Latrodectus

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Latrodectus
Latrodectus hesperus Berkeley, California.jpg
Female Latrodectus hesperus , or western black widow
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Theridiidae
Genus: Latrodectus
Walckenaer, 1805 [1]
Type species
L. tredecimguttatus
(Rossi, 1790)
Species

34, see text

Synonyms [1]
  • ChacocaBadcock, 1932 [2]

Latrodectus is a broadly distributed genus of spiders with several species that are commonly known as the true widows. This group is composed of those often loosely called black widow spiders, brown widow spiders, and similar spiders. [3] [4] [5] [6] However, the diversity of species is much greater. A member of the family Theridiidae, this genus contains 34 species, [7] which include several North American "black widows" (southern black widow Latrodectus mactans , western black widow Latrodectus hesperus , and northern black widow Latrodectus variolus ). Besides these, North America also has the red widow Latrodectus bishopi and the brown widow Latrodectus geometricus , which, in addition to North America, has a much wider geographic distribution. Elsewhere, others include the European black widow (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus), the Australian redback spider (Latrodectus hasseltii) and the closely related New Zealand katipō (Latrodectus katipo), several different species in Southern Africa that can be called button spiders, and the South American black-widow spiders ( Latrodectus corallinus and Latrodectus curacaviensis ). Species vary widely in size. In most cases, the females are dark-coloured and can be readily identified by reddish markings on the central underside (ventral) abdomen, which are often hourglass-shaped.

Contents

These small spiders have an unusually potent venom containing the neurotoxin latrotoxin, which causes the condition latrodectism, both named after the genus. Female widow spiders have unusually large venom glands, and their bite can be particularly harmful to large vertebrates, including humans. However, despite their notoriety, Latrodectus bites rarely cause death or produce serious complications. Only the bites of the females are dangerous to humans.

Description

The eye arrangement of spiders in the genus Latrodectus Latrodectus eye group.svg
The eye arrangement of spiders in the genus Latrodectus

Female widow spiders are typically dark brown or a shiny black in colour when they are full grown, usually exhibiting a red or orange hourglass on the ventral surface (underside) of the abdomen; some may have a pair of red spots or have no marking at all. The male widow spiders often exhibit various red or red and white markings on the dorsal surface (upper side) of the abdomen, ranging from a single stripe to bars or spots, and juveniles are often similar to the male pattern. Females of a few species are paler brown and some have no bright markings. The bodies of black widow spiders range from 3–10 mm (0.12–0.39 in) in size; some females can measure 13 mm (0.51 in) in their body length (not including legs). [8] Including legs, female adult black widows generally measure 25–38 mm (1–1.5 in). [9] [10]

Behaviour

Juvenile southern black widow (Latrodectus mactans) Black-widow-red-spots-yellow-legs.jpg
Juvenile southern black widow ( Latrodectus mactans )

The prevalence of sexual cannibalism, a behaviour in which the female eats the male after mating, has inspired the common name "widow spiders". [11] This behaviour may promote the survival odds of the offspring; [12] however, females of some species only rarely show this behaviour, and much of the documented evidence for sexual cannibalism has been observed in laboratory cages where the males could not escape. Male black widow spiders tend to select their mates by determining if the female has eaten already to avoid being eaten themselves. They are able to tell if the female has fed by sensing chemicals in the web. [13] [14] Latrodectus hesperus is referred to as an "opportunistic cannibal" because in dire situations it will resort to cannibalism. [15] In addition to sexual cannibalism, Latrodectus hesperus are also known to engage in sibling cannibalism. [16]

Like other members of the Theridiidae, widow spiders construct a web of irregular, tangled, sticky silken fibres. Black widow spiders prefer to nest near the ground in dark and undisturbed areas, usually in small holes produced by animals, or around construction openings or woodpiles. Indoor nests are in dark, undisturbed places such as under desks or furniture or in a basement. [17] The spider frequently hangs upside down near the centre of its web and waits for insects to blunder in and get stuck. Then, before the insect can extricate itself, the spider rushes over to envenomate and wrap it in silk. To feed, the spider's mouth pulses digestive juices over the prey, which liquifies, which the spider internalizes by capillary action, sucking the slurry into its mouth. [18] [19] Their prey consists of small insects such as flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. [19] If the spider perceives a threat, it quickly lets itself down to the ground on a safety line of silk.

