Distinct pathophysiological mechanisms of Heterometrus laoticus and Lychas mucronatus scorpion venoms on cardiovascular and renal functions

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  Distinct pathophysiological mechanisms of Heterometrus laoticus and Lychas mucronatus scorpion venoms on cardiovascular and renal functions Abstract Background:    Heterometrus laoticus and Lychas mucronatus are widely distributed in Southeast Asia, yet their pathophysiological effects of both venoms remain poorly characterized due to low human fatality rates. This study compared their venom compositions and acute cardiovascular and renal effects. Methods:   Anesthetized male New Zealand White rabbits were monitored for blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and renal clearance following intravenous administration of crude venom (0.5 mg/kg). Venom components were identified via LC-MS/MS, and hematological/biochemical parameters were assessed. Results:    H. laoticus venom induced a rapid, transient hypotension ( p < 0.05), followed by a mild, prolonged hypotensive phase (up to 120 min). Conversely, L. mucronatus venom elicited a biphasic response: ...

Spider (Arachnida, Araneae) fauna of the lowland part of the Balkhash-Alakol Basin (SE Kazakhstan): an integrated assessment

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Spider (Arachnida, Araneae) fauna of the lowland part of the Balkhash-Alakol Basin (SE Kazakhstan): an integrated assessment

Background

Despite more than a century of research (since 1896 to the present), a comprehensive summary of the spider fauna of the lowland part of the Balkhash-Alakol Basin is still lacking. The scattered and fragmentary nature of the available data hampers a thorough assessment of the species diversity and zoogeographical features of this territory.

New information

For the first time, based on original material, published scientific sources and records from open-access resources (GBIF, iNaturalist), a comprehensive assessment of the diversity of the spider fauna in the lowland and foothill arid parts of the Balkhash-Alakol Basin has been carried out. To date, this is the only and most complete list of spiders in the region.

Original records are presented, including rare and little-known species for the region, with refined data on their ranges. The quality of open-access data was evaluated and its main shortcomings were identified. It is shown that, with the involvement of experienced naturalists who maintain contact with specialists, the proportion of reliable records can be significantly higher. The results broaden our knowledge of spider biodiversity in the region and may serve as a basis for future faunistic and zoogeographical studies.

Nekhaeva A, Kim L, Ishayeva A, Ozernoy A, Sozontov A (2026) Spider (Arachnida, Araneae) fauna of the lowland part of the Balkhash-Alakol Basin (SE Kazakhstan): an integrated assessment. Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e181501. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e181501