12/29/2023 0 Comments Recent news about spider bits us![]() Black widow spiders thrive in warmer climates, and except in Antarctica, exist on every continent. Treatment ranges from simple analgesia to the administration of antivenom.Īpproximately 2600 Latrodectus-species exposures are reported to the National Poison Data System (NPDS) each year. Symptoms of envenomation range from local irritation and pain to a more systemic syndrome termed “latrodectism.” Latrodectism is characterized by variations in presentations ranging from autonomic disturbances to widespread pain and rigidity. Females have more prominent venomous glands, longer fangs and a body size that can reach up to 20-times larger than their male counterparts. ![]() The female gender of the species is the most dangerous, compared to their male counterparts. They have fangs and venomous glands sufficient to cause harm to humans. Black widow spiders range from 5 to 15 mm (0.25 to 0.50 inch) in length. Interestingly, this species is well known by the phenomenon of the female spider devouring the male spider after mating, thereby making her a widow. The Black Widow, or Latrodectus mactans, is easily identified by its characteristic shiny black body and strikingly red hourglass-shaped marking on the abdomen. The genus Latrodectus derives its ubiquitous nickname “black widow” from its physical characteristics. Within the United States, it is responsible for most of the clinically significant envenomation among all species of spiders. There are more than 30 different types of black widow spiders worldwide however, not all species are as relevant due to their separation from human habitat. Clinically, it is one of most significant species of spiders worldwide. The spiders are good at reproducing, so people in the Southeast should expect to come into close contact with them whether they want to or not, Frick said.įrick predicted that, over time, the spiders will adapt to human behavior and become less of a nuisance.The black widow spider species, also known by its biological nomenclature as the Latrodectus species is one of more than 40,000 different species of spiders. “In my opinion, I do not think they would be found further north than North Carolina or towards the west,” she said. Jorō spiders can tolerate a brief freeze, but not much more, said Anne Danielson-Francois, an associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Michigan in Dearborn. “Although it can withstand somewhat colder climates, I doubt it could withstand the climatic conditions found in the northern and western US,” Cushing said. While the study showed the spiders can travel farther north, some experts are not convinced that will happen on a large scale. ![]() “The biggest danger to humans is that you might get a face-full of lovely golden silk if you walk through the web,” she said in an email. These spiders can be considered more of a nuisance, as they build three-dimensional webs in open spaces such as some hiking or biking paths, Cushing said. The only time they will bite a human or household pet is when they are actively being constrained, he added. However, the spider’s fangs are virtually incapable of breaking human skin, Frick said. Florence Goisnard/AFP/Getty ImagesĪmazon near tipping point of shifting from rainforest to savannah, study suggests She was not involved in the study.Īerial view showing a boat speeding on the Jurura river in the municipality of Carauari, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, on March 15, 2020. Jorō spiders are venomous, meaning they can poison certain creatures like insects for a meal, according to Paula Cushing, senior curator of invertebrate zoology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. “The reality of the situation, though, is that for every spider that we might see being transported, there are likely 10 more that evade detection,” he said. Last summer, a UGA graduate student accidentally transported a Jorō to Oklahoma, Frick noted. They may attach themselves to a car or shipping container to get around, he said. ![]() While the spiders may only move a couple miles this way, they can go much farther with humans. These arachnids have two modes of transportation: ballooning and hitching a ride from people.īallooning is when newly hatched spiderlings generate thin silk threads that they use as parachutes to travel using wind, Frick said. No one knows exactly how the spiders originally traveled halfway around the world, but Frick suggested they likely came from a shipping container. “In light of this, people should not embark on spider genocide - all this would achieve is the needless killing of a beautiful animal,” he said. Jorō spiders are not a threat, and there is no data to prove they are harmful to the environments where they’ve moved, according to Frick. In his research, Frick determined that the Jorō spider can exist in colder climates, too, which is why a spread to the Northeast is possible. A new species of tarantula discovered by Thai YouTube star ![]()
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