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Simple Summary: A well-designed conservation strategy for natural reserves cannot be accomplished without providing the necessary information regarding the abundance and density of animal fauna in respect to seasonal variation and the floral components. Using active and passive survey methods in some sites representing all of the ecosystems in the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Saudi Arabia, the first biodiversity survey was conducted during winter (January–February), spring (May), summer (August–September), and autumn (October–November) of the year 2023. The results of this survey can be considered as baseline data for the KARR (to be compared spatiotemporally with further surveys), and it reflected the abundance and density (in term of Simpson's index) of some species of scorpions, spiders, centipedes, malacostraca, and branchiopods, among other groups of fauna and flora. The obtained baseline data will help to monitor the threshold of any threats. This study strongly recommends continuing routine seasonal surveys (to support the baseline data), in parallel with other ecological studies aimed to assess the interactions between the biotic and abiotic components of the KARR ecosystem. The biodiversity of invertebrate animals is largely affected by climatic changes. This study evaluates the seasonal abundance and diversity of non-insect arthropods in the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Saudi Arabia, over four collection periods (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) during 2023. Sampling was conducted across multiple sites in the reserve using both active (manual collection and active surveying for the diurnal species) and passive (pitfall traps and malaise traps for the nocturnal species) methods. A total of 586 non-insect arthropod specimens were collected, representing four classes: Arachnida, Chilopoda, Branchiopoda, and Malacostraca. The results show that the most abundant species was the jumping spider Plexippus paykulli, which dominated collections across two seasons, with a peak abundance of 50.7% in late summer. Seasonal variations in non-insect arthropod diversity were observed, with a lower diversity recorded during January–March (4 species, and this may be attributed to this period revealing the lowest temperature reading recorded during the study period) and higher diversity in August–September (end of summer) and October–November (mid of autumn), with 14 species. Scorpions, particularly species from the families Buthidae and Scorpionidae, were common during the summer months, while solifuges and centipedes showed sporadic occurrences across seasons. These findings align with the results for arthropod distribution in arid regions, with temperature and resource availability as key drivers of biodiversity in desert environments because of their direct effects on the biochemical processes of these creatures. This study contributes valuable baseline data on the non-insect arthropod fauna of the KARR. The insights gained from this study can aid in conservation efforts and provide a foundation for further research on non-insect arthropod ecology in arid landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is an important agricultural crop of the Malvaceae family, cultivated across tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions. However, okra production faces numerous challenges from diverse pest species, including insects, nematodes, arachnids, and mites, that significantly reduce its yield. Major economic pests include the cotton aphid, cotton spotted bollworm, Egyptian bollworm, cotton mealybug, whitefly, cotton leafhopper, cotton bollworm, two-spotted spider mite, root-knot nematode, reniform nematode, cotton leaf roller, and flea beetle. Additionally, less prevalent pests such as the blister beetle, okra stem fly, red cotton bug, cotton seed bug, cotton looper, onion thrips, green plant bug, and lesion nematode are also described. This review also addresses fungal and oomycete diseases that present high risks to okra production, including damping-off, powdery mildew, Cercospora leaf spot, gray mold, Alternaria leaf spot and pod rot, Phyllosticta leaf spot, Fusarium wilt, Verticillium wilt, collar rot, stem canker, anthracnose, and fruit rot. In addition to these fungal diseases, okra is also severely affected by several viral diseases, with the most important being okra yellow vein mosaic disease, okra enation leaf curl disease, and okra mosaic disease, which can cause significant yield losses. Moreover, okra may also suffer from bacterial diseases, with bacterial leaf spot and blight, caused primarily by Pseudomonas syringae, being the most significant. This manuscript synthesizes the current knowledge on these pests. It outlines various management techniques and strategies to expand the knowledge base of farmers and researchers, highlighting the key role of integrated pest management (IPM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) are a diverse and widespread arachnid order with a rich and deep fossil record. Here we review the, sometimes complex, historical development of fossil scorpion higher classification. We present a chronological account of family and genus names, together with an overview of higher taxa as potential clade names. In 1884 Thorell & Lindström divided scorpions based on whether the legs were short and pointed (Apoxypoda) or ended in paired claws (Dionychopoda). Pocock in 1911 used the morphology of the ventral mesosomal sclerites, which could either be bilobed (Lobosterni) or of a modern configuration (Orthosterni). Petrunkevitch in 1949 attached importance to a putative first opisthosomal tergite being present (Protoscorpionina) or absent (Euscorpionina). Kjellesvig-Waering in 1986 recognised four major groups (Holosternina, Meristosternina, Lobosternina and Bilobosternina) based on the shape of the ventral mesosomal sclerites. The Stockwell/Jeram schemes from the 1980s and 1990s proposed a cladistic progression from early branching lineages, for which the names Protoscorpiones and Palaeoscorpiones were used, towards Scorpiones sensu stricto defined by the presence of book lungs and coxapophyses. Scorpiones was further divided into Mesoscorpionina and Neoscorpionina. Neoscorpions were characterised by a reduced number of lateral eye lenses and comprise the paleosterns, with marginal lung spiracles, and orthosterns with spiracles in the middle of the sternite. We briefly discuss the merits of these alternatives and present a summary of the current higher classification of scorpions. Forty-three extinct family groups are currently recognised, and of the 24 living families seven have fossil representatives. Including incertae sedis taxa, there are 76 extinct genera and five extant genera with fossil representatives. Both modern parvorders, Buthida and Iurida, were potentially present in the Triassic. Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Chactidae and perhaps Hormuridae have been reported from the Cretaceous. Euscorpiidae are known from the Palaeogene and Scorpionidae has potential (but unconfirmed) records from the Neogene. Given the complexity of this history and the present taxonomy of the group, we hope this contribution provides a first step towards simplifying fossil scorpion systematics.

