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 ...

Parasteatoda tabulata (Levi, 1980), a new cobweb spider species in the Hungarian fauna (Araneae: Theridiidae)

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Parasteatoda tabulata (Levi, 1980), a new cobweb spider species in the Hungarian fauna (Araneae: Theridiidae)

Abstract
Parasteatoda tabulata (Levi, 1980) (Araneae: Theridiidae), a cobweb spider species of Asian origin, is reported for the first time from Hungary. Specimens were collected in and around the outdoor area of a garden centre in Budapest. Photographs of the copulatory organs and the habitus of voucher specimens from Hungary are provided.

Takács, Mátyás & Tamas, Szuts & Horváth, Dávid & Mezőfi, László. (2025). Parasteatoda tabulata (Levi, 1980), a new cobweb spider species in the Hungarian fauna (Araneae: Theridiidae). Folia Entomologica Hungarica. 86. 221-226. 10.17112/FoliaEntHung.2025.86.221.