Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon

Posted by
  Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon Abstract Snakes exhibit extreme cranial kinesis that facilitates ingestion of prey with large cross-sectional area, but this ability is widely predicted to reduce bite performance due to decreased structural rigidity. Consequently, most large-bodied snakes rely on envenomation or constriction to subdue prey prior to ingestion. Species within the genus Drymarchon represent a notable exception: these large, non-venomous, non-constricting snakes routinely consume a wide range of prey, including large and potentially dangerous vertebrates, using only simple seizing and pinioning behaviors. Here, we quantify bite performance in three species of Drymarchon ( D. corais, D. couperi, and D. melanurus ), examine morphological predictors of biting performance, compare biting pressure to constriction pressure in similarly sized snakes, and synthesize dietary records across the genus. Our results sh...

New contributions to the genus Harpactea Bristowe, from the Aegean region of Turkey (Araneae: Dysderidae: Harpacteinae)

Posted by

 


New contributions to the genus Harpactea Bristowe, from the Aegean region of Turkey (Araneae: Dysderidae: Harpacteinae)

ABSTRACT

Five new Harpactea species, H. ataturi sp. n. (♂), H. budaki sp. n. (♂♀), H. kesdeki sp. n. (♂♀), H. magnifica sp. n. (♂♀) and H. saki sp. n. (♂♀), are described from the Aegean region of Turkey. The type locality of H. ataturi is İzmir; H. budaki and H. magnifica are from Aydın; H. kesdeki is from Denizli; and H. saki is from Balıkesir. Harpactea kesdeki was recorded only from its type locality and Muğla province, which is also in the Aegean region. The general morphology of the male copulatory organ of H. ataturi resembles that of H. spirembolus, known from the island of Chios, and the female copulatory organ of H. kesdeki resembles that of H. dianae, distributed in Iraklia, one of the Greek islands. The male copulatory organ in H. magnifica resembles that of the Bulgarian endemic species H. konradi. However, the bifurcated median apophysis at the tip of H. magnifica makes it unique. A morphological characteristic of the tegulum of H. saki is also found in H. vagabunda, whose distribution is restricted to Azerbaijan. All new species described in the paper are considered to belong to the rubicunda species group due to the morphological characteristics of the copulatory organs and some other somatic characteristics.

Kunt, K. B., Danışman, T., & Yağmur, E. A. (2026). New contributions to the genus Harpactea Bristowe, from the Aegean region of Turkey (Araneae: Dysderidae: Harpacteinae). Journal of Natural History, 60(9–12), 637–656. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2026.2620575