Qualitative and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Venoms from Mexican Rattlesnakes

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  Qualitative and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Venoms from Mexican Rattlesnakes Abstract Despite the vast biodiversity of Mexican vipers, venom of endemic species has been barely studied. Here we analyzed the venom composition of three endemic species of rattlesnakes: Crotalus aquilus , C. triseriatus , and C. ravus . We used quantitative chromato-mass-spectrometry and compared venoms with C. molossus , a species commonly found in North America, in a comparative and phylogenetic framework. In total, we identified 165 proteins grouped in 19 main protein families, consistent with previous reports for viperid venoms. In C. aquilus and C. triseriatus , the most predominant protein-family type was Serine Proteases, and in C. triseriatus and C. molossus it was Snake Venom Metalloproteases. The Label-free quantification revealed a high proportion of Snake Venom Metalloproteases in C. aquilus , C. triseriatus , and C. molossus , reaching 28–47% of the total venom. In contrast, in ...

Neighboring forest habitat in blueberry systems reduces patterns of dominance and generates higher seasonal stability of spider communities

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Neighboring forest habitat in blueberry systems reduces patterns of dominance and generates higher seasonal stability of spider communities

Abstract

Understanding the dynamics of spider communities within agricultural landscapes is crucial for biodiversity-based pest management. Although often considered habitat generalists, spider communities are partially shaped by environmental filtering and habitat conditions. However, many studies focus only on in-field communities, limiting insights into species sorting across the crop-noncrop interface. In this study, we explore the temporal dynamics of ground-dwelling spider communities collected from pitfall traps in a perennial agroecosystem, blueberry farms. We compared spider diversity and composition across three habitat types: adjacent forest, field edge, and field interior. Our results show that forest patches supported higher richness, greater evenness, and more temporally stable communities compared to commercial blueberry habitats. In contrast, both the field interior and edge were compositionally similar, with a high temporal rate of community change of a few disturbance-tolerant genera. Using Hill numbers, PCoA, and indicator species analysis, we found patterns consistent with strong environmental filtering in disturbed habitats and community persistence in more structurally stable forest patches. These findings underscore the ecological value of adjacent noncrop habitats and support the need to include species and compositional estimates from the habitat matrix around agroecosystems.
Rezende, S. M., Pennisi, S. V., & Schmidt, J. M. (2025). Neighboring forest habitat in blueberry systems reduces patterns of dominance and generates higher seasonal stability of spider communities. Global Ecology and Conservation, e04019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e04019