Venom Mass Fingerprints for Species Delimitation, Reloaded: A Test Case with Italian Scorpions (Euscorpius)

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  Venom Mass Fingerprints for Species Delimitation, Reloaded: A Test Case with Italian Scorpions (Euscorpius) Abstract Scorpion venoms are complex mixtures of bioactive compounds including proteins, peptides and enzymes. Although venoms exhibit substantial intraspecific variation, some compounds appear to be species-specific, highlighting their potential as chemotaxonomic markers. Venom mass fingerprints (MFPs) derived from Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometry (MS) have been proposed as a means of delimiting species. However, their utility for species delimitation has rarely been evaluated against independent sources of taxonomic evidence. In the present study, the performance of MALDI-TOF MS-based venom peptide barcoding (mass ranges of m/z 800‒4500 and m/z 3000‒10,000) was assessed in 52 populations of eight Italian species of the scorpion genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876, representing different levels of evolutionary divergenc...

First records of the harvestman Dicranopalpus larvatus (Canestrini, 1874) from Belgium and the Netherlands (Opiliones: Phalangiidae)

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First records of the harvestman Dicranopalpus larvatus (Canestrini, 1874) from Belgium and the Netherlands (Opiliones: Phalangiidae)

Abstract
The harvestman Dicranopalpus larvatus (Canestrini, 1874) is reported for the first time for Belgium as well as for the Netherlands. It is a very rare species of Italian origin. From 2019 onward, D. larvatus was found in Great Britain and several other British islands. It is a small and ground-dwelling species. Both sexes are easy to distinguish from the common Dicranopalpus ramosus Simon, 1909 by their contrasting dorsal colour pattern. As a 'winter species', adults are mostly observed from December to February. Climate change, resulting in milder winter temperatures, likely will allow this species to colonize Western European regions with an oceanic climate regime. 

De Smedt, Pallieter & Vanhercke, Luc & Stevens, Sebastiaan & Lock, Koen & Sluijter, Maarten & Wijnhoven, Hay. (2025). First records of the harvestman Dicranopalpus larvatus (Canestrini, 1874) from Belgium and the Netherlands (Opiliones: Phalangiidae). 2025.