Hunting ecology predicts eye arrangements in the modular visual system of spiders

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  Hunting ecology predicts eye arrangements in the modular visual system of spiders Summary Vision is one of the most important senses used by animals and contributes to fundamental behaviors, including foraging, navigation, and mate detection and selection. 1 Although much is known about how eye position and orientation correlate to ecology in the context of binocularity, 2 animals with multipartite visual systems (more than two eyes) remain comparatively neglected. Spiders are highly successful predators that occupy a range of ecological niches and usually possess eight eyes. Here, we use three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and evolutionary modeling to test whether eye positions, orientations, and interocular angles correlate with hunting strategies in 52 species across the spider phylogeny. We demonstrate that eye configurations diversified from an ancestral medial cluster, as seen in modern trapdoor spiders, to a halo-like configuration in orb-weavers, and to the fronta...

Low-dose versus standard-dose antivenom for neuroparalytic krait envenomation: a randomized pilot study

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Image Credit: By Jayendra Chiplunkar - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17650765

Low-dose versus standard-dose antivenom for neuroparalytic krait envenomation: a randomized pilot study

Abstract

Introduction

The common krait (Bungarus caeruleus) is a leading cause of neuroparalytic snake envenomation in South Asia. Current guidelines recommend escalation from 10 to 20 vials of polyvalent antivenom if neurotoxicity persists, despite limited evidence supporting this strategy.

Methods

This open-label, randomized pilot study was conducted in North India, enrolling patients with krait envenomation who presented with neurotoxic paralysis but without respiratory failure. Patients were assigned to receive either 10 vials or 20 vials of polyvalent antivenom. The primary outcome was time to recovery from neurotoxic paralysis. Secondary outcomes included the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, time from enrolment to intubation, duration of mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital mortality.

Results

Of 97 patients screened, 53 underwent randomization (26 assigned to the 10-vial group and 27 to the 20-vial group). Baseline characteristics, severity of neurotoxic paralysis, laboratory parameters, and time from bite to enrolment (median 5 hours) were similar between groups. The median time to recovery from neurotoxic paralysis was 42.5 hours (IQR, 29.8–54.3) in the 10-vial group and 45.0 hours (IQR, 35.5–59.5) in the 20-vial group (median difference, −5.0 hours; 95% CI, −15.5 to 5.5; P = 0.24); Kaplan–Meier analysis showed no significant between-group difference (log-rank P = 0.38). Invasive mechanical ventilation was required in 34.6% of patients in the 10-vial group and 22.2% in the 20-vial group (risk ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.77 to 2.31). Among ventilated patients, the median time to intubation and duration of mechanical ventilation were similar between groups. One death occurred in the 10-vial group.

Discussion

Routine escalation of antivenom dosing may not be necessary in krait neurotoxicity with close respiratory monitoring and supportive care.

Conclusions

Among patients with neuroparalytic krait envenomation who presented without respiratory failure, a 10-vial antivenom regimen was associated with clinical outcomes comparable to those with a 20-vial regimen.


Jyothika, S., Mathen, P. G., Sharma, R., Singla, N., Sharma, N., & Pannu, A. K. (2026). Low-dose versus standard-dose antivenom for neuroparalytic krait envenomation: a randomized pilot study. Clinical Toxicology, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2026.2655938