Spider venom peptides Ht1a and Gg1a are toxic to honeybee parasite Varroa destructor by topical application

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  Spider venom peptides Ht1a and Gg1a are toxic to honeybee parasite Varroa destructor by topical application Abstract Global food supply strongly depends on honeybee pollination services, which are threatened by insecticides and pests such as parasitic Varroa destructor mites. Chemical varroacides/acaricides are hampered by resistance development, necessitating the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives, with arthropod venom peptides being considered promising sources of acaricidal toxins. With only a few acaricidal venom peptides being reported, we performed a systematic topical screening of 50 arthropod venoms against V. destructor , with 78% of the venoms causing 100% mortality after 24 h. Deconvolution of the venoms from the Tasmanian cave spider Hickmania troglodytes and the Giant Japanese funnel-web spider Gigathele gigas led to identification of the varroacidal peptides Ht1a and Gg1a. Topical application of Ht1a and Gg1a reduced varroa mite ...

Differences in Behavioural Responses in Intra- and Intersexual Interactions of the Sun Jumping Spider, Helafricanus fascinatus, in South Africa

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Differences in Behavioural Responses in Intra- and Intersexual Interactions of the Sun Jumping Spider, Helafricanus fascinatus, in South Africa

Abstract

Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are well known for their highly visual and often vibrant displays initiated by males. These displays can occur while males are searching for potential mates and encounter another male (intrasexual), or when males interact with a female (intersexual). While these displays have been widely reported in the literature, the differences between behavioural repertoires for these encounters is still not well understood. Here we described and quantified the repertoire of different behaviour used in intra- and intersexual visual communication (non-aggressive and aggressive) exhibited by males and females during two types of interactions, male-male (n = 12) and male-female (n = 16), of the sun jumping spider, Helafricanus fascinatus Wesolowska, 1986. From the 28 different pairings, we found differences in the types of behaviour exhibited along with the corresponding duration performed by males during male-male and male-female interactions. While in the presence of another male, H. fascinatus males exhibited a higher proportion of “display” behaviour as a potential form of assessment of opponent, intimidation and/or threat display, whereas in the presence of females, males were more likely to use “movement” behaviour which may allow males to capture and retain the attention of females and potentially reduce the distance between spiders. Interestingly, during male-female interactions, males exhibited higher proportions of aggressive behaviour while courting females. For copulation success, neither body size nor body condition correlated with copulations in male-female pairings. We discuss our results in the context of intra- and intersexual interactions and how males may shift their behavioural repertoires depending on the sex.

Vickers, M.E., Booysen, R. & Haddad, C.R. Differences in Behavioural Responses in Intra- and Intersexual Interactions of the Sun Jumping Spider, Helafricanus fascinatus, in South Africa. J Insect Behav 38, 30 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-025-09894-x