Figure 1. Cumulative number of spider species described over time, including only species that ar... more Figure 1. Cumulative number of spider species described over time, including only species that are currently valid (description years for all valid species follow Platnick 2009).
Figure 1. Christo Deltshev in the Elata Cave near the village of Zimevitsa, Bulgaria, in 1961 (ph... more Figure 1. Christo Deltshev in the Elata Cave near the village of Zimevitsa, Bulgaria, in 1961 (photo Petko Nedkov).
A total of 294 species from 31 families have been found in Galichitsa Mt. Of them, 85 species are... more A total of 294 species from 31 families have been found in Galichitsa Mt. Of them, 85 species are new to the mountain, while 20 are also new to the fauna of FYR of Macedonia. According to their current distribution the established species can be assigned to 17 zoogeographical categories, grouped into 5 complexes (Cosmopolitan, Holarctic, European, Mediterranean, Endemics of Balkans). Dominant are Holarctic species (66.0%) followed by European (16.5%) and Mediterranean (9.3%). The endemics (6.2%) and Southeast European species (1.7%) emphasize the local character of this fauna, but its low percentage suggests an important process of colonization.
The taxonomic identity of Euscorpius germanus croaticus Di Caporiacco, 1950, described from Croat... more The taxonomic identity of Euscorpius germanus croaticus Di Caporiacco, 1950, described from Croatia and Bosnia, has remained unclear ever since its discovery. We studied the lectotype from the Velebit Mountains as well as new material from Biserujka Cave on Krk Island, Croatia. We reassessed E. g. croaticus using both morphology and DNA barcodes (cox1 sequences) from one of the Biserujka Cave specimens and 15 congeneric species. The resulting DNA phylogeny suggests that E. g. croaticus is not a subspecies of E. germanus. The taxon appears to be a separate lineage, which groups close to subgenus Alpiscorpius but differs from all its members in several morphological characters. We elevate E. g. croaticus to species rank as Euscorpius croaticus Di Caporiacco, 1950, stat. nov., and provide a detailed redescription of both sexes.
Investigations on epigeic spiders in potato fields were conducted in Bulgaria in 2000, 2001 and 2... more Investigations on epigeic spiders in potato fields were conducted in Bulgaria in 2000, 2001 and 2004. Pitfall traps were used to compare biodiversity of spiders in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and conventional (non-Bt) potato cultivars. A total of 7128 individuals from 85 species of spiders were collected. The species Titanoeca veteranica, Haplodrassus aenus, Chalcoscirtus nigritus and Zodarion epirense are new to the Bulgarian fauna, The species Pardosa agrestis, Oedothorax apicatus, Trichoncoides piscator, Araeoncus humilis, Erigone dentipalpis and Meioneta rurestris are present in all years, at all fields of investigations. Pardosa agrestis represented 79 - 84% of all spider species in 2000 and 2004. No negative effect of Bt potatoes on spiders could be detected. The insecticidal treatments in non-Bt cultivars also had no direct effect on epigeic spiders. The analyses of data confirmed the hypothesis of similarity of the epigeic spider's fauna in Bt and non-Bt potato fields.
The present check list is based on the incorporation of all available published records of spider... more The present check list is based on the incorporation of all available published records of spiders within the limits of the existing borders of the Republic of Macedonia. A total of 558 spider taxa from 36 families are listed. Altogether 3 712 records based on 32 publications on Macedonian spiders are verified. Some changes in species nomenclature are given.
A total of 281 species from 35 families have been found in the Eastern Rhodopes. Eight species ar... more A total of 281 species from 35 families have been found in the Eastern Rhodopes. Eight species are new for the Bulgarian spider fauna and Harpactea babori is new for Greece as well. Araeoncus tauricus, Zelotes solstitialis and Xysticus tenebrosus are discussed from a taxonomic point of view and some new pictures are presented. The spiders are classified into 29 zoogeographical categories, combined in four chorological complexes. The composition of the Eastern Rhodopes spider fauna shows a Palearctic and European character. Endemics and Southeasteuropean species emphasize the local character of this fauna, but its low percentage (2.5%) suggests an important process of colonization.
