background
The Scyllidae is a small family of reclusive and cryptic spiders with 178 species grouped into three genera. Hexophthalma, Loxosceles and SicariusOnly the last two species occur in Brazil, with 29 recorded species, and more in the southeastern and southern regions. To date, there are no regional studies of the distribution of these spiders in northeastern Brazil. We present more than 40 years of data on the distribution of sicarid spiders in the state of Bahia. Our study aimed to identify and evaluate the distribution of sicarid spiders in this region, characterizing them by biome and flora.
method
The data cover the period 1983 to 2024 and were taken from papers describing species recorded in the state of Bahia and from three scientific collections of Brazilian institutions: Federal University of Bahia (MHNBA), Butantan Institute (IBSP) and Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). The maps were created using QGIS 3.34.1 software, based on geographic coordinates obtained from the original literature. Species without information on geographic coordinates were included. Seed Link The biomes of municipalities were examined with (geoLoc tool). Biomes were referenced on the Brazilian Geographical Reference Institute website, and floras were ignored if not specified in the collection data or original literature.
result
Fourteen species of sicarid spiders have been identified in Bahia, of which eight belong to the genus Loxoceles (i) and six to the genus SicariusThese species were recorded in 48 municipalities, mainly located in the Caatinga biome. Distribution expansion was recorded for seven species. Loxosceles amazonica, L. chapadensis, L. karstica, L. similis, Sicarius cariri, S. ornatus and S. tropicalisThere are differences in species composition between the two regions separated by the San Francisco River, which represents an important geographic barrier, especially for small invertebrates: more than 75% of species are recorded in the east side, and about 20% are recorded exclusively in the west side. L. Bokkeirao, L. Cardosoy, L. KarinhanhaThis suggests the need for future studies to evaluate additional variables determining community structure, especially considering their low mobility and reclusive behavior. Sicarius is found only in Caatinga, with isolated records from restinga and dry forest enclaves in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest regions. This supports the possibility that it is adapted to slightly wetter environments and could colonize and survive in seasonally dry rainforest areas. Unlike Sicarius (i), Loxosceles (i) occupies a variety of habitats, natural, urban and residential. Many of the records here are from e.g. Loxosceles boqueirao, L. cardosoi, L. carinhanha, L. chapadensis, L. karstica and L. troglobia The spiders were collected in caves and nearby areas, which appear to be attractive habitats for nocturnal spiders.
Andrade de Sá J, Brazil TK, Lira da Silva RM, Brescovit AD. 2024. Ceratoparasite spiders (Araneae: Araneae) in Bahia, Brazil PeerJ 12:e17942 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17942
