Sintesi in lingua inglese: Spiders are often overlooked in conservation policies, receiving less attention than other taxa. As a result, their welfare remains underexplored. This research is among the first to assess spider welfare using a multi-disciplinary approach to evaluate the impact of urban-related stressors across the domains of Physical Environment, Nutrition, and Health. By integrating condition-based, behavioral, and physiological indicators, we aim to develop a standardized framework for triangulating spider welfare. The project will be focused on the urbanization issue, that is known to pose significant threats to biodiversity.
Understanding its impact on urban wildlife is crucial for effective conservation strategies. This project aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 15, advocating for biodiversity-friendly urban planning. By assessing the effects of GARBAN (a mosquito-repellent pesticides), the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, and food availability on Argiope bruennichi (Scopoli, 1772) under laboratory conditions, we will provide valuable insights into how urban stressors affect spider health, morphology, and behavior, with potential consequences on the welfare domains. The findings will inform urban policies, offering guidelines to enhance spider welfare and promote responsible city development. This study contributes to two key themes:
(1) Landscape Ecology, by investigating how spider welfare is affected by urbanization, and
(2) Invertebrate Welfare, by also addressing the ethical challenge of lethal sampling.
We will explore covariations between traditionally lethal and non-lethal indicators, pioneering a harm-reduction approach in invertebrate research. If successful, this methodology could extend to other web-building spiders (e.g., Tetragnathidae, Theridiidae) and invertebrates with extended phenotypes (e.g., eusocial Hymenoptera). Led by Dr. Alessandra Costanzo and PhD candidate Emanuele Crepet, this project will support scientific independence and early-career development while advancing ethical and sustainable invertebrate research. Our ultimate goal is to establish a non-lethal welfare assessment protocol, paving the way for future conservation efforts that prioritize both biodiversity and animal well-being in urban planning.