About
24
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Introduction
My main research interests are the evolutionary biology of spiders and the trace that history has left in their genome, morphology, physiology, ecology, distribution, etc. Across my career, I have transitioned from mainly using morphological to target sequencing and, recently, genome-wide data to uncover spider evolution. So far, I have mainly focused on two fantastic and highly diversified but very different model organisms: tarantulas and ant-eating spiders
Current institution
Additional affiliations
December 2024 - present
September 2005 - October 2008
Education
January 2012 - January 2017
September 2000 - June 2005
Publications
Publications (24)
Zodarion, one of the most diverse zodariid spider genera, has recently garnered significant interest due to its peculiar adaptations for stringent ant-eating specialization. However, species identification within this genus remains challenging, as many Zodarion species are still insufficiently documented. This study revisits the taxonomy of Iberian...
Type localities—the places of origin of the name-bearing type specimens of species and subspecies—are crucial for taxonomic identification and for maintaining taxonomic and nomenclatural stability. However, historical descriptions often lack precise or identifiable locality data. Pelegrín Franganillo Balboa described nearly 200 Cuban arachnids (192...
Large size, tropical climate, topographic complexity, and millions of years of isolation have turned the Greater Antillean islands into natural laboratories of evolution. Several groups have experienced explosive diversification across these islands, leading to highly diverse and endemic biotas and species experiencing unique adaptations. Here we d...
Disentangling the genomic intricacies underlying speciation and the causes of discordance between sources of evidence can offer remarkable insights into evolutionary dynamics. The ant-eating spider Zodarion nitidum, found across the Middle East and Egypt, displays yellowish and blackish morphs that co-occur sympatrically. These morphs additionally...
Aim
We aimed to understand how biogeographical processes and moisture niche ecology contributed to the spatio-temporal diversification dynamics in the land snail genus Vertigo.
Location
Global (North America, Europe, Asia, Africa).
Time Period
Cenozoic era.
Major Taxa Studied
Minute terrestrial snails of the genus Vertigo.
Methods
We reconstruc...
Aim: The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot (EABH) offers an ideal location to investigate the evolutionary mechanisms producing a high level of endemic biodiversity. We tested the hypothesis that the cradle of Eastern Afromontane diversity is in the largest sub-region of the EABH montane archipelago, that is the Ethiopian Highlands. Further,...
Ecological specialists constitute relevant case studies for understanding the mechanisms, potential and limitations of evolution. The species-rich and strictly myrmecophagous spiders of the genus Zodarion show diversified defence mechanisms, including myrmecomorphy of different ant species and nocturnality. Through Hybridization Capture Using RAD P...
Although tarantulas are a widespread, highly diversified, and charismatic spider group, our understanding of their evolution remains limited. A recent transcriptome-based approach, including 16% of the nominal tarantula genera (25), provided the first robust phylogenetic hypothesis of deep tarantula relationships. However, transcriptomics has pract...
Crocidura (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae) is the most species-rich genus among mammals, with high cryptic diversity and complicated taxonomy. The hirta-flavescens group of Crocidura represents the most abundant and widespread shrews in savannahs of eastern and southern Africa, making them a suitable phylogeographical model for assessing the role of paleo...
Although genomic data is boosting our understanding of evolution, we still lack a solid framework to perform reliable genome-based species delineation. This problem is especially critical in the case of phylogeographically structured organisms, with allopatric populations showing similar divergence patterns as species. Here, we assess the species l...
Biological divergence results from several mechanisms. Defensive mechanisms, such as Batesian mimicry, can cause reproductive isolation via temporal segregation in foraging activity, particularly, in species that closely associate with their model. This seems to be the case of ant‐eating spiders, which can be inaccurate Batesian mimics of their pre...
Ummidia is among the most ancient, highly diversified, widespread, morphologically static, and cryptic genera of mygalomorph spiders. Therefore, it constitutes a unique subject to investigate evolutionary processes, but also a very challenging group to study. Here, we provide the description and profuse illustration of the male and female of a new...
Trophic specialists often follow unique evolutionary pathways, show potential applications in biological control, and suffer from increased ecological vulnerability. The myrmecophagous spider genus Zodarion, highly diversified across the Mediterranean, is among the few predatory groups showing strict stenophagy. Most Zodarion species display narrow...
RAD sequencing yields large amounts of genome-wide data at a relatively low cost and without requiring previous taxon-specific information, making it ideal for evolutionary studies of highly diversified and neglected organisms. However, concerns about information decay with phylogenetic distance have discouraged its use for assessing supraspecific...
Genomic data provide unprecedented power for species delimitation. However, current implementations are still time and resource consuming. In addition, bioinformatic processing is contentious and its impact on downstream analyses is insufficiently understood. Here we employ ddRAD sequencing and a thorough sampling for species delimitation in Zodari...
Systematics has been formally implemented for about 250 years. In the last decades it has suffered great intellectual change, with the embrace of phylogenetic theory and the availability of molecular information. Here we conduct a systematic revision of Bonnetina, a group of tarantulas endemic to Mexico. Species delimitation is mainly conducted fro...
Determining species boundaries is a central debate in biology. Several recently developed molecular delimitation methods have highlighted extensive inconsistency in classical morphological taxonomy. However, choosing between them is contentious. Molecular studies on theraphosid spiders have found considerable cryptic diversity and many species redu...
Two new species of tarantulas from Mexico are described and illustrated: Bonnetina tenuiverpis and Bonnetina juxtantricola, from the states of Mexico and Guerrero, respectively. Male palpal bulbs, tibial apophyses and spermatheca are among the most taxonomically informative characters. Male bulb microstructure is revealed from scanning electron mic...
Cubanana cristinae gen. et sp. nov. is described from eastern Cuba and its phylogenetic relationships are discussed. Males are characterized by presenting a denticulate subapical keel on the palpal bulbs, a nodule in the retrolateral side of the palpal tibiae and two-branched tibial spurs on legs I. Both sexes lack stridulating apparatus, possess u...
A female of Mastigoproctus sp., from Siboney, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, was seen and photographed while she was eating an egg of Anolis sp. Two adult specimens of Mastigoproctus pelegrini Armas were also observed while they were feeding on eggs of the terrestrial frog Eleutherodactylus sp. (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae) and the snail Zachrysia guanensi...
Pachylomerus Ausserer 1871 (Araneae: Ctenizidae: Pachylomerinae) constitutes a junior homonym of Pachylomerus Bertoloni 1849 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). As a result, Pachylomerinae Simon 1889 constitutes an invalid name, according to article 39 of the current International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. A new replacement name, Ummid...
A new species, Phormictopus auratus, is described. This species is characterized by presenting the apex of the retrolateral branch of the tibial spurs flattened, on which the metatarsus I makes contact when flexed; also by possessing spermathecae well defined in three parts: the base, neck and fundus, and finally for having the carapace covered by...
