spiders of the genus Peucetia (Araneae, Oxyopidae) inhabiting Trichogoniopsis adenantha plants (Asterales, Asteraceae). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213887. [PMID: 31577810 PMCID: PMC6774474 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Niche theory suggests that the coexistence of ecologically similar species in the same site requires some form of resource partitioning that reduces or avoids interspecific competition. Here, from July 2013 to December 2015, we investigated spatial niche differentiation at three different scales of two sympatric congeneric spiders, Peucetia rubrolineata and P. flava, along an altitudinal gradient in shaded and open areas in an Atlantic forest in Serra do Japi, SP, Brazil. These spiders are peculiar in that they present an exclusive association with the plant Trichogoniopsis adenantha (Asteraceae). In theory, the coexistence of two Peucetia species could be explained by: (1) microhabitat segregation with individuals from different species occupying different parts of the same plants; (2) mesohabitat segregation with different species using plant in different environments; (3) macrohabitat segregation, where different species would not co-occur along the altitudinal gradient. With respect to micro-habitat use, in both species, different instars used different plant parts, while the same instars of both species used the same type of substrate. However, the two Peucetia species segregated by meso-habitat type, with P. rubrolineata preferring T. adenantha plants in shaded areas and P. flava preferring those in open areas. Our results support the hypothesis of niche partitioning begetting diversity, and highlight the importance of analyzing habitat use at multiple scales to understand mechanisms related to coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suyen Safuan-Naide
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Campus Botucatu, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Mathias Mistretta Pires
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - João Vasconcellos-Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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12
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Lunghi E. Ecology and life history of Meta bourneti (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) from Monte Albo (Sardinia, Italy). PeerJ 2018; 6:e6049. [PMID: 30519514 PMCID: PMC6275118 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The orb-weaver spider Meta bourneti Simon 1922 (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) is one of the most common cave predators occurring in the Mediterranean basin. Although the congeneric M. menardi represented the model species in several studies, our knowledge of M. bourneti is only founded on observations performed on a handful of populations. In this study M. bourneti spiders were studied in caves of Monte Albo (Sardinia, Italy) over a year. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used to analyze spider occupancy inside cave environments, as well as spider abundance. Analyses on M. bourneti occupancy and abundance were also repeated for adults and juveniles separately. Generalized Linear Models, were used to weight species absence based on its detection probability. Linear Mixed Models were used to detect possible divergences in subterranean spatial use between adult and juvenile spiders. Although widespread on the mountain, M. bourneti generally showed low density and low detection probability. Most of the individuals observed were juveniles. The spiders generally occupied cave sectors with high ceilings that were deep enough to show particular microclimatic features. Adults tended to occupy less illuminated areas than juveniles, while the latter were more frequently found in sectors showing high humidity. The abundance of M. bourneti was strongly related to high humidity and the presence of two troglophile species, Hydromantes flavus Wake, Salvador & Alonso-Zarazaga, 2005 (Amphibia: Caudata) and Oxychilus oppressus (Shuttleworth, 1877) (Gastropoda: Panpulmonata). The abundance of juveniles was related to sector temperature and humidity, the presence of H. flavus and O. oppressus and to morphological sector features. However, when only adults were considered, no significant relationships were found. Adult and juvenile spiders did not differ in their spatial distribution inside the caves studied, but a seasonal distribution of the species along cave walls was observed. Microclimate was one of the most important features affecting both the presence and abundance of M. bourneti in subterranean environments. Individuals tended to occupy lower heights during hot seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Lunghi
- Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Trier, Germany.,Sezione di Zoologia "La Specola", Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy.,Natural Oasis, Prato, Prato, Italy
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13
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Mammola S, Isaia M. Day–night and seasonal variations of a subterranean invertebrate community in the twilight zone. SUBTERRANEAN BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.27.28909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Being characterized by the absence of light and a reduced environmental cyclicity, the subterranean domain is generally regarded as temporally stable. Yet, in the proximity of cave entrances (twilight zones), patterns of sunlight and darkness can be detected within the 24-hour day–night cycle. In parallel, changes in the abiotic and biotic conditions are expected; however, these patterns have been rarely explored in animal communities dwelling in the twilight zone. We performed a biological investigation in a small abandoned mine in the Western Alps, monitoring it once per season, both during the day and at night. At each survey, we collected data on the spatial distribution of the resident species, their activity patterns, and the main microclimatic parameters. We observed significant daily variations in the environmental conditions during winter and spring, namely higher temperature, relative humidity and availability of trophic resources at night. In conjunction with these disparate nocturnal conditions, the abundance of troglophile species was also higher, as well as the activity patterns of one of the most frequent species inhabiting the entrance area – the orb-weaver spiderMetamenardi. We further documented temporal changes in the composition of the parietal community, due to species using the mine as a diurnal, nocturnal or overwintering shelter. Overall, our results suggest that the communities of the twilight zone are not temporally stable and we highlight the importance of taking into account not only their seasonal, but also their daily variations.
