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 ...

Rhysida longipes (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), an unusual prey of Physocyclus globosus (Araneae: Pholcidae)

Posted by

 


Rhysida longipes (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), an unusual prey of Physocyclus globosus (Araneae: Pholcidae)

Abstract

A very young centipede Rhysida longipes (Newport, 1845), approximately 12 mm in total length, is recorded as prey of the synanthropic common spider Physocyclus globosus (Tackzanowski, 1874). The episode was observed into an urban residence in San Antonio de los Baños, Artemisa Province, Cuba. In Cuba this is the first time that a spider is recorded preying upon a centipede.

Acknowledgment: I extend my sincere gratitude to Luis F. De Armas for kindly providing me with the complete paper. ¡Enhorabuena, Luis!

ARMAS, L. F. DE 2025. Rhysida longipes (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae), an unusual prey of Physocyclus globosus (Araneae: Pholcidae). Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa, 77: 86–87.