Urbanisation is a rapidly growing global phenomenon leading to habitat destruction, fragmentation and degradation. However, urban areas can offer opportunities for conservation, particularly through the presence of green spaces which can even provide important habitats for imperilled species. Spiders, which play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning, include many species that can successfully exploit urban environments. Placed in the middle of the Mediterranean global biodiversity hotspot, Italy possesses an exceptionally rich spider fauna, yet comprehensive data on urban spider communities are still limited. More information on urban spiders in Italy would be extremely beneficial to support conservation efforts, especially in central and southern Italy, where knowledge on the spider fauna is largely incomplete.The current study focused on the spider diversity of a large protected area (Appia Antica Regional Park) in urban Rome, Italy. A total of 120 spider species belonging to 83 genera and 28 families were identified, with 70 species being new records to the Province of Rome, 39 to the Latium Region and two (Pelecopsis digitulus Bosmans & Abrous, 1992 and Palliduphantes arenicola (Denis, 1964)) to Italy.Forty-one species were recorded during autumn/winter sampling and 107 in spring/summer. The spider fauna recorded from the study area included about 37% of the total spider fauna known from the Province of Rome, 28% of that of the Latium Region and 7% of the entire Italian territory. The most represented families in terms of species richness were Gnaphosidae and Linyphiidae, which accounted for more than 40% of the sampled fauna. Lycosidae were the most abundant family (29% of captured individuals), followed by Zodariidae (16% of captured individuals), Linyphiidae (13% of captured individuals) and Gnaphosidae (7.5% of captured individuals). From a biogeographical point of view, most of the collected species belonged to chorotypes that extend for large areas across Europe and the Mediterranean. The research highlights the role of urban green spaces as refuges for spiders and the importance of arachnological research in urban areas as sources of information on spider biodiversity at larger scales.

Harvester species exhibit a diverse array of defenses against predators. In this article, we briefly cover chemical defenses, coloration patterns, autotomy, aggregations, freezing behavior, bobbing, body vibration, and the production of sounds that might be used to avoid predators' attacks. Those defenses are not present in all harvester species and may not deter all kinds of predators. We discuss how prey-predator interaction may shape the evolution of defenses. Here we focus on studies that have been done after 2007, and we aim to give a general idea of the knowledge about prey-predator interactions in Opiliones to date, especially to the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urbanisation is a rapidly growing global phenomenon leading to habitat destruction, fragmentation and degradation. However, urban areas can offer opportunities for conservation, particularly through the presence of green spaces which can even provide important habitats for imperilled species. Spiders, which play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning, include many species that can successfully exploit urban environments. Placed in the middle of the Mediterranean global biodiversity hotspot, Italy possesses an exceptionally rich spider fauna, yet comprehensive data on urban spider communities are still limited. More information on urban spiders in Italy would be extremely beneficial to support conservation efforts, especially in central and southern Italy, where knowledge on the spider fauna is largely incomplete. New information: The current study focused on the spider diversity of a large protected area (Appia Antica Regional Park) in urban Rome, Italy. A total of 120 spider species belonging to 83 genera and 28 families were identified, with 70 species being new records to the Province of Rome, 39 to the Latium Region and two (Pelecopsis digitulus Bosmans & Abrous, 1992 and Palliduphantes arenicola (Denis, 1964)) to Italy. Forty-one species were recorded during autumn/winter sampling and 107 in spring/ summer. The spider fauna recorded from the study area included about 37% of the total spider fauna known from the Province of Rome, 28% of that of the Latium Region and 7% of the entire Italian territory. The most represented families in terms of species richness were Gnaphosidae and Linyphiidae, which accounted for more than 40% of the sampled fauna. Lycosidae were the most abundant family (29% of captured individuals), followed by Zodariidae (16% of captured individuals), Linyphiidae (13% of captured individuals) and Gnaphosidae (7.5% of captured individuals). From a biogeographical point of view, most of the collected species belonged to chorotypes that extend for large areas across Europe and the Mediterranean. The research highlights the role of urban green spaces as refuges for spiders and the importance of arachnological research in urban areas as sources of information on spider biodiversity at larger scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to describe accidents involving venomous animals in urban areas and their relationship with public health. For this bibliographic review, a search was carried out for publications with an emphasis on the period from 2003 to 2021 in databases related to public health and on official websites. It is understood that there is a deep medical and public health interest in venomous animals and accidents that are affected by them and their imminent health risks. Furthermore, medical interest involves the production of drugs related to these animals, such as specific serum for the treatment of poisoning. Preventing these accidents involves actions such as: avoiding deforestation, burning and exploitation of the environment in which animals live. It should be noted that there is a difference between venomous animals and poisonous animals, with venomous animals having the ability to inoculate the toxin through a fang or stinger, while poisonous animals, such as frogs, have the toxin in their skin, being inoculated to the be ingested or touched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scorpions are an important predator group in the habitats where they live, due to their voracity. However, their predatory habits are not well recorded, particularly in Amazonian species. Here we report four intraspecific predation events involving Tityus metuendus Pocock, 1987. In all cases, larger individuals acted as predators of smaller ones. These are the first reports of cannibalism involving scorpions in the Brazilian Amazon. Our findings are important to allow a better understanding of intraspecific interactions in tropical scorpion assemblages.

