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 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