scholarly journals The spiders of Prince Edward Island: experts and citizen scientists collaborate for faunistics

2019 ◽  
Vol 132 (4) ◽  
pp. 330-349
Author(s):  
Joseph J. Bowden ◽  
Kyle M. Knysh ◽  
Gergin A. Blagoev ◽  
Robb Bennett ◽  
Mark A. Arsenault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Native Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
Black Widow ◽  
Black Widow Spider ◽  
Spider Species ◽  
Comprehensive List ◽  
Widow Spider

Although lists of spider species have been compiled for all of Canada’s provinces and territories, the spider fauna of Prince Edward Island (PEI) is poorly known. Based on the efforts of citizen scientists, naturalists, and scientists on PEI and researchers at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, we present the first comprehensive list of spider species on the island, increasing the known number from 44 to 198. The Centre for Biodiversity Genomics conducted intensive collection in Prince Edward Island National Park; Nature PEI citizen scientists and naturalists contributed specimens from across the island from several different habitats. This provincial list is dominated by the araneoid families, Linyphiidae, Theridiidae, and Araneidae, with 55, 27, and 22 species, respectively. Several non-native species, such as the theridiid Eurasian False Black Widow Spider (Steatoda bipunctata (L.)) and the araneid Red-sided Sector Spider (Zygiella atrica (C.L. Koch)), have been collected in several locations on the island, suggesting that they are well established. This work highlights the effectiveness of collaboration among citizen scientists, naturalists, and professional researchers to further our knowledge of species diversity and distributions.

Female black widow spider mates with and eats many males

2021 ◽  
Vol 250 (3333) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Christa Lesté-Lasserre
Keyword(s):  
Black Widow ◽  
Black Widow Spider ◽  
Widow Spider

Properties of spontaneous potentials at denervated motor endplates of the frog

1976 ◽  
Vol 194 (1115) ◽  
pp. 195-210 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Schwann Cell ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Experimental Treatment ◽  
Spider Venom ◽  
Black Widow ◽  
Motor Endplates ◽  
Black Widow Spider ◽  
Ringer’S Solution ◽  
Black Widow Spider Venom ◽  
Widow Spider

Some properties of spontaneous miniature potentials at denervated frog motor endplates (Schwann cell-min. e. p. ps) have been investigated. Schwann cell-min. e. p. ps showed a slower and more variable time course than min. e. p. ps at inneryated endplates. The occurrence of Schwann cell-min. e. p. ps usually obeyed Poisson statistics and in the absence of experimental treatment their mean frequency remained stable for several hours. Schwann cell-min. e. p. p. frequency increased with increasing temperature. A logarithmic relation was observed with a mean Q 10 of 4.87 ± 0.37. In other experiments a Q 10 of 9.50 ± 0.63 was found for min. e. p. ps at innervated endplates. Lanthanum and manganese ions, black widow spider venom, ethanol, diamide, ouabain, theophylline and acid Ringer’s solution, all of which increased normal min. e. p. p. frequency, failed to raise the frequency of Schwann cell-min. e. p. ps. Lanthanum, ethanol, ouabain and low pH depressed the frequency, while black widow spider venom, diamide, theophyline and manganese were without significant effect. Adenosine, which depresses min. e. p. p. frequency at innervated endplates, had no effect on spontaneous miniature potentials at denervated endplates. Removal of Ca 2+ from the external medium reduced the frequency of Schwann min. e. p. ps; and a decrease was also seen in one experiment where the Ca 2+ concentration was raised from 1.8 to 10 mM. Diluting the Ringer’s solution raised Schwann cell-min. e. p. p. frequency transiently. This increase resulted from a reduction in osmolarity, not in the ionic strength, of the medium.

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