A new species of the mygalomorph spider genus Euagrus Ausserer (Araneae: Euagridae) from central Mexico and new records of E. gus Coyle from Tlaxcala

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  A new species of the mygalomorph spider genus Euagrus Ausserer (Araneae: Euagridae) from central Mexico and new records of E. gus Coyle from Tlaxcala Abstract  A new species of the spider genus Euagrus Ausserer, 1875 from temperate pine-oak forests in the states of Tlaxcala and Hidalgo, Mexico is described: E. pulque sp. nov. The description of the new species is based on male and female adult specimens. Additionally, Euagrus gus Coyle, 1988 is recorded for the very first time in the state of Tlaxcala. These species have sympatric distributions in La Malinche National Park, Tlaxcala. With this description, the diversity of the genus increases to 23 species, with Mexico harboring the highest diversity with 17 described species.  Valdez-Mondragón, A., Salinas-Velasco, H. V. & Bueno-Villegas, J. (2026). A new species of the mygalomorph spider genus Euagrus Ausserer (Araneae: Euagridae) from central Mexico and new records of E. gus Coyle from Tlaxcala. Zootaxa 5810 (...

Investigating the Influence of Hepatic Neoplasms on Bothrops Venom Biochemistry

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Investigating the Influence of Hepatic Neoplasms on Bothrops Venom Biochemistry

Abstract

Snake envenoming is a relevant public health issue, especially in tropical regions worldwide. Bothrops venom is essential for antivenom production in Brazil; however, the impacts of hepatic neoplasms on venom composition remain unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate whether hepatic neoplasms and/or cysts influence the biochemical profile and enzymatic activity of venoms from five Bothrops species. Venoms from 17 snakes — 8 with hepatic alterations and 9 healthy — were analyzed using SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, ELISA, RP-HPLC, and enzymatic activity assays. The results revealed high intra- and interspecific variability, with no consistent pattern linking the presence of neoplasms to significant changes in venom protein composition or enzymatic activities. Occasional differences were observed in proteolytic, phospholipase A2, L-amino acid oxidase activities and Minimum Coagulant Dose in some individuals; however, these were not directly attributable to hepatic pathology. Immunoreactivity with the commercial antibothropic antivenom remained effective in all samples. The study concludes that hepatic neoplasms or cysts do not compromise venom biochemical integrity for antivenom production, reinforcing the viability of using these individuals for venom extraction in captivity for public health purposes.
Vespasiano, C. T., Serino-Silva, C., Machado Silveira, G. P., Rodrigues, F. S., Rameh-de-Albuquerque, L. C., Sant'anna, S. S., Grego, K. F., & Tanaka-Azevedo, A. M. (2025). Investigating the Influence of Hepatic Neoplasms on Bothrops Venom Biochemistry. Toxicon, 108561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108561