The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides

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  The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides Abstract Mesobuthus martensii , the source species of the traditional Chinese medicine “Quanxie”, has long been utilized for its therapeutic properties. Venom peptides are recognized as the major active molecular basis of these pharmacological activities. Despite this, their development as therapeutic agents remains poorly explored. In this study, we performed an integrated multi-omics investigation to systematically explore the venom peptides of Mesobuthus martensii . We generated a chromosome-level genome assembly of Mesobuthus martensii using third-generation sequencing technologies, yielding a genome size of 1.08 Gb with a contig N50 of 46.46 Mb. Integrated genomic and transcriptomic analyses led to the identification of 51 putative novel venom peptide candidates. From the broader venom peptide set, five lysine- and arginine-rich candidates were select...

Crab spider vision improves their prey capture despite low visual system investment

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Crab spider vision improves their prey capture despite low visual system investment

Crab spiders (Thomisidae) are well-known predators, typically ambushing prey upon flowers and other plants. This style of predation suggests a potential benefit from vision in prey capture by crab spiders despite their comparatively small eyes. However, behavioural evidence on the impact of vision on prey capture success by crab spiders is currently lacking. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed predatory performance in blinded and unblinded crab spiders (Sidymella rubrosignata) co-housed with fruit flies as prey. The results indicate that a lack of visual cues significantly hindered prey capture success. We contextualize this finding using micro-computed X-ray tomography to quantitatively compare the visual optics and central nervous system of S. rubrosignata to other spider species with known hunting strategies (both visual and non-visual). We find that neither high levels of visual system investment nor interocular volumetric specialization are evident in crab spiders, despite the implied contribution of vision to prey capture. Presenting evidence that vision impacts hunting by crab spiders has important implications for our understanding of the elaborate visual ecology of these animals as well as providing key information for future studies on the comparative evolution of eyes and their underlying nervous systems.

Sam J. England, Lucille Rose, Vanessa Penna-Gonçalves, Marie E. Herberstein, Lauren Sumner-Rooney; Crab spider vision improves their prey capture despite low visual system investment. R Soc Open Sci. 1 May 2026; 13 (5): 260045. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.260045