As with other web-weavers, these spiders have very poor eyesight and depend on vibrations reaching them through their webs to find trapped prey or warn them of larger threats. When a widow spider is trapped, it is unlikely to bite, preferring to play dead or flick silk at the potential threat; bites occur when they cannot escape. [20] Many injuries to humans are due to defensive bites delivered when a spider gets unintentionally squeezed or pinched. The blue mud dauber species, Chalybion californicum , is a wasp that, in western North America, is the primary predator of black widow spiders. [21]

The ultimate tensile strength and other physical properties of Latrodectus hesperus (western black widow) silk are similar to the properties of silk from orb-weaving spiders that had been tested in other studies. The tensile strength for the three kinds of silk measured in the Blackledge study was about 1,000 MPa. The ultimate strength reported in a previous study for Trichonephila edulis was 1,290 ± 160 MPa. [22] The tensile strength of spider silk is comparable to that of steel wire of the same thickness. [23] [ failed verification ] However, as the density of steel is about six times that of silk, [24] silk is correspondingly stronger than steel wire of the same weight.

Spiders of the genus Steatoda (also of the Theridiidae) are often mistaken for widow spiders, and are known as "false widow spiders"; while their bite can be painful, they are significantly less harmful to humans.

Taxonomy

Male L. elegans from Japan Latrodectus.elegans.male.-.tanikawa.jpg
Male L. elegans from Japan
L. hesperus hair and markings Blackwidow macro.jpg
L. hesperus hair and markings
L. hesperus profile Black Widow spider, Female.jpg
L. hesperus profile
Ventral side of a L. geometricus displaying the hourglass marking Brown widow spider Latrodectus geometricus underside.jpg
Ventral side of a L. geometricus displaying the hourglass marking
Dorsal side of a L. geometricus in Colorado, United States Brown widow spider Latrodectus geometricus backside.jpg
Dorsal side of a L. geometricus in Colorado, United States
L. hesperus with egg sac Blackwidow eggsac silk.jpg
L. hesperus with egg sac
L. tredecimguttatus (female swollen with eggs) Latrodectus tredecimguttatus female.jpg
L. tredecimguttatus (female swollen with eggs)

The genus Latrodectus was erected by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1805, for the species Latrodectus tredecimguttatus and Latrodectus mactans . [1] [25] Arachnologist Herbert Walter Levi revised the genus in 1959, studying the female sexual organs and noting their similarity across described species. He concluded the colour variations were variable across the world and were not sufficient to warrant species status, and reclassified the redback and several other species as subspecies of the black widow spider. [2]

Levi also noted that study of the genus had been contentious; in 1902, both F. O. Pickard-Cambridge and Friedrich Dahl had revised the genus, with each criticising the other. Cambridge questioned Dahl's separating species on what he considered minor anatomical details, and the latter dismissed the former as an "ignoramus". [2]

Species

As of November 2023 the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species: [1]

Nomina dubia

Distribution

Widow spiders are found on every continent of the world except Antarctica. In North America, the black widows commonly known as southern ( Latrodectus mactans ), western ( Latrodectus hesperus ), and northern ( Latrodectus variolus ) are found in the United States, equally in western México ( Latrodectus occidentalis ), as well as parts of southern Canada – particularly in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, as are the "grey" or "brown widow spiders" ( Latrodectus geometricus ) and the "red widow spiders" ( Latrodectus bishopi ). [26]

The most prevalent species occurring in eastern Asia and Australia is commonly called the redback ( Latrodectus hasselti ).

They are often confused with spiders in the genus Steatoda , known as false widow spiders, due to their similar appearance. [27]

Venom

Due to the presence of latrotoxin in their venom, black widow bites are potentially dangerous and may result in systemic effects (latrodectism) including severe muscle pain, abdominal cramps, diaphoresis, tachycardia, and muscle spasms. [28] Symptoms usually last for 3–7 days, but may persist for several weeks. [29] In 1933, a University of Alabama medical faculty, Allan Blair conducted an experiment on himself to document the symptoms of a black widow bite, and to test whether someone can build immunity after being bitten. [30] The effects of the bite were so painful and harsh that Blair failed to complete the experiment and did not follow through with being bitten a second time.

