Speciation-research
Guides
Belonocnema treatae
Belonocnema treatae is a cynipid gall wasp species associated with live oaks in the southeastern United States. It exhibits an alternating sexual and asexual generation life cycle, with each generation forming distinct gall types on different parts of the host plant. The species has served as a model organism for studies of speciation and ecological interactions. It was first described by Gustav Leopold Mayr in 1881 based on specimens collected by naturalist Mary Treat in Florida.
Habronattus
Paradise Jumping Spiders
Habronattus is a genus of jumping spiders (Salticidae) comprising approximately 105 recognized species as of 2023. The genus is primarily native to North America, with highest diversity in the southwestern United States, though some species extend into Central America and above the Arctic Circle. Males are renowned for elaborate courtship displays combining visual signals—using modified third legs with spurs, colored scales, and dense hair brushes—with complex vibratory (acoustic) signals transmitted through the substrate. These multimodal displays have been described as among the most elaborate of any terrestrial invertebrate. Females are typically cryptic in coloration, while males exhibit bright, species-specific ornamentation.