ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELS BY TITYUS SERRULATUS LUTZ & MELLO, 1922 AND TITYUS STIGMURUS (THORELL, 1876) (ARACHNIDA: SCORPIONES)

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  ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELS BY TITYUS SERRULATUS LUTZ & MELLO, 1922 AND TITYUS STIGMURUS (THORELL, 1876) (ARACHNIDA: SCORPIONES) Summary Scorpions are venomous animals with high plasticity and can serve as models for biogeographical, natural history, and evolutionary studies. Ecological niche modeling can help in understanding essential characteristics of the geographic distribution of species, as well as allowing the prediction of future distribution patterns. Our objective was to model the ecological niche of the scorpion species *Tityus serrulatus * and *Tityus stigmurus* , as well as to identify the variables that influence their distribution in different biomes and their range limits in the Amazon, Caatinga, and Cerrado biomes. Data were obtained from 12 Brazilian arachnological collections. Bioclimatic variables were obtained from the WorldClim database, and niche modeling was implemented using the Maximum Entropy algorithm. The results showed that the Atlantic Forest bio...

First record of Latrodectus dahli Levi, 1959 the medically important spider species (Araneae: Theridiidae) and some data about it from Kashan County, Central Iran

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First record of Latrodectus dahli Levi, 1959 the medically important spider species (Araneae: Theridiidae) and some data about it from Kashan County, Central Iran

Abstract
The genus Latrodectus (Theridiidae) Walckenaer, 1805 includes species which are generally known as widow spiders, and are medically-important for their very neurotoxic venom. At present, there are 32 species of this genus in the world. The medical syndrome that is caused by their bites is reported as Latrodectism which can result in a variety of symptoms (in some rare cases, death) including sweating, the hardness of stomach muscles, aches and local pain. This descriptive study aimed to identify the habitats of the black widow spider (Latrodectus dahli) in the desert and mountainous areas of Kashan Country (Qamsar, Ghohrud, Kashan, Ardahal, and Ravand) in Isfahan Province and Naraq in Markazi Province, Iran, in September and October 2021. The results showed that Latrodectus dahli was found only in Ghohrud. It is noteworthy that female black widow spider was observed in this region with their egg capsules. Since Kashan County is among the natural habitats of the black widow spider, farmers and workers are recommended to wear special gloves and boots while at work. Key words : Black widow spider, Iran, Latrodectism, Latrodectus dahli.

I would like to thank Dr. Hamid Kassiri for sending me this manuscript via ResearchGate

Dehghani, Rouhullah & Kassiri, Hamid & Kassiri, Arian. (2023). First record of Latrodectus dahli Levi, 1959 the medically important spider species (Araneae: Theridiidae) and some data about it from Kashan County, Central Iran. Entomological Research. 47. 1021-1024. 10.5958/0974-4576.2023.00190.1. 

Journal of Entomological Research
Year : 2023, Volume : 47, Issue : suppl
First page : ( 1021) Last page : ( 1024)
Print ISSN : 0378-9519. Online ISSN : 0974-4576.
Article DOI : 10.5958/0974-4576.2023.00190.1

Online Published on 17 January, 2024.