New data on spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Türkiye, with descriptions of four new species

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  New data on spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Türkiye, with descriptions of four new species Abstract New taxonomic and faunistic data on Turkish spiders are presented. Four species are described as new to science: Cybaeus anatolicus sp. nov . (♀; Konya) [ Cybaeidae ], Dictyna caligaformis sp. nov . (♂♀; Bursa) [ Dictynidae ], Leptonetela ayvaensis sp. nov . (♂♀; Bursa), and L. oylatensis sp. nov . (♂; Bursa) [ Leptonetidae ]. Except for Cybaeus anatolicus sp. nov ., the remaining new species were collected in caves. Additionally, Drassodes robatus Roewer, 1961 [ Gnaphosidae ] is recorded from Türkiye for the first time, and an unusual variation in the shape of the retrolateral tibial apophysis is documented in an unidentified congener. Additional illustrations are provided for Cataleptoneta aydintopcui Demircan, 2020 [ Leptonetidae ] and Pterotricha kochi (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) [ Gnaphosidae ], for which new localities in Türkiye are reported, as well as for ...

First biochemical and behavioural analysis of the response of the scorpion Urophonius brachycentrus (Thorell: 1876) upon exposure to an organophosphate

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First biochemical and behavioural analysis of the response of the scorpion Urophonius brachycentrus (Thorell: 1876) upon exposure to an organophosphate

Abstract

Scorpionism is an increasing public health problem in the world. Although no specific methodology or product is currently available for the control of those arachnids, the use of insecticides could be an effective tool. Chlorpyrifos is one of the insecticides used, but to date, whether scorpions recognise surfaces with that insecticide and how it affects their physiology and/or biochemistry is unknown. In the present study, we observed that scorpions recognise surfaces with 0.51 and 8.59 μg/cm2 of chlorpyrifos and avoid those areas. The 0.51 μg/cm2 concentration produced a decrease in acetylcholinesterase and an increase in catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase, whereas the 8.59 μg/cm2 concentration evoked a decrease in acetylcholinesterase and an increase in catalase and glutathione S-transferase. Using the comet assay, we observed that the insecticide at 0.17, 0.51 and 8.59 μg/cm2 caused DNA damage. Finally, we found that the insecticide does not generate significant variations in glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, the amount of protein or lipid peroxidation. The present results offer a comprehensive understanding of how scorpions respond, both at the biochemical and behavioural levels, when exposed to insecticides.

Garcia, C. F., Ojanguren, A., Seoane, A., Iuri, H., Gambaro, R., Molina, G., & Laino, A. First biochemical and behavioural analysis of the response of the scorpion Urophonius brachycentrus (Thorell: 1876) upon exposure to an organophosphate. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12716