A Remarkable Discovery: Exploring a Rare Eresus and Spider Wasp Interaction

Posted by
  Photo Credit: © Antonino Rametta . All photographs are used with permission. No part of these images may be reproduced, distributed, or used in any form without the prior written permission of the photographer. A Remarkable Discovery: Exploring a Rare Eresus and Spider Wasp Interaction One of the most rewarding aspects of maintaining Arácnido Taxonomy is hearing from naturalists and photographers around the world who take the time to share their discoveries. Every so often, an email arrives that immediately captures your attention. Not because it claims to rewrite what we know about biodiversity, but because it documents something that very few people have the opportunity to witness. Recently, I was contacted by a naturalist in Sicily who shared a series of exceptionally high-quality photographs of a female ladybird spider ( Eresus ) during what appeared to be an interaction with a spider wasp. Along with the images came a simple question: "Could this be scientifically import...

Predation of a Scolopendrid Prey by the Scorpion Tityus pugilator Pocock, 1898, in a Horticultural Landscape of Quito, Ecuador

Posted by

 


Predation of a Scolopendrid Prey by the Scorpion Tityus pugilator Pocock, 1898, in a Horticultural Landscape of Quito, Ecuador

Abstract

Scorpions of the genus Tityus are a diverse and medically important group, but many aspects of their natural history, particularly feeding ecology, are poorly documented. A coherent understanding of their natural prey is crucial for interpreting the evolution of their potent venoms. During fieldwork in Quito, Ecuador, we recorded a predation event involving a specimen of Tityus pugilator Pocock, 1898, subduing a scolopendromorph centipede, Otostigmus sp. The centipede was still moving when found, indicating a recent envenomation. This observation adds to the limited knowledge of the genus’s feeding habits both locally and regionally, demonstrating that Tityus can prey on large and dangerous arthropods. This trophic relationship is worth noting as scorpions of this genus have evolved highly potent venoms. Further in-field observations are needed to fully explore this connection between diet and venom evolution in Tityus scorpions.