Urban landscapes restrain the distribution of forest‐dwelling species, which may be related to challenging conditions that impair body condition. The dynamics in urban areas lead to the simplification of communities that inhabit forest patches in cities with the turnover of sensitive species for opportunistic ones. In this study, we investigated the effect of urbanization on the body condition and diversity of scorpions at the landscape scale. Sampling was carried out in 10 forest patches in an urban matrix in Brazil, originally covered by a tropical rainforest. The surroundings of the landscape of each forest patch were characterized through the amount of forest, agriculture, and urban land cover. Individual body length, dry, lipid, and muscular masses were used as proxies of Tityus pusillus body condition. In total, 147 scorpions were collected, belonging to the species Ananteris mauryi, T. pusillus, T. stigmurus, and T. neglectus. Forest cover explained 28% of species variation. There was a positive relationship between forest cover and T. pusillus and A. mauryi abundances, while T. stigmurus was negatively affected by forest cover. Species richness and total scorpion abundance were not influenced by landscape metrics. In terms of body condition, only females of T. pusillus were affected by landscape variables, with individuals showing higher body mass with an increase in forest cover. Our results suggest that urban forests can support scorpion assemblages. However, there is a turnover in specialist forest species for opportunistic species. Forest cover is a crucial factor in maintaining healthy scorpion populations in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Otoacariasis is a rare condition characterized by ticks and mites in the ear canal. Human otoacariasis remains underrepresented in literature as otoacariasis is more common in animals. Systemic diseases being transmitted by these arachnids pave the way for potential complications. This case series sheds light on this uncommon condition by highlighting the diverse symptomatology and difficulties in diagnosis and treatment. Three different presentations highlight the diversity of this condition. A 40-year-old male exhibited itching and tinnitus, revealing a mite on the tympanic membrane on otoscopy. A 35-year-old female with persistent itching and tinnitus showed multiple whitish mites on examination. A 50-year-old female complained of ear pain and was found to have a tick attached to the external auditory canal. The relevance and rarity of human otoacariasis are highlighted in this study, thereby encouraging caution in situations of earache. We aim to increase clinician awareness about this condition and the necessary interventions required by conducting a thorough literature review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Animal phenotypic traits are utilised in a variety of studies. Often the traits are measured from images. The processing of a large number of images can be challenging; nevertheless, image analytical applications, based on neural networks, can be an effective tool in automatic trait collection. Our aim was to develop a stand‐alone application to effectively segment an arthropod from an image and to recognise individual body parts: namely, head, thorax (or prosoma), abdomen and four pairs of appendages. It is based on convolutional neural network with U‐Net architecture trained on more than a thousand images showing dorsal views of arthropods (mainly of wingless insects and spiders). The segmentation model gave very good results, with the automatically generated segmentation masks usually requiring only slight manual adjustments. The application, named MAPHIS, can further (1) organise and preprocess the images; (2) adjust segmentation masks using a simple graphical editor; and (3) calculate various size, shape, colouration and pattern measures for each body part organised in a hierarchical manner. In addition, a special plug‐in function can align body profiles of selected individuals to match a median profile and enable comparison among groups. The usability of the application is shown in three practical examples. The application can be used in a variety of fields where measures of phenotypic diversity are required, such as taxonomy, ecology and evolution (e.g. mimetic similarity). Currently, the application is limited to arthropods, but it can be easily extended to other animal taxa.

The Southern House Spider Kukulcania hibernalis (Hentz, 1842), native to coastal eastern Mexico and the eastern United States, is widely distributed in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and has been recorded from Liberia and the Canary Islands. Recent examination of material from Ascension Island and Saint Barthélemy newly confirm its presence as a non-native species on these islands. Kukulcania hibernalis is synanthropic, which has presumably allowed it to colonise many non-indigenous countries. In addition to reporting the new localities, we map the updated global distribution of K. hibernalis.

