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 ...

On the sympatric spiders from the Baja California Peninsula: Descriptions of the males of Syspira longipes Simon and S. tigrina Simon (Araneae: Miturgidae), with new synonyms

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On the sympatric spiders from the Baja California Peninsula: Descriptions of the males of Syspira longipes Simon and S. tigrina Simon (Araneae: Miturgidae), with new synonyms

Abstract

The spider species Syspira longipes Simon, 1895 and Syspira tigrina Simon, 1895 (family Miturgidae) from the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico have their males described for the first time, and the females redescribed. The descriptions are based on morphological and ultra morphological data under Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, Syspira analytica Chamberlin, 1924 and Syspira synthetica Chamberlin, 1924 are formally synonymized with S. tigrina. Syspira eclectica Chamberlin, 1924 is also synonymized with S. longipes.

Valdez-Mondragón, A., Jiménez, M.L. & Palacios-Cardiel, C. (2025) On the sympatric spiders from the Baja California Peninsula: Descriptions of the males of Syspira longipes Simon and S. tigrina Simon (Araneae: Miturgidae), with new synonyms. Zootaxa, 5722 (3), 301–325. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5722.3.1