EZ Lab
@ezlab.bsky.social
Arachnology / Evolutionary Zoology / Systematic Zoology / Behavioral Ecology / Biodiversity and Conservation / E-mail: eazylab@gmail
Reposted by EZ Lab
Osmooka aphana: new spider genus and species discovered in Madagascar
YouTube video by EZ lab
www.youtube.com
December 6, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Reposted by EZ Lab
1/8
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
December 6, 2025 at 9:09 AM
1/8
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
Osmooka aphana: new spider genus and species discovered in Madagascar
YouTube video by EZ lab
www.youtube.com
December 6, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Reposted by EZ Lab
Check out our new paper! Not only do we describe a cool spider (new genus) from Madagascar, related to an Australian one, but we also make a deep dive into orb weaver morphology to better understand family relationships and synapomorhpies. Proud of this one!
1/8
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
December 6, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Check out our new paper! Not only do we describe a cool spider (new genus) from Madagascar, related to an Australian one, but we also make a deep dive into orb weaver morphology to better understand family relationships and synapomorhpies. Proud of this one!
1/8
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
December 6, 2025 at 9:09 AM
1/8
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
A new spider genus from Madagascar!
Researchers led by Matjaž Kuntner (National Institute of Biology, Slovenia) have described Osmooka aphana, discovered in the montane forests of Marojejy National Park.
Extreme Silk Toughness in Caerostris Spiders Is Limited to Adult Females - Gregorič - Integrative Zoology - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Extreme Silk Toughness in Caerostris Spiders Is Limited to Adult Females
We ask whether species with exceptionally tough silk, like Caerostris bark spiders, show different developmental patterns in silk toughness between ontogenetic stages and sexes. We found that only la...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Extreme Silk Toughness in Caerostris Spiders Is Limited to Adult Females - Gregorič - Integrative Zoology - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by EZ Lab
New paper on bark spiders, who build the largest webs made out of the toughest silk. We show that their extremely tough silk, which is potentially metabolically costly, is limited to large females. Juveniles and males use inferior silk.
New publication!
Orb weavers evolved some of the toughest silk, reaching extremes in bark spiders, genus Caerostris. We investigate sex and stage specific patterns in silk properties and find that extremely tough silk is limited to adult females.
www.ezlab.si/post/extreme...
Orb weavers evolved some of the toughest silk, reaching extremes in bark spiders, genus Caerostris. We investigate sex and stage specific patterns in silk properties and find that extremely tough silk is limited to adult females.
www.ezlab.si/post/extreme...
Extreme silk toughness in Caerostris spiders is limited to adult females
Spider silks are protein fibers, renowned for their remarkable intrinsic mechanical properties. Dragline or major ampullate (MA) silk is particularly noteworthy for its combination of high tensile str...
www.ezlab.si
November 30, 2025 at 7:05 PM
New paper on bark spiders, who build the largest webs made out of the toughest silk. We show that their extremely tough silk, which is potentially metabolically costly, is limited to large females. Juveniles and males use inferior silk.
New publication!
Orb weavers evolved some of the toughest silk, reaching extremes in bark spiders, genus Caerostris. We investigate sex and stage specific patterns in silk properties and find that extremely tough silk is limited to adult females.
www.ezlab.si/post/extreme...
Orb weavers evolved some of the toughest silk, reaching extremes in bark spiders, genus Caerostris. We investigate sex and stage specific patterns in silk properties and find that extremely tough silk is limited to adult females.
www.ezlab.si/post/extreme...
Extreme silk toughness in Caerostris spiders is limited to adult females
Spider silks are protein fibers, renowned for their remarkable intrinsic mechanical properties. Dragline or major ampullate (MA) silk is particularly noteworthy for its combination of high tensile str...
www.ezlab.si
November 30, 2025 at 7:00 PM
New publication!
Orb weavers evolved some of the toughest silk, reaching extremes in bark spiders, genus Caerostris. We investigate sex and stage specific patterns in silk properties and find that extremely tough silk is limited to adult females.
www.ezlab.si/post/extreme...
Orb weavers evolved some of the toughest silk, reaching extremes in bark spiders, genus Caerostris. We investigate sex and stage specific patterns in silk properties and find that extremely tough silk is limited to adult females.
www.ezlab.si/post/extreme...
Reposted by EZ Lab
New study from @michellebeyer.bsky.social published in Animal Behaviour: Silk of females performing maternal care elicits reduced courtship responses in male spiders.
November 26, 2025 at 9:46 PM
New study from @michellebeyer.bsky.social published in Animal Behaviour: Silk of females performing maternal care elicits reduced courtship responses in male spiders.