Animal phenotypic traits are utilised in a variety of studies. Often the traits are measured from images. The processing of a large number of images can be challenging; nevertheless, image analytical applications, based on neural networks, can be an effective tool in automatic trait collection.Our aim was to develop a stand‐alone application to effectively segment an arthropod from an image and to recognise individual body parts: namely, head, thorax (or prosoma), abdomen and four pairs of appendages. It is based on convolutional neural network with U‐Net architecture trained on more than a thousand images showing dorsal views of arthropods (mainly of wingless insects and spiders). The segmentation model gave very good results, with the automatically generated segmentation masks usually requiring only slight manual adjustments.The application, named MAPHIS, can further (1) organise and preprocess the images; (2) adjust segmentation masks using a simple graphical editor; and (3) calculate various size, shape, colouration and pattern measures for each body part organised in a hierarchical manner. In addition, a special plug‐in function can align body profiles of selected individuals to match a median profile and enable comparison among groups. The usability of the application is shown in three practical examples.The application can be used in a variety of fields where measures of phenotypic diversity are required, such as taxonomy, ecology and evolution (e.g. mimetic similarity). Currently, the application is limited to arthropods, but it can be easily extended to other animal taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes and illustrates a new species of arachnid, the pseudoscorpion Stenolpium sayrii sp. nov., collected at Pucllana, an archaeological site in the city of Lima, Peru. With this description, the total number of known Stenolpium species worldwide reaches eight, and in Peru specifically, it increases to seven. The discovery of this new species in Peru's most populous city serves as an exemplar highlighting the extensive scope for further research on Peruvian fauna in general, particularly on its arachnids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian funnel-web spiders are arguably the most venomous spiders in the world, with much research focusing on this aspect of their biology. However, other aspects related to their life history, ecology and behaviour have been overlooked. For the first time, we assessed repeatability, namely risk-taking behaviour, aggressiveness and activity in the contexts of predation, conspecific tolerance and exploration of a new territory in four species of Australian funnel-web spiders: two are closely related, Hadronyche valida and H. infensa , and two have overlapping distributions but occupy different habitats, H. cerberea and Atrax robustus. We also compared behaviors between species. At the species level, we found that H. valida showed consistency in risk-taking behavior when exposed to a predator stimulus, aggressiveness against conspecifics, and exploration of a new territory. In contrast, in the other species, only A. robustus showed repeatability in the context of exploration of a new territory. These results suggest that some behavioral traits are likely more flexible than others, and that the repeatability of behaviors may be species-specific in funnel-webs. When we compared species, we found differences in risk-taking behavior and defensiveness. This study provides novel insights to understanding variation in behavioral traits within and between species of funnel-web spiders, suggesting that some behavioral traits are likely context and/or species dependent, as a result of their evolutionary history. These findings provide key insights for understanding the ecological role of behavior and venom deployment in venomous animals, and a greater understanding of behavior in these medically significant and iconic spiders that are of conservation concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This spider survey of a semidecidual forest area in the city of Mendes, in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, aims to increase the scant knowledge about spider communities in this Brazilian ecosystem. Samples were taken over a year, once every three months, in four different sites with seven sampling methods. An overall of 457 species/morphoespecies were recorded in 47 families, corresponding to 10,541 individuals sampled. Families with highest number of species were Theridiidae (91), Araneidae (72), and Salticidae (55). Families with highest abundance were Theridiidae (2,829 specimens), Pholcidae (2,328), and Araneidae (1,263). Most abundant species were Mesabolivar togatus(534), Carapoia lutea(499 individuals), and Cryptachaea digitus (387). Species accumulation curves indicate a minimum of 513 (Bootstrap) and a maximum of 653 species (Jackknife2) for sampled areas. Total Berger-Parker dominance index was low, 0.051, varying from 0.042 to 0.076, while total Pielou equitability Index was high, 0.805, ranging from 0.744 to 0.800. Total Shannon-Wiener diversity index was relatively high, 4.931, ranging from 4.559 to 4.899. The complex, very diverse and relatively well-structured spider community found in Mendes is remarkable, especially in an area with predominantly secondary forests and high anthropic influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small species often fall prey to a wide range of predators in their natural habitats, and therefore require behavioural strategies to mitigate predation rates. In this study, we investigated the defensive behaviour of Ananteris mauryi , a small-bodied scorpion, against different natural predator species. Behavioural trials were conducted with A. mauryi individuals facing two different predators, spider and scorpion. Our results show that A. mauryi altered their defensive acts depending on the predator type, swinging their telson, cleaning their pedipalps, and run more frequently when facing spiders than scorpions. Additionally, we observed variation in the duration of behaviours according to predator type, with stinging attempts being performed more frequently against scorpions and run and metasoma swinging against spiders. Our findings suggest that scorpions have the ability to modulate their defensive behaviour according to the type of predator they face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous neoichnological studies with arthropods, especially arachnids, have often conducted experiments with only a small number of trackways produced in a subset of subaerial conditions. Thus, we conducted a comprehensive neoichnological study of scorpions (Hadrurus arizonensis), tarantulas (Grammostola rosea), and crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), under various moisture levels (dry, damp, wet drying, wet saturated, and subaqueous [or wading]) and horizontal, shallow, and steep slope angles. The invertebrates made a total of 473 trackway runs resulting in 489 symmetric trackway segments that were characterized and digitally measured. We analyzed the trackways using trackway parameter trend diagrams and non-metric multidimensional scaling (N-MDS) visualizations to compare trackway morphology among the sand moisture conditions. Results generally show imprints become progressively smaller, with more dotted multifid imprints going from loose to stiff sand. N-MDS showed trackway morphology overlapped among some conditions, including those with disparate water content (e.g. dry and wet saturated sand, or subaqueous and wet drying sand). Additionally, trackways consisted usually of a four-imprint series, though species- and condition-specific exceptions were found. Interestingly, the scorpions rarely dragged their metasomas, while the crayfish always dragged their tail fan except sometimes underwater. Our neoichnological photos and quantitative dataset provide a basis for future comparative ichnological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the effect of different ecological factors on epigeic harvestmen (Opiliones) in stands of Norway spruce of different ages planted on former agricultural land in the Western Carpathians (Slovakia). In total, 15 species of harvestmen were recorded, which is 42.9% of the 35 species of harvestmen currently recorded in Slovakia. The most abundant species were Nelima sempronii, Lacinius ephippiatus, Mitopus morio, Oligolophus tridens, Leiobunum gracile and Platybunus bucephalus. Species richness and diversity was not associated with any forest characteristic. There was a negative association between the percentage of Norway spruce and abundance of harvestmen and positive association between the chemical element Ca2+ and harvestmen abundance. Beta diversity of harvestmen assemblages was low. Composition of harvestmen assemblages was significantly related to percentage of spruce, humus content, Ca2+, C/N and soil pH. Lacinius ephippiatus was most abundant in pitfall traps with a low percentage of spruce, Oligolophus tridens plots where there was low humus content and Leiobunum gracile tended to be more abundant in plots with more alkaline soils.

