Spider venom peptides Ht1a and Gg1a are toxic to honeybee parasite Varroa destructor by topical application

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  Spider venom peptides Ht1a and Gg1a are toxic to honeybee parasite Varroa destructor by topical application Abstract Global food supply strongly depends on honeybee pollination services, which are threatened by insecticides and pests such as parasitic Varroa destructor mites. Chemical varroacides/acaricides are hampered by resistance development, necessitating the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives, with arthropod venom peptides being considered promising sources of acaricidal toxins. With only a few acaricidal venom peptides being reported, we performed a systematic topical screening of 50 arthropod venoms against V. destructor , with 78% of the venoms causing 100% mortality after 24 h. Deconvolution of the venoms from the Tasmanian cave spider Hickmania troglodytes and the Giant Japanese funnel-web spider Gigathele gigas led to identification of the varroacidal peptides Ht1a and Gg1a. Topical application of Ht1a and Gg1a reduced varroa mite ...

First record of Micrepeira hoeferi (Araneae, Araneidae) in the state of Ceará, Brazil

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First record of Micrepeira hoeferi (Araneae, Araneidae) in the state of Ceará, Brazil

We report the first two records of Micrepeira hoeferi Levi, 1995 from the state of Ceará, Brazil. These records are based on the collection of 19 specimens from two nearby montane, semi-deciduous tropical forests located in the municipalities of Pacoti and Baturité. The specimens were deposited as voucher material in the Natural History Collection of the Federal University of Piauí. This report also represents the highest elevation at which M. hoeferi has been recorded (738 m a.s.l.), suggesting that the species is highly adaptable to a range of habitats.

Reportamos los dos primeros registros de Micrepeira hoeferi Levi, 1995 en el estado de Ceará, Brasil. Estos registros se basan en la captura de 19 especímenes en dos bosques tropicales semideciduos montanos ubicados en Pacoti y Baturité. Los individuos fueron depositados como material de referencia en la Universidad Federal de Piauí. Este reporte representa la mayor altitud a la que se ha registrado Micrepeira hoeferi (738 m s. n. m.), lo que sugiere que la especie posee una gran capacidad de adaptación a diversos hábitats.

Morales, J. (2025) “First record of Micrepeira hoeferi (Araneae, Araneidae) in the state of Ceará, Brazil”, Biota Colombiana, 26, p. e1265. doi: 10.21068/26193124.1265.