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Elevational gradients in high mountain ranges are particularly suitable to study and understand patterns and drivers of plant community diversity and composition, yet there are only few studies that explicitly addressed this topic for the European Alps. Here we analysed an elevational gradient in grasslands of the Gran Paradiso National Park (NW Italy) from c. 1,700 to 3,100 m a.s.l. We recorded vascular plant species composition in 13 100-m² plots, each with two series of nested subplots from 0.0001 to 10 m², as well as a set of environmental parameters (topography, soil). Beta-diversity was assessed via the z-values of power-law species-area relationships, both across all plot sizes and from one plot size to the next bigger one. Diversity-environment relationships were assessed with multi-model inference based on Akaike information criterion (AIC), while scale dependence in z-values across plot sizes was analysed with an ANOVA. Life forms and three major functional traits (specific leaf area = SLA, canopy height, seed mass) were derived from trait databases to calculate fractions of life forms and community-weighted means for the metric traits. Species richness on 100 m² ranged from 17 to 65, with a mean of 43.5. The z-values were within a typical range known for European grasslands (mean: 0.227), with non-significant scale dependence. The importance of environmental factors for richness changed across grain sizes, with inclination (positive effect), mean soil depth and soil skeleton content (both: negative effect) being most influential at grain sizes of 0.0001–1 m². By contrast, soil pH was most important (with a unimodal relationship) for 10 and 100 m². After account-ing for the other environmental factors, elevation showed a moderate unimodal relationship only for the two largest grain sizes. By contrast, functional composition showed strong and mostly significant rela-tionships with elevation: hemicryptophytes and geophytes became rarer and chamaephytes more fre-quent, while community-weighted means of SLA, canopy height and seed mass decreased. Our findings highlight the scale dependence of biodiversity patterns, thus pointing to the need of multi-scale sampling to reach comprehensive understanding. Further, we could provide one of the first documentations of biodiversity and functional composition along an elevational gradient in the Alps, some in agreement with expectations, others not. This suggests that more extensive studies with a similar design in this and other regions of the Alps could be a valuable contribution to the understanding of how environmental factors drive components of biodiversity as well a functional community assembly.
The spider diversity of the family Anyphaenidae in premontane, low evergreen montane and cloud forest from the Chocó region of Ecuador is examined. A total of 287 adult specimens were collected and 19 morphospecies were identified based on male specimens. Thirteen new species are described and one new genus is proposed. Five new species are described in the genus Katissa Brescovit, 1997: Katissa kurusiki sp. nov., K. puyu sp. nov., K. tamya sp. nov., K. yaya sp. nov. and K. guyasamini sp. nov. The new genus Shuyushka gen. nov. is proposed and includes three species: Shuyushka achachay gen. et sp. nov., S. moscai gen. et sp. nov. and S. wachi gen. et sp. nov. Finally, five species are described in the genus Patrera Simon, 1903: P. hatunkiru sp. nov., P. philipi sp. nov., P. suni sp. nov., P. shida sp. nov. and P. witsu sp. nov. New records are provided for Patrera fulvastra Simon, 1903 and Josa nigrifrons Simon, 1897.
Harpactea dufouri (Thorell, 1873) was collected in the Gavarres protected natural area in Catalonia, Spain. The specimens were compared with specimens from Mallorca, Balearic Islands,
and found to be conspecific. The female of the species is described here for the first time. The new finding proves that Harpactea dufouri occurs outside the Balearic Islands. The species, however, may be endemic to Catalonia.
Diplura C.L. Koch, 1850 is a mygalomorph genus with putative records from Central and South America. The type-species Diplura macrura (C.L. Koch, 1841), originally described from West Indies, is poorly known and represented only by its holotype. Most of the 20 species currently included in the genus lack modern taxonomic descriptions, as D. lineata (Lucas, 1857), from Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Males and females of Diplura macrura and D. lineata are herein redescribed. New junior synonyms of D. macrura are identified (Linothele bicolor (Simon, 1889), Diplura uniformis Mello- Leitão, 1923, and the two junior synonyms of the latter species, Thalerothele minensis Mello-Leitão, 1926 and T. aurantiaca Mello-Leitão, 1943). Also, two junior synonyms are established for D. lineata: Diplura fasciata (Bertkau, 1880) and Diplura nigridorsi (Mello-Leitão, 1924). The type-locality of D. macrura is corrected to São João del Rei, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. D. macrura is restricted to the state of Minas Gerais and D. lineata to the state of Rio de Janeiro. The type-locality of D. parallela (Mello-Leitão, 1923) is also corrected from Argentina to Paraná state, Brazil. The distribution of Diplura is now restricted from south Panama to north Argentina, excluding previous erroneous records for Cuba and West Indies. The six synonymies herein established help to clarify the genus composition, which includes now 17 valid species.
The salticid genera Bristowia Reimoser, 1934, Habrocestum Simon, 1876 and Macaroeris Wunderlich 1992 are reported from Sri Lanka for the first time. One new species of Bristowia, B. gandhii sp. nov. (♂♀), and three new species of Habrocestum, H. hantaneensis sp. nov. (♂♀), H. kodigalaensis sp. nov. (♂♀) and H. ohiyaensis sp. nov. (♂), are described and diagnosed. The male of Macaroeris nidicolens Walckenaer, 1802 is redescribed and illustrated, based on new material from Sri Lanka.