Abstract Opiliones are arachnids that provide different services in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in tropical forests, which justifies inventory studies to better understand the occurrence and distribution of these arthropods in Brazil, since little is known about the harvestmen fauna in Conservation Units such as in the state of Paraná. In this context, the objective of the present study was to survey the harvestmen fauna at the Iguaçu National Park (PARNA) and in the Bela Vista Biological Refuge (BVBR), from September 2021 to May 2022, using a sampling effort of 40 hours in the BVBR, and 66 hours at the PARNA Iguaçu. Ten species/morphospecies were recorded, highlighting a new occurrence for Brazil, the species Opisthoplatus vegetus. The present study reduces the information gap about Opiliones in the state, which reaffirms the importance of Conservation Units for the protection of the biota in the state of Paraná.

Drylands correspond to ca. 40% of the world's land surface. Because of their ecological importance, these areas are regularly considered for agricultural purposes. Scorpion assemblages often exhibit higher levels of species diversity in dry habitats and are beneficial indicators in ecological studies in such environments. In this study, we investigated the effects of climatic and spatial predictors on beta diversity patterns among scorpion assemblages distributed in the drylands of Egypt. Scorpion occurrences were compiled from the scientific literature. For each location, we created a set of climatic variables related to precipitation, temperature, and solar irradiation, as well as spatial predictors. A total of 134 scorpion occurrences were obtained, comprising 21 species grouped into three families. Climatic and spatial variables together influenced the patterns of scorpion diversity in Egyptian landscapes. Species replacement accounted for 69% of the total beta diversity. In addition, species replacement was positively affected by climatic and spatial variables. Our results suggest a reciprocal link between the region's ecological history and the patterns of beta diversity observed in scorpion assemblages from Egyptian drylands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The venom toxin δ-ctenitoxin-Pn2a of the spider Phoneutria nigriventer can cause severe envenomation in humans. Furthermore, the cystine-knot motif of δ-ctenitoxin-Pn2a provides exceptional stability, thereby hampering immune response activation. Here we identified epitope G34YFWIAWYKLANCKK48 from δ-ctenitoxin-Pn2a through the Immune Epitope Database Analysis Resource and used it to design antigenic peptides. The Cys residue was replaced by α-aminobutyric acid (Abu) to prevent disulfide bond formation. To increase the immunogenicity of these molecules, branched and N-palmitoylated versions were synthesized. Ac-GYFWIAWYKLAN-Abu-KKG-NH2 (A), Palm-GYFWIAWYKLAN-Abu-KKG-NH2 (B) and (Ac-GYFWIAWYKLAN-Abu-KK)2-KG-NH2 (C) were prepared by solid-phase synthesis and their identity was confirmed by ESI–MS. They were then studied by RP-HPLC and all the chromatograms obtained showed only one main peak. Cytotoxicity was evaluated on the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay in the presence of increasing doses of each peptide (0.25–10.0 µM). Peptide A did not show cytotoxicity between 0.25 and 10.0 µM, while B and C did at concentrations equal or over 0.5 and 10.0 respectively. The cellular distribution of NF-κB was examined by immunofluorescence after exposing macrophages to 0.5 µM of each peptide. Early activation was observed for all three peptides, thereby indicating that they are promising immunogens for antivenom production. Nevertheless, in vivo tests are still required to assess their immunogenic capacity and whether the antibodies generated can confer protection against the venom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire is an important disturbance factor in shrublands, grasslands, and savannas. It alters the habitat of a multitude of species and, under natural dynamics, is a major determinant of landscape vegetation patterns. Here, we evaluate the effects of different wildfire regimes on the abundance of sun spiders in the Cerrado-Pantanal ecotone. To study how different fire regimes affect the number of individual sun spiders, we considered the frequency of fire occurrences in the last 20 years and classified locations as high frequency or low frequency. We also classified the time of the last fire in 2020 as occurring in the first or second half of the year. In addition, we compared the number of individual sun spiders before and after fire. We found no effects of fire frequency and period when the fire occurred in 2020, but the number of individual sun spiders was higher after wildfires. Although ground-dwelling are considered fire sensitive, some can employ strategies to tolerate fire so that they are able to not only survive, but also reproduce in fire-prone landscapes. Thus, we suggest that sun spiders are resilient, can explore sites under different fire regimes, and can be considered pyrophilous species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invertebrates comprise the most diversified animal group on Earth. Due to their long evolutionary history and small size, invertebrates occupy a remarkable range of ecological niches, and play an important role as "ecosystem engineers" by