Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon

Posted by
  Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon Abstract Snakes exhibit extreme cranial kinesis that facilitates ingestion of prey with large cross-sectional area, but this ability is widely predicted to reduce bite performance due to decreased structural rigidity. Consequently, most large-bodied snakes rely on envenomation or constriction to subdue prey prior to ingestion. Species within the genus Drymarchon represent a notable exception: these large, non-venomous, non-constricting snakes routinely consume a wide range of prey, including large and potentially dangerous vertebrates, using only simple seizing and pinioning behaviors. Here, we quantify bite performance in three species of Drymarchon ( D. corais, D. couperi, and D. melanurus ), examine morphological predictors of biting performance, compare biting pressure to constriction pressure in similarly sized snakes, and synthesize dietary records across the genus. Our results sh...

New data on the distribution of Aguapanela arvi Perafán, Cifuentes & Estrada, 2015 in Colombia through collections and citizen science, with notes on the natural history (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

Posted by

 

New data on the distribution of Aguapanela arvi Perafán, Cifuentes & Estrada, 2015 in Colombia through collections and citizen science, with notes on the natural history (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

Abstract

This paper expands the known distribution of Aguapanela arvi Perafán, Cifuentes & Estrada, 2015 in Colombia by reporting its presence for the first time in the departments of Caldas, Quindío, and Risaralda. Additionally, new aspects of its natural history are documented, including parasitic interactions involving a parasitoid wasp and an arthropod-pathogenic fungus. These findings are based on field observations, specimens deposited in biological collections, and citizen science records.

Aguirre-Cano, D., Moreno-García, R., Parra-Giraldo, A., Carmona-Aguirre, B., Palacios-Castro, S. and Álvarez-Arellano, D. (2026) “New data on the distribution of Aguapanela arvi Perafán, Cifuentes & Estrada, 2015 in Colombia through collections and citizen science, with notes on the natural history (Araneae: Theraphosidae) ”, Fragmenta entomologica, 58(1), pp. 165–172. doi: 10.13133/2284-4880/2005.