Researchers from the Experimental Station of Arid Zones (EEZA-CSIC), together with the University of Almeria (UAL), have discovered a new species of arachnid in the Iberian Peninsula, the Gluvia brunnea sp. nov., according to a study published in the journal Insects. This is the second species of camel spider identified on the peninsula in 200 years and, until now, it had only been seen in southeastern Spain.
New Species of Camel Spider in the Iberian Peninsula
Cristian Pertegal, a researcher at the EEZA and the first author of the study, commented that the description of the new species is based on both morphological observations and molecular analysis. Eva de Mas, co-author of the study, highlighted the clarity of the molecular analysis results, which confirmed the uniqueness of the new species.
According to the Solifugae World Catalog, there are 15 families, 144 genera and 1,209 species of camel spiders worldwide. In the Iberian Peninsula, only one endemic species, Gluvia dorsalis, had been recorded.
The specimens of Gluvia brunnea were obtained from various sampling methods, such as direct captures and fall traps, in three different studies: one on fauna refugia, another on the impact of fires and a third on faunal diversity in soil interstices. Pablo Barranco, co-author of the study and professor at the UAL, highlighted the luck of having found so many specimens in the collection of the Research Center of Scientific Collections of the University of Almeria (CECOUAL), coming from previous studies.
Urbanization in Spiders and Beetles
On the other hand, a study carried out by the Doñana Biological Station (CSIC) and Swiss Federal Research Institutes shows how urbanization and the loss of wooded areas affect spider and beetle communities. Published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, the study analyzed data on 1.73 million individuals from 877 species of spiders and beetles collected over about 40 years. The researchers examined how four key traits of these communities — body size, length of activity period, drought tolerance and dispersal ability — changed due to changes in land use.