structuring networks of mutualistic and antagonistic ecological interactions in almost all terrestrial ecosystems. Urban forests provide critical ecosystem services to humans, and, as in other systems, invertebrates are central to structuring and maintaining the functioning of urban forests. Identifying the role of invertebrates in urban forests can help elucidate their importance to practitioners and the public, not only to preserve biodiversity in urban environments, but also to make the public aware of their functional importance in maintaining healthy greenspaces. In this review, we examine the multiple functional roles that invertebrates play in urban forests that contribute to ecosystem service provisioning, including pollination, predation, herbivory, seed and microorganism dispersal and organic matter decomposition, but also those that lead to disservices, primarily from a public health perspective, e.g., transmission of invertebrate-borne diseases. We then identify a number of ecological filters that structure urban forest invertebrate communities, such as changes in habitat structure, increased landscape imperviousness, microclimatic changes and pollution. We also discuss the complexity of ways that forest invertebrates respond to urbanisation, including acclimation, local extinction and evolution. Finally, we present management recommendations to support and conserve viable and diverse urban forest invertebrate populations into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the effects of environmental conditions on biodiversity may provide cues regarding the resilience of ecological communities facing human activities in tropical forests. Under this scenario, harvestmen are among the most ideal models for understanding the ecological dynamics associated with shifts in environmental conditions. In this study, we evaluated how changes in attributes related to environmental conditions shape harvestmen assemblages in the Atlantic Forest. We assessed the effect of environmental transformation in four forest fragments with different proportions of native forest cover based on their environmental attributes (temperature, humidity, leaf litter depth and cover, and herbaceous vegetation cover) on harvestmen species richness, abundance, and composition. Overall, 865 harvestmen individuals belonging to six families and 41 species were sampled. The effects of environmental conditions on harvestmen assemblages were context‐dependent. In the most conserved fragment, there was an increase in harvestmen richness and abundance with increasing temperature. Furthermore, herbaceous vegetation cover negatively affected harvestmen richness and abundance. Species turnover was the main driver of harvestmen beta diversity in all forest fragments. With the results presented herein, we demonstrate that harvestmen species richness and abundance are modulated by landscape modifications and subsequent alterations in the environment resulting from human‐induced disturbance. Our results highlight the importance of considering environmental transformations at a large spatial scale (i.e., landscape) and local scale (i.e., environmental attributes) to design appropriate conservation strategies for Brazilian Atlantic Forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive grazing carried out freely by exotic goats represents an important source of anthropogenic degradation in seasonally dry tropical forests of Brazil. The presence of these herbivores may negatively impact the local fauna through the reduction of habitat complexity. In this study, we investigate the effect of goat farming in scorpion assemblage from Brazilian seasonally dry tropical forest. Scorpions were sampled in 36 areas (18 disturbed and 18 undisturbed) distributed in three sites in the seasonally dry tropical forest of Brazil. At each location, we recorded a set of local variables such as litter depth, diameter at breast height of trees, vegetation density (trees and shrubs), and detritus (stones and fallen logs). In total, 396 scorpions were collected, distributed across six species and two families. Our results showed that scorpion diversity was negatively affected, with species richness and abundance reduced in areas influenced by goats. Furthermore, in these sites, the composition of the species was also affected, with habitat-generalist species favoring habitat-specialist species. Finally, sites with free pasture of goats presented scorpions with reduced body condition (body mass and size) than sites without goats. Furthermore, habitat degradation caused by free pasture of goats negatively affects the assemblage of scorpions in terms of their diversity and body condition the seasonally dry tropical forest of Brazil., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2025 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The first complete mitochondrial genome of the micro-whip-scorpion (Schizomus zhensis) was assembled from Illumina-based whole genome sequencing. The circular genome is 14,309 bp in length with 13 protein coding genes, 22 tRNA, 2 rRNAs, and a control region. The A + T content of the mitogenome is 76.6%. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses placed Schizomus zhensis as a sister group of (Thelyphonida + Amblypygi), but more mitogenomes of Tetrapulmonata need to be included in further analyses for a conclusive decision about the group systematics.

