An Annotated Checklist of the Spiders of Newfoundland

Since Hackman’s report in 1954 of 216 (adjusted from a total of 220 for apparent errors) spider species from Newfoundland, the total has grown by 68% to 363. An annotated checklist is presented. Of this total, 223 (c. 61%) are Nearctic, 119 (c. 33%) are Holarctic and 21 (c. 6%) are introduced. Comparisons are made with other Canadian spider faunas. The introduced species and the proportions of Linyphiidae, Lycosidae and Dictynidae are discussed

Additions to the Revised Checklist of the Spiders (Araneae) of British Columbia

This list forms an addendum to "A Revised Checklist of the Spiders (Araneae) of British Columbia" by West et al. (1984), J. Entomol. Soc. Brit. Columbia 81: 80-90. It adheres to the same sequence and format of presentation as its antecedent, thus only the additional infonnation will be presented. The list contains 137 new species for B.C., and includes one new species for North America, Lesserria denlichelis (Simon) (family Erigonidae) and one new family for B.C., Nesticidae containing the single species Neslicus silveslrii Fage.The main specimen collectors were Mr. Donald J. Buckle, Dr. Robert T. Holmberg, Mr. Malcolm Martin and the first author, R. West. The authors wish to thank Mr. J.H. Redner for identifications and the addition of species represented in the Canadian National Collection

Who determines the ideal body? A Summary of Research Findings on Body Image

The globalization of media have paved way for Print and television advertisements to use images of thin female bodies to sell products and these advertisements are viewed by women all over the world. Through the media we are constantly bombarded with the western images of beautiful women and perfect bodies. Many surveys have proved the fact that men and women feel negative about their body image not only in the west but also in other parts of the world and the feminist scholars have tended that one should try to view the portrayal of idealized body image critically . In this connection, this paper, through a survey of relevant literature on body image, attempts to understand the following: 1) The concept of body image 2) Various determinants that idealize a woman’s body and define beauty standards 3) Influence of media on the body image of women 4) How the various determinants are interwoven targeting women, making them vulnerable to the idealized images. Keywords: Body image, Determinants, Medi

Sister species diverge in modality-specific courtship signal form and function

Understanding the relative importance of different sources of selection (e.g., the environment, social/sexual selection) on the divergence or convergence of reproductive communication can shed light on the origin, maintenance, or even disappearance of species boundaries. Using a multistep approach, we tested the hypothesis that two presumed sister species of wolf spider with overlapping ranges and microhabitat use, yet differing degrees of sexual dimorphism, have diverged in their reliance on modality- specific courtship signaling. We predicted that male Schizocosa crassipalpata (no ornamentation) rely predominantly on diet-dependent vibratory signaling for mating success. In contrast, we predicted that male S. bilineata (black foreleg brushes) rely on diet-dependent visual signaling. We first tested and corroborated the sister-species relationship between S. crassipalpata and S. bilineata using phylogenomic scale data. Next, we tested for species-specific, diet-dependent vibratory and visual signaling by manipulating subadult diet and subsequently quantifying adult morphology and mature male courtship signals. As predicted, vibratory signal form was diet-dependent in S. crassipalpata, while visual ornamentation (brush area) was diet-dependent in S. bilineata. We then compared the species-specific reliance on vibratory and visual signaling by recording mating across artificially manipulated signaling environments (presence/absence of each modality in a 2 × 2 full factorial design). In accordance with our diet dependence results for S. crassipalpata, the presence of vibratory signaling was important for mating success. In contrast, the light and vibratory environment interacted to influence mating success in S. bilineata, with vibratory signaling being important only in the absence of light. We found no differences in overall activity patterns. Given that these species overlap in much of their range and microhabitat use, we suggest that competition for signaling space may have led to the divergence and differential use of sensory modalities between these sister species

TWO NEW SPECIES OF WOLF SPIDERS IN THE PARDOSA MODICA GROUP (ARANEAE, LYCOSIDAE) FROM NORTH AMERICA

Volume: 34Start Page: 506End Page: 51

A new species of Xysticus (Araneae, Thomisidae) from Alberta, Canada

Volume: 36Start Page: 601End Page: 60