Prey and Venom Efficacy of Male and Female Wandering Spider, Phoneutria boliviensis (Araneae: Ctenidae)

• Authors: CARLOS VALENZUELA-ROJAS Juan; CESAR GONZALEZ-GOMEZ Julio; VAN DER MEIJDEN Arie; NICOLAS CORTES Juan; GUEVARA Giovany; MARCELA FRANCO Lida; PEKÁR Stanislav; FERNANDO GARCIA Luis
• Year of publication: 2019
• Type: Article in Periodical
• Magazine / Source: Toxins
• MU Faculty or unit: Faculty of Science
• Web: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/11/11/622
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxins11110622
• Keywords: venom; toxins; LD50; trophic niche; sexual dimorphism
• Description: In this study, we focused on the trophic ecology and venom toxicity of Phoneutria boliviensis F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897, a Central American spider of medical importance. We tested the hypothesis that its venom is adapted to catch vertebrate prey by studying its trophic ecology and venom toxicity against selected vertebrate and invertebrate prey.