Reposted by EZ Lab
Here comes Carolina's first paper on the effects of winter temperatures on survival, physiology and gene expression in wasp spiders. Thanks go to all coauthors for their various contribution that made this work possible!🧪🕷
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#climatechange
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#climatechange
November 27, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Here comes Carolina's first paper on the effects of winter temperatures on survival, physiology and gene expression in wasp spiders. Thanks go to all coauthors for their various contribution that made this work possible!🧪🕷
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#climatechange
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#climatechange
Reposted by EZ Lab
Come and work with us in our new home @bristolbiosci.bsky.social ! This fully funded PhD opportunity is open to anyone interested in spiders/eyes/light pollution/evolution/development! 🕷️👀
⏰Deadline 15th December, online info event TODAY @2pm! Link in the PhD advert👉 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
⏰Deadline 15th December, online info event TODAY @2pm! Link in the PhD advert👉 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
November 24, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Come and work with us in our new home @bristolbiosci.bsky.social ! This fully funded PhD opportunity is open to anyone interested in spiders/eyes/light pollution/evolution/development! 🕷️👀
⏰Deadline 15th December, online info event TODAY @2pm! Link in the PhD advert👉 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
⏰Deadline 15th December, online info event TODAY @2pm! Link in the PhD advert👉 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Sounds legit! 😁
@matjazgregoric.bsky.social in 2011: You know what's easier (logistically) than dolphin research? Spider research!
Me: *does PhD on spiders, but later goes back to working with dolphins*
Matjaž in 2025: You know what's easier than dolphin research?...
Me: *does PhD on spiders, but later goes back to working with dolphins*
Matjaž in 2025: You know what's easier than dolphin research?...
October 21, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Sounds legit! 😁
Reposted by EZ Lab
A pair of golden orb weavers from S. Africa (Trichonephila inaurata) mating back in 2016.
#Arachtober
#Arachtober
October 16, 2025 at 5:04 PM
A pair of golden orb weavers from S. Africa (Trichonephila inaurata) mating back in 2016.
#Arachtober
#Arachtober
Reposted by EZ Lab
🚨🚨Job! 🚨🚨Permanent (75% time) job! We are a pretty awesome research group & seek a manager who deals with everything: personnel tasks, organizing retreats, preparing code for teaching / data structures for research... Fluency in German & English essential. stellenboerse.uni-mainz.de#/jgu/job/51527
stellenboerse.uni-mainz.de
October 17, 2025 at 7:38 AM
🚨🚨Job! 🚨🚨Permanent (75% time) job! We are a pretty awesome research group & seek a manager who deals with everything: personnel tasks, organizing retreats, preparing code for teaching / data structures for research... Fluency in German & English essential. stellenboerse.uni-mainz.de#/jgu/job/51527
Reposted by EZ Lab
Our journal congratulates @ortizmovliavc.bsky.social l for her award at @35theca2025.bsky.social !
Her work, “Winter warming increases metabolic stress and mortality in an overwintering spider,” got her a free publication in a @pensoft.net journal.
zookeys.pensoft.net/news/993
Her work, “Winter warming increases metabolic stress and mortality in an overwintering spider,” got her a free publication in a @pensoft.net journal.
zookeys.pensoft.net/news/993
PhD student Carolina Ortiz Movliav wins Best Oral Presentation at European Congress of Arachnology
Carolina Ortiz Movliav, a PhD student at the University of Greifswald, has won the Best Oral Presentation Award at the 35th European Congress of Arachnology for her work “Winter warming inc...
zookeys.pensoft.net
September 24, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Our journal congratulates @ortizmovliavc.bsky.social l for her award at @35theca2025.bsky.social !
Her work, “Winter warming increases metabolic stress and mortality in an overwintering spider,” got her a free publication in a @pensoft.net journal.
zookeys.pensoft.net/news/993
Her work, “Winter warming increases metabolic stress and mortality in an overwintering spider,” got her a free publication in a @pensoft.net journal.
zookeys.pensoft.net/news/993
Reposted by EZ Lab
Okay, I warned you yesterday but SPIDER POST SPIDER POST SPIDER POST. Look. Spiders are great! They're our friends. They do good work out there and in our houses. I love spiders and how can you not love THIS spider, who is both a work of art *and* wildly successful at this game of hide-and-seek?
September 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Okay, I warned you yesterday but SPIDER POST SPIDER POST SPIDER POST. Look. Spiders are great! They're our friends. They do good work out there and in our houses. I love spiders and how can you not love THIS spider, who is both a work of art *and* wildly successful at this game of hide-and-seek?
In a new publication, we focused on the little-known African spider Megaraneus gabonensis, in which females are 4x larger than males.
We provide an overdue taxonomic description, phylogenetic placement, and reconstruct the evolution of sexual size dimorphism.
www.ezlab.si/post/taxonom...
We provide an overdue taxonomic description, phylogenetic placement, and reconstruct the evolution of sexual size dimorphism.
www.ezlab.si/post/taxonom...
