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

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  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...

Scientific Note: Predation of Morpho helenor (Cramer, 1776) by Trichonephila clavipes (Linnaeus, 1767) (Nephilidae, Arachnida)

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Scientific Note: Predation of Morpho helenor (Cramer, 1776) by Trichonephila clavipes (Linnaeus, 1767) (Nephilidae, Arachnida)

Abstract

Helenor Blue Morpho butterfly, Morpho helenor (Cramer, 1776), and Golden Silk Orb Weaver spider, Trichonephila clavipes (Linnaeus, 1767) (Araneae, Nephilidae), are large, easily observable, and abundant arthropods in the Neotropics. Despite Morpho butterflies being a potentially important food resource for Orb Weavers, accounts about butterfly predation have focused mostly on vertebrates as predators, and accounts of the diet of Nephilidae are biased towards small prey. At best, there seem to be only observation records of M. helenor wings in T. clavipes webs. Here, we provide apparently the first published report with evidence of this specific interaction, highlighting that T. clavipes might be a relevant predator of large understory butterflies, including other Morpho species as well as brassolines.

A borboleta azul, conhecida como azulão ou capitão-do-mato, Morpho helenor (Cramer, 1776), e a aranha fio-de-ouro ou aranha-de-teia-dourada, Trichonephila clavipes (Linnaeus, 1767) (Araneae, Nephilidae), são artrópodes grandes, facilmente observáveis ​​e abundantes nos Neotrópicos. Apesar das borboletas do gênero Morpho serem um recurso alimentar potencialmente importante para a aranha-fio-de-ouro, relatos sobre a predação de borboletas focam principalmente em vertebrados como predadores, e relatos sobre a dieta de Nephilidae tendem a se concentrar em presas pequenas. Na melhor das hipóteses, parece haver apenas registros de observação de asas de M. helenor nas teias de T. clavipes. Na presente contribuição, fornecemos provavelmente a primeira evidência na literatura acadêmica dessa interação específica, destacando que T. clavipes pode ser um predador relevante de grandes borboletas do sub-bosque, incluindo outras espécies de Morpho, bem como brassolíneos.

Shirai, Leila Teruko, et al. “Scientific Note: Predation of Morpho Helenor (Cramer, 1776) by Trichonephila Clavipes (Linnaeus, 1767) (Nephilidae, Arachnida).” Tropical Lepidoptera Research, journals.flvc.org/troplep/article/view/135507. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.