In the United States each year, about 2,500 [31] people report being bitten by a black widow, but most do not need medical treatment. Some bites have no venom injected—⁠a "dry" bite. In the United States, no deaths due to black widows have been reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers since 1983. [32] Black widows are not especially aggressive spiders, and they rarely bite humans unless startled or otherwise threatened. [33]

Contrary to popular belief, most people who are bitten suffer no serious damage, let alone death. Fatal bites were reported in the early 20th century mostly with Latrodectus tredecimguttatus , the Mediterranean black widow. [34]

Since the venom is not usually life-threatening, antivenom has been used as pain relief and not to save lives. [35] However, a study demonstrated that standardized pain medication, when combined with either antivenom or a placebo, had similar improvements in pain and resolution of symptoms. [35]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Latrodectus mactans</i> Species of spider

Latrodectus mactans, known as southern black widow or simply black widow, and the shoe-button spider, is a venomous species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. The females are well known for their distinctive black and red coloring and for the fact that they will occasionally eat their mates after reproduction. The species is native to North America. The venom can cause pain and other symptoms, but is rarely fatal to healthy humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theridiidae</span> Family of spiders

Theridiidae, also known as the tangle-web spiders, cobweb spiders and comb-footed spiders, is a large family of araneomorph spiders first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833. This diverse, globally distributed family includes over 3,000 species in 124 genera, and is the most common arthropod found in human dwellings throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redback spider</span> Species of spider

The redback spider, also known as the Australian black widow, is a species of highly venomous spider believed to originate in South Australia or adjacent Western Australian deserts, but now found throughout Australia, Southeast Asia and New Zealand, with colonies elsewhere outside Australia. It is a member of the cosmopolitan genus Latrodectus, the widow spiders. The adult female is easily recognised by her spherical black body with a prominent red stripe on the upper side of her abdomen and an hourglass-shaped red/orange streak on the underside. Females usually have a body length of about 10 millimetres (0.4 in), while the male is much smaller, being only 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long.

<i>Latrodectus bishopi</i> Species of spider

Latrodectus bishopi is the scientific name for the red widow spider, which is endemic to the Florida scrub habitat of central and southern Florida, where it lives primarily in sand dunes dominated by sand pine, Pinus clausa – a type of vegetation found only in Florida and coastal Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katipō</span> Species of arachnid native to New Zealand

The katipō is an endangered species of spider native to New Zealand. It is one of many species in the genus Latrodectus, such as the Australian redback, and the North American black widow. The species is venomous to humans, capable of delivering a potentially dangerous bite. It is a small to medium-sized spider, with the female having a round black or brown pea-sized body. Red katipō females found in the South Island and the lower half of the North Island, are always black, and their abdomen has a distinctive red stripe bordered in white. In black katipō females found in the upper half of the North Island, this stripe is absent, pale, yellow, or replaced with cream-coloured blotches. These two forms were previously thought to be separate species. The male is much smaller than the female and quite different in appearance: white with black stripes and red diamond-shaped markings. Katipō are mainly found living in sand dunes close to the seashore. They are found throughout most of coastal New Zealand except the far south and west. Katipō feed mainly on ground dwelling insects, caught in an irregular tangled web spun amongst dune plants or other debris.

<i>Latrodectus geometricus</i> Species of spider

Latrodectus geometricus, commonly known as the brown widow, brown button spider, grey widow, brown black widow, house button spider or geometric button spider, is one of the widow spiders in the genus Latrodectus. As such, it is a 'cousin' to the more infamous Latrodectus mactans. L. geometricus has black and white patterns on the sides of its abdomen as well as an orange-yellow colored hourglass shape marking. Their eggs are easily identified by points that project from all over the egg sacs. L. geometricus are found all over the world, but are believed to originate in Africa or South America. Their bites, though painful, are not considered to be dangerous.

<i>Latrodectus tredecimguttatus</i> Species of spider

Latrodectus tredecimguttatus, also known as the Mediterranean black widow or the European black widow, is a species in the genus Latrodectus of the widow spiders. It is commonly found throughout the Mediterranean region, ranging from southern Iberia to southwest and central Asia, hence the name. Specimens from central Asia are also known by the binomial name Latrodectus lugubris; that name, however, is now considered improper, though it is still commonly found in the literature. Latrodectus tredecimguttatus was previously considered a subspecies of Latrodectus mactans.

<i>Steatoda</i> Genus of spiders

The spider genus Steatoda, in the family Theridiidae, includes about 120 recognized species, distributed around the world. One common name is cupboard spider, for many species build their webs in dark, sheltered, undisturbed places around the house or garden, in sheds and garages, under garden, in compost bins, and the like. Signs of the cupboard spider include small white spots of spider droppings, like small splashes of paint, on the floor underneath the web.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider bite</span> Bite caused by a spider

A spider bite, also known as arachnidism, is an injury resulting from the bite of a spider. The effects of most bites are not serious. Most bites result in mild symptoms around the area of the bite. Rarely they may produce a necrotic skin wound or severe pain.

