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Predation of Cyrtopodion scabrum (Squamata: Gekkonidae) by Steatoda paykulliana (Araneae: Theridiidae)

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In this short ecological note, a case of predation of the rough-tailed gecko, Cyrtopodion scabrum (Heyden, 1827) by an adult male false widow spider Steatoda paykulliana (Walckenaer, 1805) is reported from Tehran, Iran.
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!!.!.-H!!!H(
!  -H ! !  !  /.  ! !  ! 
!(-).!!+P.$<(.9<
6 &;        !    !  - !! 
( ( $I  ; M&; B ! H ;    D!
HH!$(444& !#
)!! 0 5 # ! !  !!   BC '# $'D G ,ZH
M&;     - !!   ( !  !!    
.!!!$);4&;B-(
!!!!.!%7#;);'(.B
$74;37M4;74 0&B#M; B! !! -
!-4-( ! !-H  
 <   . !(! H  !      -;
H-(!!$8;&
!  !  .H N! $!&;B
H  -. ! ( !.   . H !.  
 .  H  - .; B     -  C 
.!!-!-
! . - -  .   ; #      
   .  N( !  !  ! -.   D
$IG24&;#!-.!
 ( !. - ! [;; ;  $OH & ! 
(#"  )  $6( G <D( &\       
!!;BC/.H!
!-(!;
01
#?;(((PO;
.  H 0   C! )! N! ! #).  
!-(;
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
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... A comprehensive review by O'Shea and Kelly (2017), indicates that reptiles occasionally fall prey to Latrodectus species and although less frequently reported, they are also preyed upon by Steatoda species (Petrov and Lazarov 2000;Zamani 2016). In this report we describe a predation event by a mature female Steatoda nobilis on a juvenile Zootoca vivipara in suburban Dublin. ...
... The diet of Latrodectinae (Latrodectus and Steatoda) spiders typically consist of arthropods, however, they have been documented capturing and feeding on snakes and lizards (O'Shea and Kelly 2017;Petrov and Lazarov 2000;Zamani 2016). Latrodectinae of the genera Latrodectus and Steatoda produce the vertebrate-specific neurotoxin 'a-latrotoxin' which facilitates the release of neurotransmitters leading to neuromuscular paralysis (Isbister and Gray 2003;Warrell et al. 1991). ...
... Highly potent venom containing the neurotoxins latrotoxins (Garb et al., 2004;Garb and Hayashi, 2013;Dunbar et al., 2020a), web-building, and prey capture techniques allow Latrodectus and Steatoda spiders to subdue vertebrate prey many times larger and heavier than themselves (Greco and Pugno, 2021). Although predation events by Latrodectus on vertebrate organisms are relatively well documented, only a handful of such cases have been reported in the scientific literature for Steatoda (Greco and Pugno, 2021;Petrov and Lazarov, 2000;Zamani, 2016;Dunbar et al., 2018c;Nyffeler and Gibbons, 2021). With readily available camera phones, members of the public are now able to record such predation events (O'Shea and Kelly, 2017). ...
... Although scarce, predation events on vertebrates have been previously recorded for spiders of the genus Steatoda: Steatoda nobilis preying on a viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara in Ireland (Dunbar et al., 2018c), Steatoda paykulliana preying on a gecko Cyrtopodion scarbrum in Iran (Zamani, 2016), S. triangulosa preying on a European blind snake Typhlops vermicularis in Bulgaria (Petrov and Lazarov, 2000), and a Texas blind snake Rena dulcis in USA (Nyffeler and Gibbons, 2021). In a review on spiders feeding on snakes, Nyffeler and Gibbons (2021) also mention an account reported in the National Geographic Magazine in 1933 of a garter snake being entangled in a S. triangulosa web. ...
Article
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Spider species across 27 families have been recorded naturally preying upon vertebrates. Intricate three-dimensional webs, predation strategies, and potent neurotoxic venom allow Latrodectus and Steatoda spiders to subdue vertebrate prey that are many times larger and heavier than themselves. Yet, little is known about the behaviour associated with capturing comparatively large vertebrate prey, or how common these predatory events are. We report on two new cases of vertebrate predation by Latrodectinae spiders: a Latrodectus mactans (Walckenaer, 1805) preying on a common house mouse Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the USA and a Steatoda triangulosa (Walckenaer, 1802) preying on a Kotschy's gecko Mediodactylus kotschyi (Steindachner, 1870) in Greece. Although predation events on vertebrates by Latrodectus species have been documented in the literature, such events have been sparsely reported for the genus Steatoda (Sundevall, 1833). We provide the first record of S. triangulosa preying on M. kotschyi. Such predation events shed light on the multifunctional physiology of the venom and behavioural ecology of these spiders.
... A comprehensive review by O'Shea and Kelly (2017), indicates that reptiles occasionally fall prey to Latrodectus species and although less frequently reported, they are also preyed upon by Steatoda species (Petrov and Lazarov 2000;Zamani 2016). In this report we describe a predation event by a mature female Steatoda nobilis on a juvenile Zootoca vivipara in suburban Dublin. ...
