Clinical characteristics and long-term disabilities in children following Bothrops atrox envenomation in Manaus, western Brazilian Amazon

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  Image Credit: By Darío De la Fuente - https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/113840233, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129474300 Clinical characteristics and long-term disabilities in children following Bothrops atrox envenomation in Manaus, western Brazilian Amazon Abstract Background:   In the Brazilian Amazon, most snakebites are caused by Bothrops atrox . Although pediatric cases are less frequent, children are more vulnerable to severe complications and long-term disabilities. This study aims to describe the clinical profile of B. atrox envenomation in children treated at a tertiary hospital in Manaus, in Western Brazilian Amazon, and to characterize the resulting long-term musculoskeletal impairments in a subgroup of these patients. Methods:   We retrospectively analyzed sociodemographic and clinical data from patients up to 12 years and 11 months of age treated between January 2010 and December 2023. A total of 258 children who were ...

Eco-Evolutionary Drivers of Body Size Variation in Arthropods, With a Focus on Spiders

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Eco-Evolutionary Drivers of Body Size Variation in Arthropods, With a Focus on Spiders

ABSTRACT

Aim

Body size has been used thoroughly in arthropod ecology as a reliable trait to assess fitness responses to changes in environmental factors. We aim to assess general patterns of intraspecific body size variation along macroecological gradients in arthropods. We more specifically discuss these patterns in spiders, as they represent a large and diverse group, colonising most terrestrial habitats.

Location: Global.

Time Period: 1982–2024.

Major Taxa Studied: Arthropods.

Methods

We propose a systematic review and a meta-analysis of 146 studies on intraspecific body size variation in arthropods over two main macroecological spatial gradients—latitude and elevation—both of high interest in a global warming context.

Results

We found that more species with direct than with indirect development present a converse Bergmann cline along both gradients.

Main Conclusions

We propose that life history traits such as voltinism, mobility and brood care influence intraspecific body size patterns—potentially hiding large-scale patterns. This review gathers empirical data about body size variation along elevational and latitudinal gradients in arthropods, providing a step forward to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving body size variation.

Ameline, C., D. Lafage, M. Hedde, P. Vernon, and J. Pétillon. 2026. “ Eco-Evolutionary Drivers of Body Size Variation in Arthropods, With a Focus on Spiders.” Journal of Biogeography 53, no. 2: e70158. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.70158.