Venom Mass Fingerprints for Species Delimitation, Reloaded: A Test Case with Italian Scorpions (Euscorpius)

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  Venom Mass Fingerprints for Species Delimitation, Reloaded: A Test Case with Italian Scorpions (Euscorpius) Abstract Scorpion venoms are complex mixtures of bioactive compounds including proteins, peptides and enzymes. Although venoms exhibit substantial intraspecific variation, some compounds appear to be species-specific, highlighting their potential as chemotaxonomic markers. Venom mass fingerprints (MFPs) derived from Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometry (MS) have been proposed as a means of delimiting species. However, their utility for species delimitation has rarely been evaluated against independent sources of taxonomic evidence. In the present study, the performance of MALDI-TOF MS-based venom peptide barcoding (mass ranges of m/z 800‒4500 and m/z 3000‒10,000) was assessed in 52 populations of eight Italian species of the scorpion genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876, representing different levels of evolutionary divergenc...

First Report of Centruroides limpidus in Tlaxcala, Mexico

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First Report of Centruroides limpidus in Tlaxcala, Mexico

Abstract

This study reports, for the first time, scorpions belonging to the genus Centruroides Marx 1890 in Tlaxcala, Mexico. Three specimens of C. limpidus (Karsch 1879) were collected in urban areas of the state. The scorpion fauna of Tlaxcala remains understudied, possibly due to the low prevalence of scorpionism. The presence of C. limpidus indicates a potential public health concern in the state.

Este estudio se reporta por primera vez escorpiones pertenecientes al género Centruroides Marx 1890 en Tlaxcala, México. Se colectaron tres especímenes de C. limpidus (Karsch 1879) en zonas urbanas del estado. La fauna de escorpiones de Tlaxcala permanece poco estudiada, posiblemente debido a la baja prevalencia del escorpionismo. La presencia de C. limpidus indica un potencial problema de salud pública en el estado.

Verónica Hernández-Hernández, Yuriria Meza-Castillo, Vianey Vidal-Acosta, Eduardo Dávalos-Becerril, Fabián Correa-Morales, Cassandra González-Acosta, Miguel Moreno-García "First Report of Centruroides limpidus in Tlaxcala, Mexico," Southwestern Entomologist, 49(1), 547-550, (11 April 2024)