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Inés AC, Iván TB, Daniela T, Miranda GR, Alejandra CH. Utilizing spiders for biomonitoring air pollution from road traffic: a novel approach and preliminary findings. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:824. [PMID: 39162853 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-13001-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are air pollutants generated mainly by fuel combustion, industry, and other anthropogenic sources. The level of these pollutants can be assessed by employing biomonitors, a cost-effective and less contaminating alternative than conventional methods. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether spiders inhabiting areas around a major city like Córdoba, Argentina, adsorb and retain PAHs in their exoskeletons. Additionally, we aimed to determine if spiders' life traits influence their capacity to accumulate PAHs and explore potential relationships between PAH levels and the types of roads where they were collected. Specimens of a funnel-shaped web spider (Aglaoctenus lagotis) and an orb-weaver (Metepeira spp.) were collected from roadsides. Roads were classified into four categories based on their traffic intensity. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we identified 15 different PAHs. Both species exhibited varying concentrations of PAHs, although Metepeira spp. showed 15-18 times higher PAH levels compared to A. lagotis. Moreover, A. lagotis individuals living alongside highways accumulated up to six times more PAHs compared to those along other road types. These findings suggest that spiders' life traits may influence pollutant concentrations. Our study demonstrates that spiders near roads are exposed to and accumulate PAHs on their exoskeletons, likely sourced from petrogenic vehicular emissions, highlighting their value as biomonitors and emphasizing the need for mitigation measures to address air pollutants emitted from mobile sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Argañaraz Carina Inés
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Tavera Busso Iván
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC)-CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Tinunin Daniela
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC)-CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Gleiser Raquel Miranda
- Centro de Relevamiento y Evaluación de Recursos Agrícolas y Naturales (CREAN), Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC)-CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
- Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Carreras Hebe Alejandra
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC)-CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
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Cabon V, Pincebourde S, Colinet H, Dubreuil V, Georges R, Launoy M, Pétillon J, Quénol H, Bergerot B. Preferred temperature in the warmth of cities: Body size, sex and development stage matter more than urban climate in a ground-dwelling spider. J Therm Biol 2023; 117:103706. [PMID: 37714112 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Most ectotherms rely on behavioural thermoregulation to maintain body temperatures close to their physiological optimum. Hence, ectotherms can drastically limit their exposure to thermal extremes by selecting a narrower range of temperatures, which includes their preferred temperature (Tpref). Despite evidence that behavioural thermoregulation can be adjusted by phenotypic plasticity or constrained by natural selection, intraspecific Tpref variations across environmental gradients remain overlooked as compared to other thermal traits like thermal tolerance. Here, we analyzed Tpref variation of spider populations found along a gradient of urban heat island (UHI) which displays large thermal variations over small distances. We measured two components of the thermal preference, namely the mean Tpref and the Tpref range (i.e., standard deviation) in 557 field-collected individuals of a common ground-dwelling spider (Pardosa saltans, Lycosidae) using a laboratory thermal gradient. We determined if Tpref values differed among ten populations from contrasting thermal zones. We showed that endogenous factors such as body size or sex primarily determine both mean Tpref and Tpref range. The Tpref range was also linked to the UHI intensity to a lesser extent, yet only in juveniles. The absence of relationship between Tpref metrics and UHI in adult spiders suggests a Bogert effect according to which the ability of individuals to detect and exploit optimal microclimates weakens the selection pressure of temperatures (here driven by UHI) on their thermal physiology. Alternatively, this lack of relationship could also indicate that temperature patterns occurring at the scale of the spiders' micro-habitat differ from measured ones. This study shows the importance of considering both inter-individual and inter-population variations of the Tpref range when conducting Tpref experiments, and supports Tpref range as being a relevant measure to inform on the strength of behavioural thermoregulation in a given population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Cabon
- University of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)], UMR 6553, Rennes, France; LTSER ZA Armorique, F-35000, Rennes, France.
| | - Sylvain Pincebourde
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte, UMR 7261, CNRS, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Hervé Colinet
- University of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)], UMR 6553, Rennes, France
| | | | - Romain Georges
- University of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)], UMR 6553, Rennes, France; LTSER ZA Armorique, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Maud Launoy
- University of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)], UMR 6553, Rennes, France
| | - Julien Pétillon
- University of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)], UMR 6553, Rennes, France; Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Hervé Quénol
- University of Rennes 2, CNRS, LETG, UMR 6554, Rennes, France
| | - Benjamin Bergerot
- University of Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution)], UMR 6553, Rennes, France; LTSER ZA Armorique, F-35000, Rennes, France
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Hesselberg T, Gálvez D. Spider Ecology and Behaviour-Spiders as Model Organisms. INSECTS 2023; 14:330. [PMID: 37103145 PMCID: PMC10143103 DOI: 10.3390/insects14040330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Spiders are versatile and ubiquitous generalist predators that can be found in all terrestrial ecosystems except for Antarctica [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hesselberg
- Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JA, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
| | - Dumas Gálvez
- Coiba Scientific Station, Panama City 0843-01853, Panama
- Programa Centroamericano de Maestría en Entomología, Universidad de Panamá, Panama City 0824, Panama
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City P.O. Box 0843-03092, Panama
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