I’m thrilled to share my latest research published in Zootaxa, diving deep into the mysterious world of cave-dwelling arachnids in Brazil. The genus Charinus, part of the Charontidae family, is the most diverse of its kind, and Brazil is its hotspot, with 43 known species.

What’s especially fascinating is that nearly half of these species live in caves, fragile ecosystems that are both underexplored and increasingly threatened by human activity. In this paper, we highlight conservation concerns for caves in northeastern Brazil and introduce the female of Charinus santanensis. We also describe the species’ hydrophobic coating and crystalline structures, likely adaptations to survive the intense heat and humidity of its habitat, and compare these traits with its close relatives.

This past weekend, the Recent Invertebrates collection made its return to Curiosiday at the Sam Noble Museum! We were thrilled to share some of our amazing specimens with the public. Visitors got a close look at truly fascinating creatures, from shimmering beetles and delicate butterflies to the spindly elegance of arachnids. We loved seeing the spark of curiosity (and sometimes a little surprise!) as people discovered the incredible diversity of invertebrate life.

Our latest study, “The impact of climate and habitat on body shape and size evolution in whip spiders (Amblypygi),” is now available as a preprint.

Whip spiders are an ancient group of arachnids known for their remarkably conserved body form, yet they inhabit a wide range of environments across the globe. In this study, we investigated how climate and habitat have influenced their body size and shape across 69 species. Our analyses reveal intriguing patterns consistent with both Bergmann’s and Cope-Deperet’s rules, suggesting that temperature and precipitation play stronger roles than habitat in shaping their evolution.

This is the first study to explore the macroevolution of body form in Amblypygi, offering new insights into why their morphology has remained so stable over time.

I’d love to hear feedback, comments, or suggestions from colleagues and fellow arachnid enthusiasts!
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Link to the preprint: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.06.680801

​On September 26, the Recent Invertebrates team joined the Education Department of the Sam Noble Museum for Twilight at Water’s Edge, an all-ages program designed to explore the hidden world of crepuscular and nocturnal animals. Shelby, our new Collections Manager, and I had the chance to share invertebrate specimens from the Sam Noble collections during the introductory activities at the museum.

​The program then continued at NE Lions Park, Norman, OK, where participants observed wildlife first-hand and learned how scientists study animals active at dusk and night. Through hands-on interactions and real-world examples, families considered the vital role of water in sustaining these communities and discovered the incredible diversity of life that becomes active after sunset.

We were thrilled to take part in this engaging program that connected collections, research, and the public with the natural world of Oklahoma.

We were delighted to host Matthew Pintar at the Sam Noble Museum, where he focused on assessing the museum’s holdings of Tropisternus beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) and backswimmers (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) from the southwestern United States.

Last year, I had the pleasure of spending a few months back in my home country, Brazil, visiting natural history collections and heading into the field. Together with my colleague Alessandro Giupponi, I spent two weeks in Manaus (Amazonas) and Porto Velho (Rondônia) exploring arachnids both in museums and deep in the rainforest.

We arrived in March, just after the rainy season, when the forest is at its wettest and arachnids are particularly abundant. Our first stop was the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), where we searched the collection for specimens of Amblypygi and Schizomida. It was also a chance to connect with other researchers, including arachnologist Gustavo Ruiz, a specialist in jumping spiders. After productive days indoors, we were eager to step into the forest.

We visited the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve, where even one full day and night left a strong impression. The diversity was overwhelming: scorpions (Brotheas amazonicus), large fishing spiders (Ancylometes rufus), and harvestmen (Protimesius longipalpis) were everywhere. Under bark and stones we found what we were really after, whip spiders and short-tailed whipscorpions. Always a thrill to see them in their natural habitat.

From Manaus we traveled to Porto Velho, my hometown, where we stayed five days thanks to family hospitality and support from local colleagues. There we explored four localities across different environments—primary forest, secondary forest, urban areas, and caves. I also had the chance to give a talk on my PhD research at Faculdade São Lucas, engaging with students about biogeography and diversification in the Amazon, alongside professors Saymon Albuquerque and Flavio Terassini.

It was an intense, rewarding trip that combined collection-based research, field exploration, and academic exchange.

See photos from the expedition in this LINK.