Accurate and cost-effective methods for tracking changes in arthropod communities are needed to d... more Accurate and cost-effective methods for tracking changes in arthropod communities are needed to develop integrative environmental monitoring programs in the Arctic. To date, even baseline data on their species composition at established ecological monitoring sites are severely lacking. We present the results of a pilot assessment of non-marine arthropod diversity in a middle arctic tundra area near Ikaluktutiak (Cambridge Bay), Victoria Island, Nunavut, undertaken in 2018 using DNA barcodes. A total of 1264 Barcode Index Number (BIN) clusters, used as a proxy for species, were recorded. The efficacy of widely used sampling methods was assessed. Yellow pan traps captured 62% of the entire BIN diversity at the study sites. When complemented with soil and leaf litter sifting, the coverage rose up to 74.6%. Combining community-based data collection with high-throughput DNA barcoding has the potential to overcome many of the logistic, financial, and taxonomic obstacles for large-scale mo...
The reliable taxonomic identification of organisms through DNA sequence data requires a well para... more The reliable taxonomic identification of organisms through DNA sequence data requires a well parameterized library of curated reference sequences. However, it is estimated that just 15% of described animal species are represented in public sequence repositories. To begin to address this deficiency, we provide DNA barcodes for 1,500,003 animal specimens collected from 23 terrestrial and aquatic ecozones at sites across Canada, a nation that comprises 7% of the planet’s land surface. In total, 14 phyla, 43 classes, 163 orders, 1123 families, 6186 genera, and 64,264 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs; a proxy for species) are represented. Species-level taxonomy was available for 38% of the specimens, but higher proportions were assigned to a genus (69.5%) and a family (99.9%). Voucher specimens and DNA extracts are archived at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics where they are available for further research. The corresponding sequence and taxonomic data can be accessed through the Barcode of...
The reliable taxonomic identification of organisms through DNA sequence data requires a well para... more The reliable taxonomic identification of organisms through DNA sequence data requires a well parameterized library of curated reference sequences. However, it is estimated that just 15% of described animal species are represented in public sequence repositories. To begin to address this deficiency, we provide DNA barcodes for 1,500,003 animal specimens collected from 23 terrestrial and aquatic ecozones at sites across Canada, a nation that comprises 7% of the planet's land surface. In total, 14 phyla, 43 classes, 163 orders, 1123 families, 6186 genera, and 64,264 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs; a proxy for species) are represented. Species-level taxonomy was available for 38% of the specimens, but higher proportions were assigned to a genus (69.5%) and a family (99.9%). Voucher specimens and DNA extracts are archived at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics where they are available for further research. The corresponding sequence and taxonomic data can be accessed through the Barcod...
Euscorpius is the first research publication completely devoted to scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpion... more Euscorpius is the first research publication completely devoted to scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Euscorpius takes advantage of the rapidly evolving medium of quick online publication, at the same time maintaining high research standards for the burgeoning field of scorpion science (scorpiology). Euscorpius is an expedient and viable medium for the publication of serious papers in scorpiology, including (but not limited to): systematics, evolution, ecology, biogeography, and general biology of scorpions. Review papers, descriptions of new taxa, faunistic surveys, lists of museum collections, and book reviews are welcome. Derivatio Nominis The name Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 refers to the most common genus of scorpions in the Mediterranean region and southern Europe (family Euscorpiidae).
Morphological study of 1,795 spiders from sites across Pakistan placed these specimens in 27 fami... more Morphological study of 1,795 spiders from sites across Pakistan placed these specimens in 27 families and 202 putative species. COI sequences >400 bp recovered from 1,782 specimens were analyzed using neighbor-joining trees, Bayesian inference, barcode gap, and Barcode Index Numbers (BINs). Specimens of 109 morphological species were assigned to 123 BINs with ten species showing BIN splits, while 93 interim species included representatives of 98 BINs. Maximum conspecific divergences ranged from 0-5.3% while congeneric distances varied from 2.8-23.2%. Excepting one species pair (Oxyopes azhari-Oxyopes oryzae), the maximum intraspecific distance was always less than the nearest-neighbor (NN) distance. Intraspecific divergence values were not significantly correlated with geographic distance. Most (75%) BINs detected in this study were new to science, while those shared with other nations mainly derived from India. The discovery of many new, potentially endemic species and the low level of BIN overlap with other nations highlight the importance of constructing regional DNA barcode reference libraries.