Centruroides edwardsii (Gervais, 1843) (Buthidae C. L. Koch, 1837) is recorded for the first time in Panama upon three females collected in Chilibre (northern Panama). Additionally five females and one male of Tityus oceloteFrancke & Stockwell, 1987 were collected in a small farm in Capira (Western Panama) being the first record of this species in the Pacific side of Panama. This contribution provides additional information on geographic distribution of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predation strategies are often habitat-dependent; therefore, contrasting biomes, such as rainforests and seasonally dry forests, may be useful for understanding how the environment influences predatory behavior. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prey capture behavior of scorpions from contrasting habitats in northeastern Brazil. The scorpions' use of the stinger and movement probability after prey capture were analyzed. We collected 120 scorpions, 60 from the Atlantic Forest and 60 from the Caatinga drylands. Our results indicate that scorpions from the Atlantic Forest tended to use their stinger more frequently than those from the Caatinga habitat. We also found that Caatinga scorpions moved approximately 40% more after prey capture than the Atlantic Forest species. Environmental pressures related to the metabolic costs of venom production and potential predation risk may partially explain the differential behavior observed in this study. Therefore, our results suggest that despite the morphological differences between species, animals from contrasting habitats may show different prey capture strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

De multiples catégories d'insectes sont en interactions avec les populations et les activités humaines, autant positives (pollinisation et services écologiques divers) que négatives, notamment en matière de santé. Les risques liés aux morsures ou aux piqûres des insectes et autres arthropodes sont essentiellement d'ordre infectieux, certains pouvant également provoquer des réactions allergiques plus ou moins sévères liées à leurs composants potentiellement allergisants. On observe maintenant des modifications des aires de répartition de nombreuses espèces, importantes à suivre pour des raisons médicales évidentes et pour l'utilisation en tant qu'indicateurs de ces changements. Many categories of insects are interacting with populations and human activities, both positively (pollination and diverse ecological services) and negatively in particular about human health. The risks associated with bites or stings of insects and other arthropods are essentially infectious, some may also cause more or less severe allergic reactions related to their potentially allergenic components. Changes in the distribution areas of many species are observed, which are important for obvious medical reasons and might be used as indicators of these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Mummuciidae, Mummucina chaskae, collected at 1946 m.a.s.l. in the department of Huanuco, Peru, is described and illustrated. With this description, the number of known species of Mummucina rises to five for the genus and to three for Peru. Publicación registrada en Zoobank/ZooBank article registered: LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:992B1B6B-1938-4197-A50D-BB850924A9CA Acto nomenclatural/nomenclatural act: Mummucina chaskae Cossios, 2020 LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B0FAEACD-2D22-42FE-8D87-F8BA9E2AC360

Amilenus aurantiacus overwinter in diapause, a natural starvation period, in hypogean habitats. The structure of spherites in the midgut diverticula (MD) and Malpighian tubules (MT) has been studied comparatively by light microscopy and TEM to detect eventual differences in mineral consumption in the beginning and at the end of the starvation period in these organs (MD and MT) associated with digestive processes. The chemical composition of spherites was examined by combining energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM). The structure of the spherites changed during overwintering in both organs. At the beginning of overwintering, the spherites were composed of densely packed concentric layers of electron-dense and electron-lucent material. In the middle and at the end of overwintering, the electron-lucent layers between the layers of material indicated the loss of some material. The chemical composition of the spherites changed only in the MD; at the beginning of overwintering, these contained Si, O, C and Fe, while later there was no more Fe. In contrast, spherites in the MT were composed of Si, O, C and Ca throughout overwintering. A less intensive exploitation of the MD spherites was probably due to complete cessation of digestive and other cell activity in this organ during the winter diapause; activity of the MT slowed, but continued removing the cell metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) have occurred multiple times during animal evolution, including in lineages leading to vertebrates, teleosts, horseshoe crabs, and arachnopulmonates. These dramatic events initially produce a wealth of new genetic material, generally followed by extensive gene loss. It appears, however, that developmental genes such as homeobox genes, signaling pathway components and microRNAs are frequently retained as duplicates (so-called ohnologs) following WGD. These not only provide the best evidence for WGD, but an opportunity to study its evolutionary consequences. Although these genes are well studied in the context of vertebrate WGD, similar comparisons across the extant arachnopulmonate orders are patchy. We sequenced embryonic transcriptomes from two spider species and two amblypygid species and surveyed three important gene families, Hox, Wnt, and frizzled, across these and 12 existing transcriptomic and genomic resources for chelicerates. We report extensive retention of putative ohnologs, further supporting the ancestral arachnopulmonate WGD. We also found evidence of consistent evolutionary trajectories in Hox and Wnt gene repertoires across three of the six arachnopulmonate orders, with interorder variation in the retention of specific paralogs. We identified variation between major clades in spiders and are better able to reconstruct the chronology of gene duplications and losses in spiders, amblypygids, and scorpions. These insights shed light on the evolution of the developmental toolkit in arachnopulmonates, highlight the importance of the comparative approach within lineages, and provide substantial new transcriptomic data for future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 is a complex of closely related litter-dwelling harvestmen, characterized by a penis glans with two pairs of lateral lancet-like spines, and a femur IV with a saw-like series of pointed tubercles. Here we a) revise the hitherto known taxa within the N. bidentatum complex, and b) analyze in detail the relations among the taxa in Slovenia. The study revealed that the N. bidentatum complex consists of four species: N. bidentatum Roewer, 1914 s. str., N. relictum Gruber & Martens, 1968 stat. nov., N. pluridentatum (Hadži, 1973) stat. nov. and N. kozari Novak, Kozel, Podlesnik & Raspotnig sp. nov. Moreover, N. bidentatum s. str. consists of six subspecies: N. bidentatum bidentatum Roewer, 1914, N. bidentatum sparsum Gruber & Martens, 1968, N. bidentatum gruberi Novak, Slana Novak, Kozel & Raspotnig ssp. nov., N. bidentatum martensi Novak, Slana Novak & Raspotnig ssp. nov., N. bidentatum schmidti Novak, Raspotnig & Slana Novak ssp. nov. and N. bidentatum sneznikensis Novak, Komposch, Slana Novak & Raspotnig ssp. nov. In Slovenia, the six subspecies of N. bidentatum form a parapatric complex around N. bidentatum schmidti. Hybrids occur in the contact zones between adjacent subspecies, but they are missing between distant subspecies. The taxonomic distinction of lineages / subspecies is congruent with their distribution patterns. With six of the nine taxa present, Slovenia is considered the center of the N. bidentatum complex speciation. At the time being, this complex is the most diversified harvestman group on a subspecific and young-species level and provides important details on speciation processes in Opiliones.

