New predatory interaction of Trichonephila clavipes (Araneae: Nephilidae) on Fidicinini (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in a forest fragment of the Neotropical region

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  New predatory interaction of Trichonephila clavipes (Araneae: Nephilidae) on Fidicinini (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in a forest fragment of the Neotropical region Abstract Trichonephila clavipes (Araneae: Nephilidae) is an orb web-building spider whose diet is primarily based on flying insects. This note aims to report the first predatory interaction of T. clavipes on a cicada of the genus Fidicina (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. The predation event was observed (ad libitum) in the Benjamin Maranhão Botanical Garden situated in the Mata do Buraquinho Wildlife Refuge, northeastern Brazil. A specimen of Fidicina sp. was found freshly dead and trapped in the web of T. clavipes. The nephilid was observed moving slowly between the ventral and dorsal regions of the Fidicina sp. without weaving a web around the cicadid. Then, T. clavipes was observed perched on the left side of the Fidicina sp., with its pedipalps and chelicerae manipulating the thorax ...

Snakebites by Bothrops taeniatus: characteristics of snakebites involving a rare venomous snake in Brazil

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By TimVickers - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5401480


Snakebites by Bothrops taeniatus: characteristics of snakebites involving a rare venomous snake in Brazil

ABSTRACT


Snakebites from the genus Bothrops account for up to 90% of venomous snakebites in Brazil. Among these species, Bothrops taeniatus is considered rare in Brazil, with only one reported case in the literature. Its venom has a strong hemorrhagic effect but lacks procoagulant activity, which can lead to significant variations in the neutralizing efficacy of anti-Bothrops serum. We describe the first case of severe envenomation by B. taeniatus with rapid recovery following the administration of anti-Bothrops serum in Brazil, and discuss the characteristics of B. taeniatus envenomation based on a literature review.

Fujii PCYS, Soares BS, Dias ES, Borges HL, Siqueira DED, Ceschim RC. Snakebites by Bothrops taeniatus: characteristics of snakebites involving a rare venomous snake in Brazil. einstein (Sao Paulo). 2025;23:eRC1430. https://doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2025RC1430