Figure 1. Cumulative number of spider species described over time, including only species that ar... more Figure 1. Cumulative number of spider species described over time, including only species that are currently valid (description years for all valid species follow Platnick 2009).
Figure 1. Christo Deltshev in the Elata Cave near the village of Zimevitsa, Bulgaria, in 1961 (ph... more Figure 1. Christo Deltshev in the Elata Cave near the village of Zimevitsa, Bulgaria, in 1961 (photo Petko Nedkov).
A total of 294 species from 31 families have been found in Galichitsa Mt. Of them, 85 species are... more A total of 294 species from 31 families have been found in Galichitsa Mt. Of them, 85 species are new to the mountain, while 20 are also new to the fauna of FYR of Macedonia. According to their current distribution the established species can be assigned to 17 zoogeographical categories, grouped into 5 complexes (Cosmopolitan, Holarctic, European, Mediterranean, Endemics of Balkans). Dominant are Holarctic species (66.0%) followed by European (16.5%) and Mediterranean (9.3%). The endemics (6.2%) and Southeast European species (1.7%) emphasize the local character of this fauna, but its low percentage suggests an important process of colonization.
The taxonomic identity of Euscorpius germanus croaticus Di Caporiacco, 1950, described from Croat... more The taxonomic identity of Euscorpius germanus croaticus Di Caporiacco, 1950, described from Croatia and Bosnia, has remained unclear ever since its discovery. We studied the lectotype from the Velebit Mountains as well as new material from Biserujka Cave on Krk Island, Croatia. We reassessed E. g. croaticus using both morphology and DNA barcodes (cox1 sequences) from one of the Biserujka Cave specimens and 15 congeneric species. The resulting DNA phylogeny suggests that E. g. croaticus is not a subspecies of E. germanus. The taxon appears to be a separate lineage, which groups close to subgenus Alpiscorpius but differs from all its members in several morphological characters. We elevate E. g. croaticus to species rank as Euscorpius croaticus Di Caporiacco, 1950, stat. nov., and provide a detailed redescription of both sexes.
Investigations on epigeic spiders in potato fields were conducted in Bulgaria in 2000, 2001 and 2... more Investigations on epigeic spiders in potato fields were conducted in Bulgaria in 2000, 2001 and 2004. Pitfall traps were used to compare biodiversity of spiders in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and conventional (non-Bt) potato cultivars. A total of 7128 individuals from 85 species of spiders were collected. The species Titanoeca veteranica, Haplodrassus aenus, Chalcoscirtus nigritus and Zodarion epirense are new to the Bulgarian fauna, The species Pardosa agrestis, Oedothorax apicatus, Trichoncoides piscator, Araeoncus humilis, Erigone dentipalpis and Meioneta rurestris are present in all years, at all fields of investigations. Pardosa agrestis represented 79 - 84% of all spider species in 2000 and 2004. No negative effect of Bt potatoes on spiders could be detected. The insecticidal treatments in non-Bt cultivars also had no direct effect on epigeic spiders. The analyses of data confirmed the hypothesis of similarity of the epigeic spider's fauna in Bt and non-Bt potato fields.
The present check list is based on the incorporation of all available published records of spider... more The present check list is based on the incorporation of all available published records of spiders within the limits of the existing borders of the Republic of Macedonia. A total of 558 spider taxa from 36 families are listed. Altogether 3 712 records based on 32 publications on Macedonian spiders are verified. Some changes in species nomenclature are given.
A total of 281 species from 35 families have been found in the Eastern Rhodopes. Eight species ar... more A total of 281 species from 35 families have been found in the Eastern Rhodopes. Eight species are new for the Bulgarian spider fauna and Harpactea babori is new for Greece as well. Araeoncus tauricus, Zelotes solstitialis and Xysticus tenebrosus are discussed from a taxonomic point of view and some new pictures are presented. The spiders are classified into 29 zoogeographical categories, combined in four chorological complexes. The composition of the Eastern Rhodopes spider fauna shows a Palearctic and European character. Endemics and Southeasteuropean species emphasize the local character of this fauna, but its low percentage (2.5%) suggests an important process of colonization.