In arachnids, the Malpighian tubules (MTs), coxal glands and stercoral pockets are capable of collecting and removing excreta from the body. The presence of the MTs among Opiliones was evidenced for the first time in Amilenus aurantiacus in 2015. Individuals undergo a winter diapause subterranean habitats. Here, we provided the morphological and cytological description of the MTs and asked whether their structure and ultrastructure change during the winter diapause. We studied the changes using light and transmission electron microscopy. The MTs consisted of the ureter and a pair of long, lateral blind-ended tubules, forming a long loop in the opisthosoma, and a coiled, terminal ball in the prosoma. The MTs were uniform, composed of a single-cell type, a monolayer of cuboidal epithelial cells, and the basal lamina. The cell ultrastructure was quite comparable to those in other arthropods, except for very long infoldings of the basal membrane protruding close to the nucleus. Except for spherite exploitation, no changes were observed in the ultrastructure of the MT epithelial cells during overwintering. We suggest that the analogous MTs in A. aurantiacus, and the nephron anatomies, along with a single-cell-type MT epithelium, might be of advantage in modelled studies of the nephron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sox family of transcription factors regulates many processes during metazoan development, including stem cell maintenance and nervous system specification. Characterizing the repertoires and roles of these genes can therefore provide important insights into animal evolution and development. We further characterized the Sox repertoires of several arachnid species with and without an ancestral whole-genome duplication and compared their expression between the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum and the harvestman Phalangium opilio. We found that most Sox families have been retained as ohnologs after whole-genome duplication and evidence for potential subfunctionalization and/or neofunctionalization events. Our results also suggest that Sox21b-1 likely regulated segmentation ancestrally in arachnids, playing a similar role to the closely related SoxB gene, Dichaete , in insects. We previously showed that Sox21b-1 is required for the simultaneous formation of prosomal segments and sequential addition of opisthosomal segments in P. tepidariorum. We studied the expression and function of Sox21b-1 further in this spider and found that although this gene regulates the generation of both prosomal and opisthosomal segments, it plays different roles in the formation of these tagmata reflecting their contrasting modes of segmentation and deployment of gene regulatory networks with different architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The immense geologic and ecological complexity of the Caribbean has created a natural laboratory for interpreting when and how organisms disperse through time and space. However, competing hypotheses compounded with this complexity have resulted in a lack of unifying principles of biogeography for the region. Though new data concerning the timing of geologic events and dispersal events are emerging, powerful new analytical tools now allow for explicit hypothesis testing. Arthropods, with varying dispersal ability and high levels of endemism in the Caribbean, are an important, albeit understudied, biogeographic model system. Herein, we include a comprehensive analysis of every publicly available genetic dataset (at the time of writing) of terrestrial Caribbean arthropod groups using a statistically robust pipeline to explicitly test the current extent of biogeographic hypotheses for the region. Results Our findings indicate several important biogeographic generalizations for the region: the South American continent is the predominant origin of Caribbean arthropod fauna; GAARlandia played a role for some taxa in aiding dispersal from South America to the Greater Antilles; founder event dispersal explains the majority of dispersal events by terrestrial arthropods, and distance between landmasses is important for dispersal; most dispersal events occurred via island hopping; there is evidence of ‘reverse’ dispersal from islands to the mainland; dispersal across the present-day Isthmus of Panama generally occurred prior to 3 mya; the Greater Antilles harbor more lineage diversity than the Lesser Antilles, and the larger Greater Antilles typically have greater lineage diversity than the smaller islands; basal Caribbean taxa are primarily distributed in the Greater Antilles, the basal-most being from Cuba, and derived taxa are mostly distributed in the Lesser Antilles; Jamaican taxa are usually endemic and monophyletic. Conclusions Given the diversity and deep history of terrestrial arthropods, incongruence of biogeographic patterns is expected, but focusing on both similarities and differences among divergent taxa with disparate life histories emphasizes the importance of particular qualities responsible for resulting diversification patterns. Furthermore, this study provides an analytical toolkit that can be used to guide researchers interested in answering questions pertaining to Caribbean biogeography using explicit hypothesis testing.

Abstract Scorpionic accidents are a major public health problem due to the high occurrence with potential seriousness. In this manner, the research aimed to analyze the occurrence of scorpionic accidents in a municipality in the northeastern of Brazil. An exploratory, descriptive study was made, with a quantitative approach, using secondary data which was gotten from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), from 2008 to 2018. Data such as neighborhood, presence of street markets were also used, and the existence of sanitation and climatic data such as temperature and season. Geoprocessing was used to identify possible changes in the environment. In the analyzed period, 9,330 cases of scorpion accidents were recorded, with an average of 848 annual notifications. Scorpionic accidents occurred more frequently in women (5,686; 60.94%). Individuals aged 20 to 29 years (1.727; 18.51%) were more frequent to scorpion stings. Regarding the body parts where the stings were made, the highlights were on the foot (3.515; 37.67%) followed by the hand (2.818; 30.20%). No statistically significant relation was observed between climatic factors and scorpionic accidents. However, the high number of cases of scorpionic accidents was observed in the last 11 years studied. It was evident that during the study period there was no statistical relationship when climatic factors were correlated to scorpionic accidents. On its turn, when it was verified the results of the geoprocessing analysis, it was seen that anthropic factors have been motivating the potentiation of the occurrence of these accidents.