The neonicotinoid imidacloprid impairs the predatory performance and functional response of the jumping spider Helpis minitabunda (Araneae, Salticidae)

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  The neonicotinoid imidacloprid impairs the predatory performance and functional response of the jumping spider Helpis minitabunda (Araneae, Salticidae) Abstract The neonicotinoid imidacloprid can cause lethal and sublethal effects in non-target organisms, including impaired behavior, reduced fertility, disrupted locomotion, and reduced predatory performance in arthropods. Spiders are among the most abundant arthropod predators in terrestrial ecosystems, including agricultural ecosystems, yet the effects of neonicotinoids on the predatory function of jumping spiders remain poorly understood. The functional response of a predator describes how predation rates change with prey density and is key to understanding predator–prey dynamics. We tested whether acute exposure to a commercial formulation of imidacloprid at field-recommended concentrations alters the functional response of the Aussie bronze jumping spider, Helpis minitabunda (L. Koch, 1880). We compared the predation of treat...

First Report of the Medically Significant Argentine Scorpion Tityus carrilloi (Buthidae) in Paraguay: Epidemiological Implications Amid Rising Regional Scorpionism

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First Report of the Medically Significant Argentine Scorpion Tityus carrilloi (Buthidae) in Paraguay: Epidemiological Implications Amid Rising Regional Scorpionism

Abstract

We report the first record of the medically important scorpion Tityus carrilloi in Paraguay, from the metropolitan area of Encarnación, Itapúa Department, near the Argentine border. Known for causing severe and fatal envenomings across northern Argentina, the presence of this species in southeastern Paraguay highlights the risk of cross-border dispersion. Along with the regional spread of the Brazilian Tityus serrulatus, this finding has significant epidemiological implications and underscores the urgent need for improved surveillance, diagnostics, and coordinated public health responses in Paraguay and neighboring countries, within the evolving landscape of scorpionism in southern South America.
Borges, A., Caballero, C., Rojas de Arias, A., Smith, P., Owen, M., Nishi, A., Maluff, Y., & Wieczorko, T. (2025). First Report of the Medically Significant Argentine Scorpion Tityus carrilloi (Buthidae) in Paraguay: Epidemiological Implications Amid Rising Regional Scorpionism. Toxicon, 108456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108456