Snake Venom and Antivenom Pharmacology

Posted by
  SNAKE VENOM & ANTIVENOM Chemistry, Composition, Mechanisms and Pharmacology Abstract This integrated teaching session for Phase III MBBS students focused on the pharmacology and toxicology of snake venom and the principles of antivenom therapy. The lecture covered the chemistry, composition, mechanisms of action, and pharmacological effects of snake venoms and antivenoms. Rational use of antivenoms, indications, administration protocols, adverse reactions, and supportive management strategies were discussed. The session also highlighted the translational importance of venom-derived compounds in modern drug development. Recent advances in antivenom research, including recombinant human monoclonal antibodies, toxin-specific inhibitors, synthetic antibody technologies, and next-generation broad-spectrum antivenoms, were reviewed. Current discoveries and emerging approaches aimed at improving efficacy, safety, affordability, and accessibility of antivenom therapy were also explor...

West Side Story: systematics of funnel-weavers (Araneae: Agelenidae: Ageleninae) from arid western South Africa, with two new genera and 16 new species

Posted by

 


West Side Story: systematics of funnel-weavers (Araneae: Agelenidae: Ageleninae) from arid western South Africa, with two new genera and 16 new species

Abstract

In this study, we document the diversity of funnel-weaving spiders (Agelenidae: Ageleninae) in arid western South Africa, a fauna that has historically been understudied. Examination of collected material revealed 16 new species belonging to two tribes, Textricini and Agelenini, representing three genera, including two newly described herein. Afrotrix gen. nov. (Textricini) is described to comprise A. deserticola (Simon, 1910) comb. nov. (ex. Benoitia Lehtinen, 1967), for which a lectotype is newly designated, as well as nine new species: A. spicula sp. nov. (type species, ♂♀), A. booyseni sp. nov. (♂♀), A. dejagerae sp. nov. (♂♀), A. goegap sp. nov. (♀), A. karooica sp. nov. (♂♀), A. lyonsae sp. nov. (♂♀), A. reginaldi sp. nov. (♂♀), A. sauria sp. nov. (♀) and A. tankwa sp. nov. (♂♀). Benoitia Lehtinen, 1967 (Agelenini) is represented by the following five new species: B. arida sp. nov. (♀), B. leroyae sp. nov. (♀), B. lunata sp. nov. (♀), B. meridionalis sp. nov. (♂♀) and B. namaqua sp. nov. (♂♀). Finally, Namagelena gen. nov. (Agelenini) is described to comprise two new species, N. sola sp. nov. (type species, ♂♀) and N. guttata sp. nov. (♀). A molecular phylogeny is presented based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences of 12 species of South African Agelenidae, including 10 described in this paper, which supports the delimitation of the three genera treated. Distribution maps are provided for all the species.

Haddad, C.R., Zamani, A. & Marusik, Y.M. (2026) West Side Story: systematics of funnel-weavers (Araneae: Agelenidae: Ageleninae) from arid western South Africa, with two new genera and 16 new species. Zootaxa, 5748 (3), 301–353. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.3.1