Venom composition of the Iberian adder (Vipera seoanei) from northern Portugal reveals limited sex and size variation

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  Venom composition of the Iberian adder (Vipera seoanei) from northern Portugal reveals limited sex and size variation Abstract Snake venom is a complex and dynamic ecological trait, with high potential for intraspecific variation. In this study, the venom composition of the Iberian adder ( Vipera seoanei ) from the Peneda Mountains of northern Portugal was investigated to explore whether venom varies with body size and sex. Venom proteomes from six individuals representing juvenile, subadult, and adult males and females were characterised using LC–MS/MS, while individual variation was assessed from SDS–PAGE profiles of 18 snakes. LC–MS/MS identified 144 proteins, dominated by phospholipases A 2 (PLA 2 ), snake venom serine proteases (svSP), and C-type lectin-related proteins (CTL). Descriptive comparisons revealed contrasting individual profiles, particularly between the juvenile male, characterised by high svSP and svMP abundance, and the juvenile female, characterised by high ...

On the synanthropic occurrence of Falconina gracilis in Venezuela and the type locality of F. brignolii

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On the synanthropic occurrence of Falconina gracilis in Venezuela and the type locality of F. brignolii

Human activity facilitates the dispersal of spiders beyond their native ranges, often allowing populations to establish in synanthropic environments. Synanthropic spiders provide well-documented cases of arthropods adapting to human-modified habitats, with examples across multiple families (e.g. Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 2023, Henrard 2023, Murcia-Moreno & Gálvez 2024), including corinnids such as Meriola arcifera (Simon, 1886), M. cetiformis (Strand, 1908) and Falconina gracilis (Keyserling, 1891), all confirmed as synanthropic and introduced species (Taucare-Ríos et al. 2013, Nieto-Ruiz & Maldonado-Carrizales 2024).

Villarreal M., O. & Brescovit, A. D. (2026). On the synanthropic occurrence of Falconina gracilis in Venezuela and the type locality of F. brignolii (Araneae: Corinnidae). Spixiana 48(2): 149-150.