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Matjaž Gregorič

@matjazgregoric.bsky.social

Arachnologist and evolutionary biologist @ezlab.bsky.social. From Slovenia, likes Madagascar. Also likes movies, sports, beer.

23 Posts75 Follower83 Folgt
EZ Lab@ezlab.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🕷️ New paper! We describe the remarkable hunting behavior of the Malagasy spider Vigdisia praesidens, a termite specialist that uses silk to "fish" for termites inside damaged nests. This one, too, is from a student field camp in Madagascar! Congrats to all coauthors! www.ezlab.si/post/spider-...

Spider "fishing" for termites

A group of student researchers from the University of Iceland and the University in Antananarivo (Madagascar), led by dr. Ingi Agnarsson (University of Iceland) and dr. Matjaž Gregorič (Research Centr...

ezlab.si

Matjaž Gregorič@matjazgregoric.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This was a rapid one: idea May 15, fieldwork May 16, submitted May 24, reviews June 11, resubmitted June 18, accepted June 23, published July 8. Idea to acceptance 42 days, to publication 54 days. 🥳 Congrats to undegrad student coauthors!

EZ Lab@ezlab.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A simple observation during a student field course in Madagascar led to a publication in The Science of Nature: wind-exposed golden orb-weaver webs host fewer kleptoparasitic spiders, independent of web size.🕸️🕷️ www.ezlab.si/post/gone-wi...

Atal Pande@atal-pande.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Really excited to share that my first PhD chapter is now out in @currentbiology.bsky.social! 🕷️👀 We show that visually hunting spiders have repeatedly evolved forward-facing eyes, highlighting the remarkable evolutionary flexibility of their modular visual system. doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...

Hunting ecology predicts eye arrangements in the modular visual system of spiders

Pande et al. show that visually hunting spiders have convergently evolved forward-facing eyes. The positions and orientations of the eyes show the greatest morphological disparity and fastest evolutio...

cell.com

EZ Lab@ezlab.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Spider webs don’t just catch insects, they also catch DNA from the air. 🕸️ Our new study shows they can detect a major forest pathogen more effectively than conventional passive samplers, offering a low-cost tool for biodiversity and disease monitoring. 🌳🔬 www.ezlab.si/post/spider-...

Spider web eDNA detects fungal pathogen

Researchers from the National Institute of Biology, the Slovenian Forestry Institute, and ZRC SAZU have demonstrated that spider webs can serve as highly effective natural collectors of airborne envir...

ezlab.si

EZ Lab@ezlab.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🕷️ New editorial! "Horizons in Arachnid Science" introduces a collection of invited reviews on the latest advances in spider, scorpion, and mite research, from evolution and ecology to silk biomaterials and venom. www.ezlab.si/post/new-edi...

New editorial highlights the future of arachnid science

Our colleague Matjaž Kuntner has co-authored a new editorial in Frontiers in Arachnid Science, introducing the journal's inaugural "Horizons in Arachnid Science" collection.The editorial showcases a s...

ezlab.si

EZ Lab@ezlab.bsky.social · 8mo ago

New publication! Updated taxonomy of “coin spiders” (genus Herennia, family Nephilidae). This group is known for extreme size dimorphism, ladder-like webs, and varied distributions across Asia and Australasia. Check out what’s new in their taxonomy in biogeography. www.ezlab.si/post/new-spe...

Updated coin spider taxonomy

We publushed an updated overview of the spider genus Herennia, a group nicknamed “coin spiders” because of their appearance. These spiders belong to the family Nephilidae, a fascinating branch of the ...

ezlab.si