Spider venom peptides Ht1a and Gg1a are toxic to honeybee parasite Varroa destructor by topical application

Posted by
  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 ...

Leg autotomy in spiders from coastal wetlands of Kerala, India: natural history observations

Posted by

 


Leg autotomy in spiders from coastal wetlands of Kerala, India: natural history observations

ABSTRACT

Autotomy, or voluntary limb loss, is a widespread defence strategy among arthropods, yet its ecological costs and benefits in spiders remain poorly documented. Here, we report natural history observations of leg autotomy in 32 species across eight families from four coastal wetlands in Kerala, India. Patterns of autotomy varied widely among species. Many spiders, including members of the orb-weaving family Araneidae, shed legs at the coxa–trochanter joint, a mechanism that minimises haemolymph loss. Agile hunters such as members of the families Salticidae and Oxyopidae frequently autotomised multiple legs, with potentially severe consequences for locomotion. Notably, repeated cases in the jumping spider Carrhotus viduus (CL Koch) highlight the trade-offs faced by active hunters that depend heavily on agility. These findings highlight the taxonomic breadth, ecological variation and functional consequences of autotomy in spiders, underscoring its adaptive value while drawing attention to its hidden costs. We suggest that autotomy merits systematic study as an ecologically significant yet overlooked survival strategy in arachnids. This study presents the first broad field-based documentation of autotomy in spiders from Kerala, India, thereby extending current knowledge of its ecological relevance in tropical habitats.

Special thanks to Mathew M. Joseph (co-author) for sending me this full manuscript. 

Abraham, A., & Joseph, M. M. (2026). Leg autotomy in spiders from coastal wetlands of Kerala, India: natural history observations. Journal of Natural History, 60(9–12), 541–546. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2026.2619579