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 ...

Update on the composition and distribution of the scorpion fauna of the Oriental region of Morocco (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae)

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Update on the composition and distribution of the scorpion fauna of the Oriental region of Morocco (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae)

Abstract

New faunistic and distributional data are provided on scorpion fauna from the Oriental region of Morocco, a poorly studied area, covering 90,130 km2. Altogether 119 specimens belonging to eight species are recorded, allowing an update on the distribution of these species. A total of 12 scorpion species from four genera are recognized to occur in the Oriental region of Morocco presented here. We also provide new distribution records for newly described and micro-endemic scorpion species which is a key element in promoting their conservation in the country.

Ythier, E., Mabrouki, Y. & Taybi, F.A. (2026). Update on the composition and distribution of the scorpion fauna of the Oriental region of Morocco (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae). Natura Croatica, 35 (1), 0-0. https://doi.org/10.20302/NC.2026.35.1