Two new arthropod toxins purified from the venom of the Mexican scorpion Centruroides nigrescens

  Two new arthropod toxins purified from the venom of the Mexican scorpion Centruroides nigrescens Abstract The venom of the slender black scorpion Centruroides nigrescens , from the State of Guerrero México, was fractionated by Sephadex G–50 gel filtration, followed by carboxymethyl cellulose ion separation and high–performance liquid chromatography, permitting to obtain two new peptides toxic to arthropods. The estimate LD 50 of the soluble venom for the insect Acheta domesticus was 11.1 μg/g body weight, and for the arthropod Armadillidium vulgare was 61.1 μg body weight . The amino acid sequence of toxin Cnige1 (toxic to A. domesticus and A. vulgare ) contains 65 amino acids, with a molecular mass of 7273.37 mass units, whereas toxin Cnige2, toxic to A. domesticus , contains 68 amino acids, with a molecular mass of 7548.81 units. Both peptides are well packed, containing 8 cysteines, which in the native venoms are forming 4 disulfide bridges each. The amino acid sequences f...

New data on cave spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Iran, with new species and records

New data on cave spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Iran, with new species and records

Abstract

New data on Iranian spiders is provided based on 92 specimens collected from the interiors or surroundings of 27 caves. These specimens belong to 17 species in nine families, of which five species are described as new to science: Tegenaria pallens Zamani & Marusik, sp. n. (♂♀; Gakal Cave, Kohgiluyeh & Boyer-Ahmad Province) (Agelenidae); Dysdera elamana Zamani & Marusik, sp. n. (♂; Barreh Zard Cave, Ilam Province); and Harpactea zagros Zamani & Marusik, sp. n. (♂; Raad-e Gharbi Cave, Ilam Province) (both Dysderidae); Troglohyphantes megagynus Zamani & Marusik, sp. n. (♀; Kabootarlan Cave, Ilam Province) (Linyphiidae); and Mesiotelus iranicus Zamani & Marusik, sp. n. (♀; Mir Melas Cave, Lorestan Province) (Liocranidae). Additionally, two genera, Scotargus Simon, 1913 and Odontodrassus Jézéquel, 1965, and three species, Odontodrassus mundulus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) and Synaphosus syntheticus (Chamberlin, 1924) (both Gnaphosidae), and Scotargus pilosus Simon, 1913 (Linyphiidae), are recorded in Iran for the first time. The newly described and recorded species are accompanied by illustrations.

 Zamani, A., Darvishnia, H. & Marusik, Y. M. (2023). New data on cave spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Iran, with new species and records. Zootaxa 5361(3): 345-366. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5361.3.3

https://wsc.nmbe.ch/refincluded/17432 NMBE World Spider Catalog PDF