Accurate and cost-effective methods for tracking changes in arthropod communities are needed to d... more Accurate and cost-effective methods for tracking changes in arthropod communities are needed to develop integrative environmental monitoring programs in the Arctic. To date, even baseline data on their species composition at established ecological monitoring sites are severely lacking. We present the results of a pilot assessment of non-marine arthropod diversity in a middle arctic tundra area near Ikaluktutiak (Cambridge Bay), Victoria Island, Nunavut, undertaken in 2018 using DNA barcodes. A total of 1264 Barcode Index Number (BIN) clusters, used as a proxy for species, were recorded. The efficacy of widely used sampling methods was assessed. Yellow pan traps captured 62% of the entire BIN diversity at the study sites. When complemented with soil and leaf litter sifting, the coverage rose up to 74.6%. Combining community-based data collection with high-throughput DNA barcoding has the potential to overcome many of the logistic, financial, and taxonomic obstacles for large-scale mo...
The reliable taxonomic identification of organisms through DNA sequence data requires a well para... more The reliable taxonomic identification of organisms through DNA sequence data requires a well parameterized library of curated reference sequences. However, it is estimated that just 15% of described animal species are represented in public sequence repositories. To begin to address this deficiency, we provide DNA barcodes for 1,500,003 animal specimens collected from 23 terrestrial and aquatic ecozones at sites across Canada, a nation that comprises 7% of the planet’s land surface. In total, 14 phyla, 43 classes, 163 orders, 1123 families, 6186 genera, and 64,264 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs; a proxy for species) are represented. Species-level taxonomy was available for 38% of the specimens, but higher proportions were assigned to a genus (69.5%) and a family (99.9%). Voucher specimens and DNA extracts are archived at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics where they are available for further research. The corresponding sequence and taxonomic data can be accessed through the Barcode of...
The reliable taxonomic identification of organisms through DNA sequence data requires a well para... more The reliable taxonomic identification of organisms through DNA sequence data requires a well parameterized library of curated reference sequences. However, it is estimated that just 15% of described animal species are represented in public sequence repositories. To begin to address this deficiency, we provide DNA barcodes for 1,500,003 animal specimens collected from 23 terrestrial and aquatic ecozones at sites across Canada, a nation that comprises 7% of the planet's land surface. In total, 14 phyla, 43 classes, 163 orders, 1123 families, 6186 genera, and 64,264 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs; a proxy for species) are represented. Species-level taxonomy was available for 38% of the specimens, but higher proportions were assigned to a genus (69.5%) and a family (99.9%). Voucher specimens and DNA extracts are archived at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics where they are available for further research. The corresponding sequence and taxonomic data can be accessed through the Barcod...
Euscorpius is the first research publication completely devoted to scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpion... more Euscorpius is the first research publication completely devoted to scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Euscorpius takes advantage of the rapidly evolving medium of quick online publication, at the same time maintaining high research standards for the burgeoning field of scorpion science (scorpiology). Euscorpius is an expedient and viable medium for the publication of serious papers in scorpiology, including (but not limited to): systematics, evolution, ecology, biogeography, and general biology of scorpions. Review papers, descriptions of new taxa, faunistic surveys, lists of museum collections, and book reviews are welcome. Derivatio Nominis The name Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 refers to the most common genus of scorpions in the Mediterranean region and southern Europe (family Euscorpiidae).
Morphological study of 1,795 spiders from sites across Pakistan placed these specimens in 27 fami... more Morphological study of 1,795 spiders from sites across Pakistan placed these specimens in 27 families and 202 putative species. COI sequences >400 bp recovered from 1,782 specimens were analyzed using neighbor-joining trees, Bayesian inference, barcode gap, and Barcode Index Numbers (BINs). Specimens of 109 morphological species were assigned to 123 BINs with ten species showing BIN splits, while 93 interim species included representatives of 98 BINs. Maximum conspecific divergences ranged from 0-5.3% while congeneric distances varied from 2.8-23.2%. Excepting one species pair (Oxyopes azhari-Oxyopes oryzae), the maximum intraspecific distance was always less than the nearest-neighbor (NN) distance. Intraspecific divergence values were not significantly correlated with geographic distance. Most (75%) BINs detected in this study were new to science, while those shared with other nations mainly derived from India. The discovery of many new, potentially endemic species and the low level of BIN overlap with other nations highlight the importance of constructing regional DNA barcode reference libraries.
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Papers by Gergin Blagoev