Big, bad spider eating innocent scorpion in Lebanon

 

Scorpions kill and eats spiders and it is not surprising that the roles are reversed sometimes. But there haven't been many reports of tarantulas preying on scorpions. Rami Khashab recently published an observation of a Middle East Black Tarantula, Chaetopelma olivaceum (C. L. Koch, 1841) preying on a small  Aegaeobuthus nigrocinctus (Ehrenberg, 1828) (Buthidae) in Lebanon.

The spider didn't seem to have been stung by the scorpion, who probably was killed instantly by the larger spider's chelicerae.

Abstract:
I report the first documented case of the buthid scorpion Aegaeobuthus nigrocinctus (Ehrenberg, 1828) serving as prey for the tarantula Chaetopelma olivaceum (C. L. Koch, 1841) in Lebanon. The observation was made during a nocturnal survey in the Mount Lebanon region. The case contributes to the limited records of tarantula predation on scorpions and underscores the role of prey-predator size asymmetry in facilitating high-risk predation among arachnids.

Reference:
Khashab R. Predation of Aegaeobuthus nigrocinctus (Ehrenberg, 1828) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) by a Middle East Black Tarantula, Chaetopelma olivaceum (C. L. Koch, 1841) (Araneae: Theraphosidae) in Lebanon. Euscorpius. 2025(423):1–3. [Open Access]

Sex may be risky in Leiurus abdullahbayrami (clickbait title ;)

 

Mating is sometimes risky in many arachnids, also in scorpions. Often, the female may kill and devour the male in stead of mating with him. Scorpions have an advanced mating dance which sometimes includes sexual stings to reduce the risk of cannibalism, but in some cases mating attempts do not result in a happy ending for the male.

Rami Khashab published earlier this summer a case report with the first observation of sexual cannibalism in the medical important buthid Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009.

Abstract:
This study presents the first report of sexual cannibalism in the medically significant scorpion Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009, that was recorded during a herpetological field trip to the semi-desert area in northern Lebanon. It broadens the understanding of sexual cannibalism in scorpions and adds a new prey item to the dietary spectrum of the scorpion.

Reference:
Khashab R. First case of sexual cannibalism in Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Lebanon. Euscorpius. 2025(416):1–4. [Open Access]

Venom composition in the medical important scorpion Leiurus abdullahbayrami from The Middle East

 

The 23 species in the genus Leiurus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) have the most potent venom of all scorpions and posing a medical threat to humans in their area of distribution. Knowledge of the venom composition and potency of the different species is important for correct treatment and the use of antivenom.

Adolfo Borges and Bruno Lomonte have recently published a study of the venom composition of Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yagmur, Koc & Kunt, 2009, distributed in Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. This species have been involved in serious envenomations and this study confirms the potency of its venom. 

The study also found that the venom composition in Leiurus abdullahbayrami and other species vary and more research on this potential interspecific variation is necessary to decide whether a species-specific antivenom is necessary for sting cases involving this species.

Abstract:
The scorpion Leiurus abdullahbayrami has been associated with severe/lethal envenomings throughout the Levant region of the Middle East, encompassing Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon, and only scarce information is available on its venom composition, activity, and antigenicity. We report on the composition of L. abdullahbayrami venom collected from Lebanese specimens using nESI-MS/MS, MALDI-TOF MS, SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC. Venom lethality, through LD50 determination in mice (intraperitoneal), was also assessed (0.75 (0.16–1.09) mg/kg), confirming L.abdullahbayrami venom vertebrate toxicity. Fifty-four peaks were detected using RP-HPLC, half of which eluted in the gradient region between 20 and 40% acetonitrile. In reducing SDS-PAGE, most predominant components were <10 kDa, with minor components at higher molecular masses of 24.4, 43.1, and 48.9 kDa. Venom mass fingerprint by MALDI-TOF detected 21 components within the 1000–12,000 m/z range. Whole venom ‘shotgun’ bottom-up nLC-MS/MS approach, combined with in-gel tryptic digestion of SDS-PAGE bands, identified at least 113 different components belonging to 15 venom families and uncharacterized proteins, with ion channel-active components (K+ channel toxins (28); Na+ channel toxins (42); Cl􀀀 channel toxins (4); Ca+ toxins (2)) being predominant. A single match for a L. adbullahbayrami NaTx was found in the UniProt database with other congeneric species, toxin h3.1 from Leiurus hebraeus, suggesting this might be an indication of venom divergence within Leiurus, eventhough this warrants further investigation involving venom proteomics and transcriptomics of relevant species. Considering such potential interspecific venom variation, future work should address whether preparation of a specific anti-L. abdullahbayrami antivenom is justified.

Reference:
Borges A, Lomonte B. Venomics of Leiurus abdullahbayrami, the most lethal scorpion in the Levant region of the Middle East. Toxicon. 2024;237:107548. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Luis A. Roque for informing me about this article!

The medical important species Leiurus abdullahbayrami is reported from Lebanon

 

Testing my shape with this blog post before returning to work tomorrow after a week with Covid. I've been escaping "the plague" for a long time, but it finally got me. I'm slowly getting my strength back, but the taste sense is still gone. Anyway, it is OK to be finished with it before the summer holiday.

Adolfo Borges and Ersen Yagmur have published a small paper showing the presence of Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009 (Buthidae) in the East Bekaa province in Lebanon. This species has shown to be medical important in Turkey and Syria, and it is important knowledge that the species is also present in other countries in the region.

Abstract:
The first record of Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009 for Lebanon is presented, collected in the East Bekaa province. This is the second Leiurus species reported for this country. The medical importance of L. abdullahbayrami, associated with severe and fatal cases among children in Turkey and Syria, makes it highly relevant to determine its current distribution range in the Levant region.

Reference:
Borges A, Yagmur EA. First record of the medically significant scorpion Leiurus abdullahbayrami (Scorpiones: Buthidae) for Lebanon. Arachnologische Mitteilungen. 2022;63:7-10. [Not Online yet?]

Thanks to Adolfo for sending me their article!