The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides

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  The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides Abstract Mesobuthus martensii , the source species of the traditional Chinese medicine “Quanxie”, has long been utilized for its therapeutic properties. Venom peptides are recognized as the major active molecular basis of these pharmacological activities. Despite this, their development as therapeutic agents remains poorly explored. In this study, we performed an integrated multi-omics investigation to systematically explore the venom peptides of Mesobuthus martensii . We generated a chromosome-level genome assembly of Mesobuthus martensii using third-generation sequencing technologies, yielding a genome size of 1.08 Gb with a contig N50 of 46.46 Mb. Integrated genomic and transcriptomic analyses led to the identification of 51 putative novel venom peptide candidates. From the broader venom peptide set, five lysine- and arginine-rich candidates were select...

Taxonomic notes on the crab-spider genera Nyctimus Thorell, 1877 and Zametopina Simon, 1909 (Araneae, Thomisidae) with descriptions of six new species from Southeast Asia

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Taxonomic notes on the crab-spider genera Nyctimus Thorell, 1877 and Zametopina Simon, 1909 (Araneae, Thomisidae) with descriptions of six new species from Southeast Asia

Abstract

The crab-spider genera Zametopina Simon, 1909 and Nyctimus Thorell, 1877 remain poorly studied, with significant gaps in their taxonomic understanding. Nyctimus has seen little study since its original description, and species assignments remain uncertain due to a lack of modern diagnostic data. By contrast, Zametopina, historically monotypic, was recently expanded with a second species (Z. wanliae Lin & Li, 2023) following a redescription of the type species, Z. calceata Simon, 1909. Our study presents a review of these genera, primarily based on specimens collected from tropical Asia by the late Christa L. Deeleman-Reinhold as well as from the EFForTS project in the lowlands of Sumatra, Indonesia. The review includes the description of the following six new species: Nyctimus falcatus Benjamin & Dhiya’ulhaq, sp. nov. (♂), Nyctimus kinabaluensis Benjamin & Dhiya’ulhaq, sp. nov. (♂♀), Nyctimus mutilloides Benjamin & Dhiya’ulhaq, sp. nov. (♂), Nyctimus quadripunctatus Dhiya’ulhaq & Benjamin, sp. nov. (♂♀), Nyctimus rendang Dhiya’ulhaq & Benjamin, sp. nov. (♂♀), and Nyctimus saksang Dhiya’ulhaq & Benjamin, sp. nov. (♂). Nyctimus bistriatus Thorell, 1877 is redescribed and new locality records are provided. Zametopina wanliae is recorded for the first time outside of Vietnam. Further, updated species descriptions of Nyctimus and Zametopina are provided, along with taxonomic clarifications of the genera. This study emphasises the fundamental importance of well-curated, historical collections and ongoing fieldwork in resolving the systematics of lesser-known arachnid lineages.

Benjamin SP, Dhiya’ulhaq NU, Deeleman-Reinhold C, Buchori D, Hidayat P, Scheu S, Drescher J (2025) Taxonomic notes on the crab-spider genera Nyctimus Thorell, 1877 and Zametopina Simon, 1909 (Araneae, Thomisidae) with descriptions of six new species from Southeast Asia. ZooKeys 1255: 95-125. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1255.158380