New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby

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  New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby I am pleased to share the publication of my latest paper, “Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby: Ethical Boundaries and Biological Consequences,” in the Journal of the British Tarantula Society , Volume 41, No. 1, September 2026. The paper addresses an issue that deserves serious consideration within the tarantula community: hybridisation and its potential long-term effects on the integrity of captive lineages. More Than a Breeding Decision The tarantula hobby has changed considerably over the past several decades. What was once a relatively small community has grown into an international network of keepers, breeders, vendors, researchers, and societies. Captive breeding has contributed enormously to that growth, improving husbandry knowledge and increasing the availability of captive-bred animals. With that success comes responsibility for the lineages we maintain. Hybridisation may seem like an isolated breeding experiment,...

Cloning and functional analysis of vitellogenin receptor gene PastVgR1 regulates reproduction in Pardosa astrigera (Araneae: Lycosidae): a potential target for mass rearing of predatory spiders in pest management

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Cloning and functional analysis of vitellogenin receptor gene PastVgR1 regulates reproduction in Pardosa astrigera (Araneae: Lycosidae): a potential target for mass rearing of predatory spiders in pest management

Abstract

Spiders are major predatory natural enemies in agricultural and forest ecosystems and play an important role in pest control. The vitellogenin receptor (VgR) mediates the endocytosis of vitellogenin (Vg) into developing oocytes, providing essential nutrients for embryogenesis and playing a critical role in insect reproductive processes. In this study, A VgR gene was cloned from adult female Pardosa astrigera (L. Koch) and designated as PastVgR1. The open reading frame of PastVgR1 is 5,337 bp in length and encodes a protein of 1,779 amino acids, with a predicted molecular weight of 197.8 kDa. Sequence analysis revealed that the PastVgR1 protein possesses an N-terminal signal peptide consisting of the first 17 amino acid residues and contains conserved domains characteristic of the LDLR superfamily. RT-qPCR analysis showed that PastVgR1 expression was highly specific to the ovaries, with the highest levels in virgin females. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of PastVgR1 significantly prolonged the pre-oviposition period, caused ovarian atrophy and oocyte dispersion, reduced both the number of eggs laid per female and the hatching rate, and delayed ovarian development. In summary, PastVgR1 represents a promising molecular target for enhancing the mass rearing of predatory spiders used in biological pest management. Optimizing the large-scale production of these natural enemies could lower the cost of biological control and ultimately support the development of sustainable, green agriculture.

Shen, F., Zhai, S., Wang, X., Jin, X., Cui, C., Ren, B., Zhang, X., Ma, M., Rieger, M. A., Li, X., & Li, R. Cloning and functional analysis of vitellogenin receptor gene PastVgR1 regulates reproduction in Pardosa astrigera (Araneae: Lycosidae): A potential target for mass rearing of predatory spiders in pest management. Journal of Economic Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toag092