Venomics of the six-eyed sand spider, Sicarius rugosus (Araneae: Sicariidae), from the neotropical dry forest of Costa Rica

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  Venomics of the six-eyed sand spider, Sicarius rugosus (Araneae: Sicariidae), from the neotropical dry forest of Costa Rica Abstract Background Sicarius rugosus , the only member of the genus that inhabits Central America, is phylogenetically related to South American  Sicarius  spiders. These originated from a common ancestor with sister African species. Like  Loxosceles ,  Sicarius  exhibits venom phospholipase D activity due to a group of toxins known collectively as SicTox. Methods A gel-assisted, bottom-up, proteomic analysis was performed to characterize the venom composition of  S. rugosus . Hyaluronidase activity was determined using zymography. Results We identified several SicTox sequences, all classified as β-clade paralogs and sharing unique peptides with proteins from  S. patagonicus ,  S. peruensis,  and other species. Enzymes such as metalloproteinases, including putative astacins, carboxypeptidases, and angiotensin-conv...

Two further cases of morphological anomaly in theraphosid spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

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Two further cases of morphological anomaly in theraphosid spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

Abstract

Two further cases of morphological anomaly in theraphosid spiders (Theraphosidae Thorell, 1869) are reported. A subadult female of Aphonopelma seemanni (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897) presents an anomalous outgrowth between coxae IV and the margin of the sternum. An adult male of Phormictopus sp. has a small, regenerated, right-hand palp, with a heavily deformed palpal bulb.

Sherwood, Danniella & Hörweg, Christoph. (2024). Two further cases of morphological anomaly in theraphosid spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae). 39. 26-28. Journal of the Belgian Arachnological Society Volume 39 (1) 2024