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14
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Specific parasites indirectly influence niche occupation of non-hosts community members. Oecologia 2018; 188:343-353. [PMID: 29785698 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4163-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
The coexistence of phylogenetically related species is an attractive topic because of the potentially intense interspecific competition. The most often investigated mechanisms mediating coexistence of these species are environmental filtering and niche partitioning. However, the role of other factors, such as species-specific parasites, is still poorly understood. Along the riparian understory of a tropical forest, we explored niche occupation and coexistence between Chrysso intervales and Helvibis longicauda, two related syntopic web-building spiders. We also investigated the effect of H. longicauda mortality induced by a specific fungus parasite, Gibellula pulchra, on the dynamic of C. intervales spatial distribution. Coexistence was mediated mainly by a fine-scale horizontal spatial segregation. H. longicauda built webs almost exclusively close to the river, while C. intervales occupied adjacent areas (10-20 m away from margins). We also found differentiation in other niche dimensions that might allow coexistence, such as in plants occupied, height of web placement, width of leaves used for thread attachment and phenology. H. longicauda mortality caused by fungi was higher during winter than in summer. Consequently, the abundance of C. intervales increased at distances close to the river, indicating competitive release through a density-mediated indirect effect. This demonstrates how non-competitive specific-antagonists can indirectly affect other non-hosts competing community members and influence their spatial distribution in fine-scale ranges. We suggest that environmental filtering restricts H. longicauda to cooler regions; niche partitioning leads populations to occupy different vertical strata and competitive exclusion precludes C. intervales to reach river margins, generating an unusual horizontal zonation pattern.
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Mammola S, Cardoso P, Ribera C, Pavlek M, Isaia M. A synthesis on cave-dwelling spiders in Europe. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Turin Italy
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Finnish Museum of Natural History; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | - Carles Ribera
- Biodiversity Research Institute and Department of Animal Biology; University of Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - Martina Pavlek
- Biodiversity Research Institute and Department of Animal Biology; University of Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
- Ruđer Bošković Institute; Zagreb Croatia
- Croatian Biospeleological Society; Zagreb Croatia
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Turin Italy
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16
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Lunghi E, Manenti R, Ficetola GF. Cave features, seasonality and subterranean distribution of non-obligate cave dwellers. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3169. [PMID: 28503370 PMCID: PMC5428323 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonality impacts species distributions through changes of the environmental conditions that affect the presence of individuals at a given place. Although the dynamics of cave microclimates are well known, only a few studies have evaluated the effects of such dynamics on non-strictly cave species. Here we assessed if species exploiting subterranean environments show changes in habitat occupation related to seasonal variation of cave microclimates. We surveyed 16 caves in central Italy every month for one year. Caves were subdivided into longitudinal sectors of three meters. In each sector we measured cave morphology and microclimatic features, assessed the occurrence of eight non-troglobitic taxa (orthopterans, spiders, gastropods and amphibians), and related species distribution to environmental features and sampling periods. The occurrence of most species was related to both cave morphology and microclimatic features. The survey month was the major factor determining the presence of species in cave sectors, indicating that cave-dwelling taxa show strong seasonality in activity and distribution. For multiple species, we detected interactions between sampling period and microclimatic features, suggesting that species may associate with different microhabitats throughout the year. The richest communities were found in sites with specific microclimates (i.e., high humidity, warm temperature and low light) but seasonality for species richness was strong as well, stressing the complexity of interactions between outdoor and subterranean environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Lunghi
- Department of Biogeography, Universität Trier Fachbereich VI: Raum-und Umweltwissenschaften, Trier, Germany.,Museum of Natural History of Florence-Zoology Section ("La Specola"), University of Florence, Firenze, Italy.,Natural Oasis, Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - Raoul Manenti
- Departement of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Departement of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.,Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France.,LECA, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Grenoble, France
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Abstract
World experts of different disciplines, from molecular biology to macro-ecology, recognize the value of cave ecosystems as ideal ecological and evolutionary laboratories. Among other subterranean taxa, spiders stand out as intriguing model organisms for their ecological role of top predators, their unique adaptations to the hypogean medium and their sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbance. As the description of the first eyeless spider (Stalita taenaria), an array of papers on subterranean spider biology, ecology and evolution has been published, but a comprehensive review on these topics is still lacking. We provide a general overview of the spider families recorded in hypogean habitats worldwide, we review the different adaptations of hypogean spiders to subterranean life, and we summarize the information gathered so far about their origin, population structure, ecology and conservation status. Finally, we point out the limits of the knowledge we currently have regarding hypogean spiders, aiming to stimulate future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
- IUCN SSC Spider & Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
- IUCN SSC Spider & Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
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Mammola S, Hormiga G, Isaia M. Species conservation profile of the stenoendemic cave spider Pimoa delphinica (Araneae, Pimoidae) from the Varaita valley (NW-Italy). Biodivers Data J 2017:e11509. [PMID: 28325985 PMCID: PMC5345104 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.5.e11509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- University of Turin, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Torino, Italy; IUCN SSC Spider & Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
| | - Gustavo Hormiga
- The George Washington University, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Marco Isaia
- University of Turin, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Torino, Italy; IUCN SSC Spider & Scorpion Specialist Group, Torino, Italy
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Mammola S, Hormiga G, Arnedo MA, Isaia M. Unexpected diversity in the relictual European spiders of the genus Pimoa (Araneae : Pimoidae). INVERTEBR SYST 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/is16017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Pimoidae is a small family of araneoid spiders, hitherto represented in Europe by two species with disjunct distribution in the Alps and in the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain. Here we report the description of two additional European species of Pimoa, discovered within the range of the only former alpine species, P. rupicola: P. graphitica sp. nov. and P. delphinica sp. nov. The new species are distinguished from the latter by genitalic characters as well as by molecular characters. On the basis of the re-examination of old and recent abundant material collected in caves and other subterranean habitats, we revise the distribution patterns of the genus Pimoa in the Alps and outline the species distribution ranges. Molecular data suggest the existence of gene flow between populations of the two new species when in sympatry. The different species probably originated in the alpine region as a result of range contractions following dramatic climatic changes in the Alps since the mid Miocene. We interpreted the present-day overlapping distribution in light of a possible postglacial expansion. Finally, we provide insights on the natural history and life cycles of the new species and discuss their phylogenetic relationships within Pimoidae.
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