Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from southern Algeria (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

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  Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from southern Algeria (Scorpiones: Buthidae) Abstract A new scorpion species, Cicileus derradji sp. nov., is described from Tin Zaouatine District, In Guezzam Province, southern Algeria. The description is based on an adult male holotype, an adult female paratype and a juvenile specimen, and is supported by detailed morphological analyses, including colouration, morphometrics, carination patterns and trichobothrial arrangement. This discovery extends the known distribution of the genus Cicileus approximately 500 km southwestward within Algeria. With the addition of this species, the number of recognised species in the genus increases to six. The new species is compared with all previously known species of Cicileus , and detailed colour photographs, including images taken under ultraviolet illumination, are provided. Derradj, L., Aydın Yağmur, E., Benali, N., & Bikada, M. (2026). Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from south...

Comparative venomics suggests an evolutionary adaption of spider venom from predation to defense

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Comparative venomics suggests an evolutionary adaption of spider venom from predation to defense

Abstract

Most spiders deploy paralytic venom for prey capture, but adults of the Nurse´s thorn finger (Cheiracanthium punctorium) instead produce a predominantly defensive venom to safeguard their offspring. Here, we characterize the molecular repertoire of C. punctorium venom to shed light on its evolutionary history. Unlike venom in other spiders, C. punctorium venom mostly comprises neurotoxic double-domain neurotoxin 19 family (CSTX) peptides and enzymes, such as phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Comparative venomics in four spiders representing two infraorders shows that CSTXs arise following the mygalomorph–araneomorph split ~300 mya by means of ancestral gene duplication and functional specialization. A gene fusion event then appeared to have merged CSTXs from two distinct clades to form the double-domain toxin. PLA2 proteins are convergently recruited to C. punctorium to fulfil a defensive function and are strikingly similar to proalgesic PLA2 proteins in bee venom. These complex, multimodal molecular innovations in venom systems highlight nature’s tendency to use the same molecular solutions for similar ecological challenges across diverse animal lineages.

Lüddecke, T., Hurka, S., Dresler, J., Lübcke, T., Von Wirth, V., Lochnit, G., Timm, T., Herzig, V., & Vilcinskas, A. (2025). Comparative venomics suggests an evolutionary adaption of spider venom from predation to defense. Communications Biology, 8(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-09015-6