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Online citizen science platforms can be crucial to the scientific and regulatory community, but inherent biases based on organism traits can influence the likelihood of a species being reported and accurately identified. We explored how traits of orb weaving spiders impact data in iNaturalist, using the invasive Jorō spider as a case study. This species is an outlier among orbweavers due to its large size and bright coloration, and was the most frequently reported species, with the most identifications and research-grade observations. It was also reported by less experienced users on average, highlighting its potential role as a gateway species into community science participation. This bias towards large, flashy orbweaver species suggests underrepresentation of smaller, drab species. Given the increasing importance of open access digital biodiversity records, we encourage researchers to engage more with the iNaturalist community and contribute their expertise in improving the data quality wherever possible.

Economic and ecological consequences of invasive species make biological invasions an influential driver of global change. Monitoring the spread and impacts of non‐native species is essential, but often difficult, especially during the initial stages of invasion. The Jorō spider, Trichonephila clavata (L. Koch, 1878, Araneae: Nephilidae), is a large‐bodied orb weaver native to Asia, likely introduced to northern Georgia, U.S. around 2010. We investigated the nascent invasion of T. clavata by constructing species distribution models (SDMs) from crowd‐sourced data to compare the climate T. clavata experiences in its native range to its introduced range. We found evidence that the climate of T. clavata's native range differs significantly from its introduced range. Species distribution models trained with observations from its native range predict that the most suitable habitats in North America occur north of its current introduced range. Consistent with SDM predictions, T. clavata appears to be spreading faster to the north than to the south. Lastly, we conducted surveys to investigate potential ecological impacts of T. clavata on the diversity of native orb weaving spiders. Importantly, Trichonephila clavata was the most common and abundant species observed in the survey, and was numerically dominant at half of the sites it was present in. Our models also suggest that there is lower native orb weaver species richness and diversity closer to where T. clavata was initially found and where it has been established the longest, though human population density complicates this finding. This early study is the first to forecast how widely this spider may spread in its introduced range and explore its potential ecological impacts. Our results add evidence that T. clavata is an invasive species and deserves much more ecological scrutiny. The Joro spider, Trichonephila clavata (L. Koch, 1878, Araneae: Araneidae), is a large‐bodied orb weaver native to Asia, likely introduced to northern Georgia, U.S. around 2010. We found evidence that the climate of T. clavata's native range differs significantly from its introduced range and that the most suitable locations in North America occur to the north of its current introduced range, suggesting its continued ability to spread. Our results also found that T. clavata is the most common species encountered, the most numerically abundant species where it is common, and suggest that there is lower native orb weaver species richness and diversity closer to where T. clavata was initially found and where it has been established the longest.

A critical component of integrated pest management is minimizing disruption of biological control by reducing the use of pesticides with significant non-target effects on natural enemies. Insecticide non-target effects testing for natural enemies has become increasingly common, but research examining the non-target effects of herbicides on natural enemies is scarce, and recommendations regarding herbicide selectivity are non-existent. We used meta-analysis to summarize laboratory bioassays testing non-target effects of herbicides on arthropod natural enemies and identify patterns in taxon susceptibility and active ingredient toxicity. Data were extracted from 78 papers representing 801 total observations. Herbicides increased natural enemy mortality and decreased longevity, reproduction, and predation. Mesostigmatan mites and hemipterans were the most sensitive to herbicides, and spiders, neuropterans, and hymenopterans were the least sensitive. Mortality was higher in juvenile predators versus parasitoids but did not differ between adults; parasitoid juveniles are likely better protected within the host. In terms of acute mortality, metribuzin, glufosinate, and oxyfluorfen were the most harmful herbicides. Only nicosulfuron, rimsulfuron, pendimethalin, phenmedipham, atrazine, and urea did not increase natural enemy mortality. The large effect size of glufosinate is particularly concerning, as it is the most likely replacement herbicide for glyphosate in many crops. Many active ingredients remain under-studied. Our analysis indicates that herbicides have a strong potential to disrupt biological control in cropping systems.