<i>Steatoda grossa</i> Species of spider

Steatoda grossa, commonly known as the cupboard spider, the dark comb-footed spider, the brown house spider, or the false widow or false black widow, is a common species of spider in the genus Steatoda.

<i>Latrodectus pallidus</i> Species of spider

Latrodectus pallidus is a species of spider commonly found throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia. A common name in English is the white widow spider, and it is known in Russian as белый каракурт, or white steppe spider. It is a member of the genus Latrodectus, which includes species known as widow spiders, which is placed in the family Theridiidae. It occurs both in the steppes of southern Russia, Kazakhstan, and other southwest Asian countries, as well as in the desert regions of the Middle East. Compared to other widow spiders in the region, the white widow spider is comparatively rare.

<i>Latrodectus variolus</i> Species of spider

Latrodectus variolus, the northern black widow spider or northern widow, is a venomous species of spider in the genus Latrodectus of the family Theridiidae. The population is closely related to the southern black widow, Latrodectus mactans, and the western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus, of the genus.

<i>Latrodectus hesperus</i> Species of spider

Latrodectus hesperus, the western black widow spider or western widow, is a venomous spider species found in western regions of North America. The female's body is 14–16 mm in length and is black, often with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the lower abdomen. This "hourglass" mark can be yellow, and on rare occasions, white. The male of the species is around half this length and generally a tan color with lighter striping on the abdomen. The population was previously described as a subspecies of Latrodectus mactans and it is closely related to the northern species Latrodectus variolus. The species, as with others of the genus, build irregular or "messy" webs: unlike the spiral webs or the tunnel-shaped webs of other spiders, the strands of a Latrodectus web have no apparent organization.

<i>Latrodectus indistinctus</i> Species of spider

Latrodectus indistinctus is a species of spider in the family Theridiidae, found in Namibia and South Africa. It is one of six species of Latrodectus found in southern Africa, four of which, including L. indistinctus, are known as black button or black widow spiders. Like all Latrodectus species, L. indistinctus has a neurotoxic venom. It acts on nerve endings, causing the very unpleasant symptoms of latrodectism when humans are bitten.

<i>Latrodectus renivulvatus</i> Species of spider

Latrodectus renivulvatus is a species of spider in the family Theridiidae, found in Africa, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is one of six species of Latrodectus found in southern Africa, four of which, including L. renivulvatus, are known as black button or black widow spiders. Like all Latrodectus species, L. renivulvatus has a neurotoxic venom. It acts on nerve endings, causing the very unpleasant symptoms of latrodectism when humans are bitten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latrodectism</span> Medical condition

Latrodectism is the illness caused by the bite of Latrodectus spiders. Pain, muscle rigidity, vomiting, and sweating are the symptoms of latrodectism.

<i>Steatoda capensis</i> Species of spider

Steatoda capensis is a spider originating from South Africa. Its common names include the black cobweb spider, brown house spider, cupboard spider and due to its similarities to the katipō spider it is commonly known as the false katipō in New Zealand. Common throughout Southern Africa, it has been introduced into other countries and is now present in Australia and throughout New Zealand. It is a small spider, usually an all-over shiny black. It may have a small bright red, orange, or yellow patch near the tip of the abdomen along with a crescent shaped band near the front of the abdomen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spiders of Australia</span>

Australia has a number of highly venomous spiders, including the Sydney funnel-web spider, its relatives in the family Hexathelidae, and the redback spider, whose bites can be extremely painful and have historically been linked with deaths in medical records. Most Australian spiders do not have venom that is considered to be dangerously toxic. No deaths caused by spider bites in Australia have been substantiated by a coronial inquest since 1979. There are sensationalised news reports regarding Australian spiders that fail to cite evidence. A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia published by CSIRO Publishing in 2017 featuring around 836 species illustrated with photographs of live animals, around 381 genera and 78 families, introduced significant updates to taxonomy from Ramirez, Wheeler and Dmitrov.

Latrodectus revivensis, also known as the desert widow, is a species of venomous spider belonging to the Latrodectus genus and located in the Negev desert and the Arava valley (Arabah).

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Further reading

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