... The diet of Latrodectinae (Latrodectus and Steatoda) spiders typically consist of arthropods, however, they have been documented capturing and feeding on snakes and lizards (O'Shea and Kelly 2017;Petrov and Lazarov 2000;Zamani 2016). Latrodectinae of the genera Latrodectus and Steatoda produce the vertebrate-specific neurotoxin 'a-latrotoxin' which facilitates the release of neurotransmitters leading to neuromuscular paralysis (Isbister and Gray 2003;Warrell et al. 1991). ...
... A comprehensive review by O'Shea and Kelly (2017), indicates that reptiles occasionally fall prey to Latrodectus species and although less frequently reported, they are also preyed upon by Steatoda species (Petrov and Lazarov 2000;Zamani 2016). In this report we describe a predation event by a mature female Steatoda nobilis on a juvenile Zootoca vivipara in suburban Dublin. ...
... The diet of Latrodectinae (Latrodectus and Steatoda) spiders typically consist of arthropods, however, they have been documented capturing and feeding on snakes and lizards (O'Shea and Kelly 2017;Petrov and Lazarov 2000;Zamani 2016). Latrodectinae of the genera Latrodectus and Steatoda produce the vertebrate-specific neurotoxin 'a-latrotoxin' which facilitates the release of neurotransmitters leading to neuromuscular paralysis (Isbister and Gray 2003;Warrell et al. 1991). ...
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As the Noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis (Thorell 1875) continues to expand its range across Europe, Asia and the Americas, its potential as an invasive species has not yet been fully assessed. Latrodectinae spiders are remarkably adaptable and possess fast-acting neurotoxic venom that can cause neuromuscular paralysis in vertebrates and occasionally feed on small reptiles. We describe here a predation event by a mature female Steatoda nobilis on a juvenile Zootoca vivipara lizard in suburban Dublin. This is the first report of Steatoda nobilis preying on a vertebrate, and the first report of a ter­restrial vertebrate organism falling prey to an arachnid in Ireland. Zootoca vivipara is a protected species in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and may increasingly fall prey to Steatoda nobilis as urbanisation encroaches on lizard habitat. Therefore, Steatoda nobilis should be closely monitored outside of its original native range to assess its status as an invasive species.
... Several cases of teratological deformities in wolf spiders were reported by Nadolny et al. (2022), including three from Iran. Zamani (2014c) reported a case of parasitism by a mermithid nematode for the crab spider Heriaeus spinipalpus Loerbroks, 1983 (Thomisidae), and a case of predation on Cyrtopodion scabrum (Heyden, 1827) (Squamata: Gekkonidae) by Steatoda paykulliana (Walckenaer, 1806) (Theridiidae) was reported by Zamani (2016a). Doberski (1973) reported an observation of a spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata (Pallas, 1764) (Passeriformes: Muscicapidae), caught in a spider web in Miankaleh, northern Iran. ...
Thesis
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Spiders (Araneae) are the largest order of Arachnida and the sixth most speciose order of Animalia, comprising more than 50,000 extant species as well as over 1,400 species known from fossils. Despite this immense diversity that has been estimated to comprise 120,000–200,000 species, our knowledge of their systematics and distribution remains rather incipient. While attempts to evaluate the diversity and distribution patterns of spiders have been made for the Neotropical and a few other faunas, most other regions remain historically neglected. The aim of this dissertation is to explore the systematics, diversity and distribution of spiders of Iran, a highly interesting region from a zoological and biogeographical point of view that unfortunately has been poorly investigated regarding its invertebrate fauna. For this purpose, I examined more than 9,000 specimens that were either collected during expeditions to numerous regions and ecosystems across the country or deposited in several natural history collections from around the world. As a result of these efforts, which were initiated in 2013 and mostly carried out in collaboration with researchers from various countries, a total of 11 genera and 147 species of Iranian spiders were described as new to science, and 419 taxa (i.e., 13 families, 87 genera and 319 species) were recorded in Iran for the first time. The total number of newly described and recorded species (i.e., 466 species) constitutes almost half (i.e., 49.83%) of the currently known Iranian species diversity of this group (i.e., 935 species). Amongst 147 species described, 137 are known only from Iran, representing 63.72% of all species currently considered endemic to this country (i.e., 215 species). These results were published in a total of 87 publications, 38 of which were published after the beginning of my doctoral studies at UTU in 2019. This dissertation, however, is primarily based on only nine taxonomic articles (i.e., I–IX), all published after 2019 and highlighting some of the more important findings. Because of the newly obtained taxonomic information and an extensive database of all published records, it was possible to conduct a comprehensive review of spatial variation in the diversity patterns of spiders in Iran. This was the main objective of publication X, which also included an evaluation of the effect of sampling bias on the current understanding of the distribution of Iranian spiders. The analyses showed that the diversity of Iranian spiders remains inadequately studied and is heavily affected by the Linnean shortfall (i.e., gaps in taxonomic knowledge), despite a remarkable improvement in taxonomic research on this fauna since the beginning of the 21st century. There are 935 spider species in the 1,648,195 km2 of Iran. Comparing the number of species per area of 171 countries and other political regions indicated that Iran was in position 132, whereas many considerably smaller and less ecologically diverse countries were in lower positions. It was also found that this fauna clearly suffers from a severe Wallacean shortfall (i.e., lack of knowledge of species distributions), as approximately 85% of Iran lacks a single record of spiders. There is a highly uneven distribution of records throughout the country and its provinces and ecoregions, with most of the records situated near large cities. A high correlation was found between the number of records of spiders and the number of records of plants and other animals in Iran, indicating that the noted shortfalls are indeed corroborated by other taxa. Finally, it is suggested that to gain a more complete picture of the diversity of Iranian spiders, future collecting efforts should be primarily in the form of extensive systematic surveys instead of opportunistic sampling, and ideally targeting lesser sampled areas and ecoregions. Once a satisfactory amount of information regarding the taxonomy and distribution of species becomes available, it will be possible to properly assess the conservation status and risk factors that affect these species and to identify areas of higher conservation and management priority.