The introduction of Trichonephila clavata (L. Koch, 1878) (Araneae: Araneidae: subfamily Nephilinae) in the United States was first recorded in Georgia in 2014. Since its introduction, T. clavata has become a prominent feature of the arthropod fauna in several southeastern US states. Many questions regarding the introduction event(s) remain unanswered; for instance, was the introduction a single discrete event followed by rapid spread, or were there multiple introductions? The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit one gene region (COI), which was used to characterize the initial T. clavata observation in the US, has also been used to characterize within- and between-population genetic variation. One confounding factor for COI as a population genetic molecular marker, though, is the presence of cytoplasmic agents of selection such as intracellular bacteria in the genus Wolbachia . Given that Wolbachia infections have been detected in potential source populations of T. clavata , the present study sought to characterize mitochondrial genetic diversity and the status of Wolbachia infection in the North American population(s) closest to the originally proposed introduction site in Georgia. DNA sequencing revealed no mitochondrial genetic variation in the T. clavata population sampled in North America, and an exact sequence match to the previously reported T. clavata in Georgia and a sequence sample from Yunnan, China. Wolbachia was detected in the North American samples. However, phylogenetic analysis on a concatenated multi-locus type sequence suggested two distinct Wolbachia clades, one represented by samples collected in Georgia and another represented by a single sample collected in South Carolina. Sequence analyses of the multi-locus gene regions suggested that the Georgia T. clavata may be infected with two strains of Wolbachia (super-infection), and the South Carolina sample represented a separate single infection. The study’s results emphasize the need for further research, including expanded sampling in the introduced and potential source population regions, as well as a more detailed molecular characterization of the populations.

A charming new game educates as players compete to stave off honey bee colony collapse Could you survive a year in the life of a queen bee? A new tabletop board game challenges players to do just that, providing a surprisingly educational experience along the way. Bee Lives: We Will Only Know Summer was designed by beekeeper and librarian Matthew Shoemaker and pointedly avoids cartoonish depictions of the beloved pollinators. Its earnest attempt to portray realistic hive dynamics will delight players as they attempt to weather the challenges faced by bee colonies season after season.

When birding meets board games, everyone wins For many, the thought of board games may evoke memories of family game nights centered on childhood classics such as Monopoly . However, a relatively recent boom in adult board game enthusiasts has led game designers to explore more diverse themes, including those that model scientific concepts. Perhaps, then, it was only inevitable that a tour de force such as Wingspan would appear, at once seducing biologists, nature enthusiasts, and board gamers with its beautiful aesthetics, simple but strategic game play, and seemingly limitless bird factoids.

The quantum realm comes to life in a fast-paced new board game The rise in popularity of tabletop board games as a mainstream adult hobby has introduced players to a correspondingly wide breadth of unlikely subjects, from exploding cats to top-secret chili recipes (thankfully not in the same game). Following the notion that no subject is off limits in board gaming, Subatomic sets out to add particle physics and chemistry to the milieu.

We report the discovery of two wasp species emerging from egg sacs of the spider Cyrtophora citricola (Forskål 1775) collected from mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. We identify one as Philolema palanichamyi (Narendran 1984) (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae) and the other as a member of the Pediobius pyrgo (Walker 1839) species group (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae). This is the first report of Philolema in Europe, and the first documentation of hymenopteran egg predators of C. citricola . The latter finding is particularly relevant, given the multiple invasive populations of C. citricola in the Americas and the Caribbean, where neither egg sac predation nor parasitism is known to occur. We describe rates of emergence by Ph. palanichamyi from spider egg sacs collected from the southern coast of Spain and estimate sex ratios and body size variation among males and females. We also re-describe Ph. palanichamyi based on the female holotype and male paratype specimens.

A pair of climate-focused expansions promises smart fun for board game enthusiasts Board games are growing as a popular hobby in mainstream culture and academic circles, thanks, in part, to the rise of \"Eurogames,\" which emphasize strategy and individual development over luck and conflict. Given their wide appeal, board games also represent a media form ripe with potential for science education. This review presents two games with environmentally themed expansions that can help kick-start discussions on the effects of climate change.

Mass media plays an important role in the construction and circulation of risk perception associated with animals. Widely feared groups such as spiders frequently end up in the spotlight of traditional and social media. We compiled an expert-curated global database on the online newspaper coverage of human-spider encounters over the past ten years (2010–2020). This database includes information about the location of each human-spider encounter reported in the news article and a quantitative characterisation of the content—location, presence of photographs of spiders and bites, number and type of errors, consultation of experts, and a subjective assessment of sensationalism. In total, we collected 5348 unique news articles from 81 countries in 40 languages. The database refers to 211 identified and unidentified spider species and 2644 unique human-spider encounters (1121 bites and 147 as deadly bites). To facilitate data reuse, we explain the main caveats that need to be made when analysing this database and discuss research ideas and questions that can be explored with it.Measurement(s)Newspaper articles on human-spider encountersTechnology Type(s)Manual extractionSample Characteristic - OrganismSpiders (Arachnida: Araneae)Sample Characteristic - EnvironmentOnlineSample Characteristic - LocationGlobal