Taxonomy, phylogeny, and size evolution in Megaraneus
Many spider species show large differences in size between males and females, but biologists still do not fully understand how or why this evolves. In this study we focused on the systematics and evol...
www.ezlab.si
September 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
In a new publication, we focused on the little-known African spider Megaraneus gabonensis, in which females are 4x larger than males.
We provide an overdue taxonomic description, phylogenetic placement, and reconstruct the evolution of sexual size dimorphism.
www.ezlab.si/post/taxonom...
We provide an overdue taxonomic description, phylogenetic placement, and reconstruct the evolution of sexual size dimorphism.
www.ezlab.si/post/taxonom...
In a new review, we dig deep into possible explanations of the evolution of female cannibalism in spiders and various male strategies to mitigate it.
www.ezlab.si/post/female-...
www.ezlab.si/post/female-...
Female sexual cannibalism and male reproductive strategies
Sexual cannibalism — the consumption of one mating partner by the other before, during, or after copulation — is documented across various invertebrate groups, particularly arachnids, some insects suc...
www.ezlab.si
September 17, 2025 at 3:38 PM
In a new review, we dig deep into possible explanations of the evolution of female cannibalism in spiders and various male strategies to mitigate it.
www.ezlab.si/post/female-...
www.ezlab.si/post/female-...
Reposted by EZ Lab
Spiders have personalities—and in Pisaura mirabilis, opposites might attract: adventurous males and cautious females mate longer, revealing hidden personality-driven patterns in romance. Lead by @cristinatuni.bsky.social Read more here: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
September 16, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Spiders have personalities—and in Pisaura mirabilis, opposites might attract: adventurous males and cautious females mate longer, revealing hidden personality-driven patterns in romance. Lead by @cristinatuni.bsky.social Read more here: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by EZ Lab
Why do female spiders eat their mates, and how do males fight back? 🕷️ Our new review unpacks the evolutionary dynamics of sexual cannibalism and the astonishing male strategies it has shaped — from nuptial gifts to remote copulation. Open access in Integrative Zoology 👉 doi.org/10.1111/1749...
Unravelling Evolutionary Dynamics of Female Sexual Cannibalism and Male Reproductive Strategies in Spiders
Sexual cannibalism (SC), where one mating partner consumes the other in the context of mating, is especially prevalent among spiders. However, the evolution of SC in spiders is still not fully unders...
doi.org
September 17, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Why do female spiders eat their mates, and how do males fight back? 🕷️ Our new review unpacks the evolutionary dynamics of sexual cannibalism and the astonishing male strategies it has shaped — from nuptial gifts to remote copulation. Open access in Integrative Zoology 👉 doi.org/10.1111/1749...
Reposted by EZ Lab
We - EZ lab
@ezlab.bsky.social
(past/current) - presented our latest research at the European congress of arachnology
@35theca2025.bsky.social
.
@matjazgregoric.bsky.social
@ezlab.bsky.social
(past/current) - presented our latest research at the European congress of arachnology
@35theca2025.bsky.social
.
@matjazgregoric.bsky.social
September 10, 2025 at 10:34 AM
We - EZ lab
@ezlab.bsky.social
(past/current) - presented our latest research at the European congress of arachnology
@35theca2025.bsky.social
.
@matjazgregoric.bsky.social
@ezlab.bsky.social
(past/current) - presented our latest research at the European congress of arachnology
@35theca2025.bsky.social
.
@matjazgregoric.bsky.social
New research on spider personalities, led by Cristina Tuni. In Pisaura mirabilis, opposites might attract: adventurous males and cautious females mate longer, revealing hidden personality-driven patterns in "romance".
Read more here:
www.ezlab.si/post/in-pisa...
Read more here:
www.ezlab.si/post/in-pisa...
In Pisaura mirabilis, opposites might attract
Animal personalities - consistent behavioral tendencies - can play an important role in mating decisions. This study tests the idea that pairings of spiders of the nuptial feeding species Pisaura mira...
www.ezlab.si
September 17, 2025 at 9:50 AM
New research on spider personalities, led by Cristina Tuni. In Pisaura mirabilis, opposites might attract: adventurous males and cautious females mate longer, revealing hidden personality-driven patterns in "romance".
Read more here:
www.ezlab.si/post/in-pisa...
Read more here:
www.ezlab.si/post/in-pisa...
Amazing congress! At EZlab, we're proud that 5 current/past members attended. :)
It was an absolute joy sharing this amazing web of brilliant people here in Zadar. Thank you all for coming and making it so special! 🕷️❤️
September 9, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Amazing congress! At EZlab, we're proud that 5 current/past members attended. :)
Reposted by EZ Lab
Our plenary talk today: Unraveling Sexual Size Dimorphism in Spiders: Current Insights and Emerging Frontiers by Simona Kralj - Fišer
September 2, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Our plenary talk today: Unraveling Sexual Size Dimorphism in Spiders: Current Insights and Emerging Frontiers by Simona Kralj - Fišer