... The family most associated with vertebrate predation is Theridiidae (Nyffeler & Gibbons, 2022), which include the genus Latrodectus (true black widows) and Steatoda (false widows) (subfamily Latrodectinae) . Vertebrate predation by Latrodectus is the most frequently observed among spiders (Nyffeler & Gibbons, 2022;Nyffeler & Vetter, 2018); however, accounts of Steatoda species feeding on reptiles and mammals are increasing Dunbar, Ennis, et al., 2018;Greco & Pugno, 2021;Nyffeler & Gibbons, 2021;Petrov & Lazarov, 2000;Vitkauskaite et al., 2021;Zamani, 2016). ...
Article
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The noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis is a globally invasive species with implications for public health and possibly for native ecosystems. Here, we report on a case of predation on a protected species of vertebrate, a pygmy shrew Sorex minutus in Britain. The importance and novelty of this report are: (1) this is the third documented case of S. nobilis preying on a vertebrate in five years, suggesting that small vertebrates are likely to be a more frequent component of their diet than previously thought; (2) this is the first case of a Theridiidae spider preying on a shrew in Britain; and (3) this is the first case of predation on shrews by the genus Steatoda globally. Overall, S. nobilis fits the profile of a habitual vertebrate‐eating spider.
... Once a prey is entangled in their web, Steatoda and Latrodectus spiders flick or wrap silk threads around it before paralyzing it with their potent neurotoxic venom (Dunbar, Ennis, et al., 2018;Dunbar, Fort, et al., 2020;Vitkauskaite et al., 2021). Prior to this case, only seven observations have been recorded of Steatoda species preying on vertebrates: Steatoda triangulosa (Greco & Pugno, 2021;Nyffeler & Gibbons, 2021;Petrov & Lazarov, 2000;Vitkauskaite et al., 2021), Steatoda paykulliana (Zamani, 2016), and S. nobilis (Dunbar, Ennis, et al., 2018). Sometimes, the location chosen by individual spiders can be surprisingly fruitful. ...
Article
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The noble false widow spider Steatoda nobilis continues to expand its range globally with possible implications for public health and native species. Of the European Union list of 66 species of invasive plants and animals, none are spiders. S. nobilis is invasive around the world, but its impact on native species has not been fully assessed. Here, we report on the predation of a protected species of pipistrelle bat by S. nobilis in Britain. To our knowledge, this is the first recorded case of a Theridiidae spider preying on a bat globally, the first case of a Theridiidae spider preying on a vertebrate in Britain, and the first global case of a Steatoda preying on a mammal.
... False widow spiders (genus Steatoda), like the closely related black widow spiders (genus Latrodectus), can occasionally subdue small vertebrates 13,16,27,56,57 as they possess a fast-acting neurotoxic venom 13,58-60 . It is the presence of α-latrotoxin that can induce neuromuscular paralysis and death in humans following envenomation by Latrodectus species 59 . ...
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The false widow spider Steatoda nobilis is associated with bites which develop bacterial infections that are sometimes unresponsive to antibiotics. These could be secondary infections derived from opportunistic bacteria on the skin or infections directly vectored by the spider. In this study, we investigated whether it is plausible for S. nobilis and other synanthropic European spiders to vector bacteria during a bite, by seeking to identify bacteria with pathogenic potential on the spiders. 11 genera of bacteria were identified through 16S rRNA sequencing from the body surfaces and chelicerae of S. nobilis, and two native spiders: Amaurobius similis and Eratigena atrica. Out of 22 bacterial species isolated from S. nobilis, 12 were related to human pathogenicity among which Staphylococcus epidermidis, Kluyvera intermedia, Rothia mucilaginosa and Pseudomonas putida are recognized as class 2 pathogens. The isolates varied in their antibiotic susceptibility: Pseudomonas putida, Staphylococcus capitis and Staphylococcus edaphicus showed the highest extent of resistance, to three antibiotics in total. On the other hand, all bacteria recovered from S. nobilis were susceptible to ciprofloxacin. Our study demonstrates that S. nobilis does carry opportunistic pathogenic bacteria on its body surfaces and chelicerae. Therefore, some post-bite infections could be the result of vector-borne bacterial zoonoses that may be antibiotic resistant.
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