A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation?

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  A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation? Abstract Pseudoscorpions are well known for phoretic associations with arthropods, but interactions with amphibians are rarely documented. Here we report a pseudoscorpion attached to the left palpebral region of an adult male Italian cave salamander, Speleomantes italicus , observed during a visual survey in a karst cave in Tuscany, Italy. The pseudoscorpion, assigned on the basis of visible morphology and locality to Chthonius cf. elongatus , was grasping a minute cutaneous fold on the lower margin of the left upper eyelid with one chela while the salamander moved slowly over the rock surface. No handling was performed and the initial contact between the two animals was not observed. The event therefore cannot be interpreted unambiguously, but may represent opportunistic phoresy or defensive attachment following a failed predation attempt. To our knowledge, this is the first published observation of a ...

Neurotoxicity Screening of Venom Components from the Philippine Cave Tarantula Orphnaecus kwebaburdeos

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Neurotoxicity Screening of Venom Components from the Philippine Cave Tarantula Orphnaecus kwebaburdeos

Abstract
We report the neurotoxicity of venom components of a cave-dwelling tarantula from the genus Orphnaecus, collected from an island in the eastern part of Luzon, Philippines. The neurotoxicity of the HPLC fractions of the venom extracted from the Philippine tarantula Orphnaecus kwebaburdeos was assessed based on their effects on the swimming behavior of zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae and by observing larval swimming patterns. Our results show that several fractions of the spider venom altered the swimming behavior and patterns of the larvae, indicating that they are neurotoxic. Both paralysis and seizure hyperactivity were observed in larvae exposed to Fractions 2 and 3. Only seizure was observed in zebrafish larvae exposed to Fraction 7. These results suggest that several fractions of the O. kwebaburdeos venom contain neurotoxic components. The observed neurotoxic phenotypes may be caused by the different neurotoxic components which can further be studied.

Guevarra Jr, Leonardo & Ramones, Cydee Marie & Santiago, Myla & Dalmacio, Leslie Michelle. (2025). Neurotoxicity Screening of Venom Components from the Philippine Cave Tarantula Orphnaecus kwebaburdeos. Acta Manilana. 73. 102-112. 10.53603/actamanil.73.2025.usfp7492.