Taxonomic revision of the wolf spider genus Artoria (Araneae, Lycosidae, Artoriinae) from Northern Territory and Queensland, with additions to the fauna of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory

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  Taxonomic revision of the wolf spider genus Artoria (Araneae, Lycosidae, Artoriinae) from Northern Territory and Queensland, with additions to the fauna of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory Abstract Artoria Thorell, 1877 is revised for the Northern Territory and Queensland. Three species are recorded from the Northern Territory: A. parvula Thorell, 1877 (♂♀, type species), A. superelliptica sp. (♀) and A. vectis sp. Nov. (♂♀). Twenty-seven species (including 18 new ones) are recorded from Queensland: A. albopilata (Urquhart, 1893) (♂♀), A. berenice (L. Koch, 1877) (♂♀), A. bicornuta sp. nov. (♂), A. catinata sp. nov. (♂♀), A. coclearia sp. nov. (♂♀), A. cunicularia sp. nov. (♂♀), A. geniculata sp. ( ♂♀), A. globula sp. nov. (♂♀), A. grahammilledgei Framenau & Baehr, 2018 (♂♀), A . halterata sp. nov. (♀), A. hamifera sp. ( ♂♀), A. laciniata sp. nov. (♀), A. lineata (L. Koch, 1877) (♂♀), A. lingulata sp. nov. (♂♀), A. mckayi Framenau, 2002 (♂♀), A. nasuta sp....

Functional and Immunological Variability of Viperid Venoms Across Continents and Cross-Neutralization by Peruvian Antivenoms

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Functional and Immunological Variability of Viperid Venoms Across Continents and Cross-Neutralization by Peruvian Antivenoms

Abstract

Snake envenomation remains a significant neglected tropical disease primarily treated with antivenoms, which, despite inherent limitations, continue to be the gold standard therapy. Snake venoms exhibit extensive compositional and functional diversity, posing challenges for universal antivenom efficacy. This study comprehensively evaluated venom composition, enzymatic activities, and immunological cross-reactivity across 24 Viperidae species from diverse geographic regions. Using protein profiling, enzymatic assays (proteolytic, amidolytic, clotting, and PLA2 activities), and phylogenetic analyses, we revealed marked interspecific variation. Bothrops species exhibited elevated SVMP-driven proteolytic activity, while Crotalus venoms demonstrated more balanced enzymatic profiles. Phylogenetic clustering highlighted evolutionary divergence and functional convergence among taxa. Immunoreactivity assays with Peruvian antibothropic, anticrotalic, and antilachesic antivenoms showed broad cross-recognition within Bothrops and Crotalus venoms, but limited efficacy against more distantly related Viperinae species. Western blot analyses confirmed these specificity patterns. Neutralization assays revealed differential inhibition: antibothropic antivenom effectively neutralized proteolytic activity, whereas anticrotalic antivenom preferentially inhibited PLA2-mediated effects. This functional variability highlights the biochemical complexity of viperid venoms and the constraints of current antivenoms. Our findings emphasize the urgent need to develop improved, broadly effective antivenom formulations capable of targeting the diverse toxin profiles of geographically and phylogenetically distinct viperid species, ultimately enhancing clinical management of snakebite envenomation worldwide.
Torrejón, D., Llontop, A., Proléon, A., Lazo, F., Urra, F. A., Yarlequé, A., & Vivas-Ruiz, D. E. (2025). Functional and Immunological Variability of Viperid Venoms Across Continents and Cross-Neutralization by Peruvian Antivenoms. Biochimie. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biochi.2025.10.013