Insects and spiders on the web: Monitoring and mitigating online exploitation of species and services

Losey, John E.; Chen, Chang; Davis, Abby E.; Deitsch, John F.; Gertin, Johanna G.; Gorneau, Jacob A.; Hallock, Eve M.; Jordán, Juan P.; Kim, Zoe J.; Kubinski, Emma G.; Laurenz, Nathan; Li, Sarah B.; Mullen, Emma K.; O’Brien, Aoife; Richardson, Leeah; Vincent, Sierra; Wang, Steven Y.; Yarhouse, Emma L.; Schydlowsky, Andrew; Curtis, Paul D.

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02098

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 79 publications

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“…In addition to these indirect climatic threats, humans potentially pose direct threats to troglomorphic spiders, both from damage to the cave environment e.g., [ 76 ], as evidenced during our surveys, and through the potential collection of specimens for the pet trade [ 77 ]. Collection of wild animals for the pet trade is a major threat to wildlife around the world and whilst data on the impacts on invertebrates are lacking [ 78 ], it likely represents a key threat [ 79 , 80 ], especially for large and charismatic organisms, such as mygalomorph spiders [ 78 , 81 ]. Access into the caves is sometimes difficult, so this may provide a barrier to some collectors, but the importance of keeping the location details of caves that contain Troglodiplura out of the public realm is high.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Case for Below-Ground Dispersal? Insights into the Biology, Ecology and Conservation of Blind Cave Spiders in the Genus Troglodiplura (Mygalomorphae: Anamidae)

Marsh

Milner

Shaw

et al. 2023

Insects

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Previously described from only fragments of exoskeleton and juvenile specimens, the cave spider genus Troglodiplura (Araneae: Anamidae), endemic to the Nullarbor Plain, is the only troglomorphic member of the infraorder Mygalomorphae recorded from Australia. We investigated the distribution of Troglodiplura in South Australia, collecting and observing the first (intact) mature specimens, widening the number of caves it has been recorded in, and documenting threats to conservation. Phylogenetic analyses support the placement of Troglodiplura as an independent lineage within the subfamily Anaminae (the ‘Troglodiplura group’) and provide unequivocal evidence that populations from apparently isolated cave systems are conspecifics of T. beirutpakbarai Harvey & Rix, 2020, with extremely low or negligible inter-population mitochondrial divergences. This is intriguing evidence for recent or contemporary subterranean dispersal of these large, troglomorphic spiders. Observations of adults and juvenile spiders taken in the natural cave environment, and supported by observations in captivity, revealed the use of crevices within caves as shelters, but no evidence of silk use for burrow construction, contrasting with the typical burrowing behaviours seen in other Anamidae. We identify a range of threats posed to the species and to the fragile cave ecosystem, and provide recommendations for further research to better define the distribution of vulnerable taxa within caves and identify actions needed to protect them.

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