Latrodectus mactans
Latrodectus mactans | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Theridiidae |
Genus: | Latrodectus |
Species: | L. mactans
|
Binomial name | |
Latrodectus mactans |
Latrodectus mactans, known as southern black widow or simply black widow, and the shoe-button spider,[citation needed] 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.[2]
Taxonomy
Latrodectus mactans was first described by
Description
The body length (excluding legs) of the mature female is 8–13 mm (0.31–0.51 in), and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) for males. Legs are long in proportion to body.[5] Females are shiny and black in color, with a red marking in the shape of an hourglass on the ventral (under) side of her very rounded abdomen.[6] There is much variation in female size, particularly in egg-carrying (gravid) females. The abdomen of a gravid female can be more than 1.25 cm (0.5 in) in diameter. Many female widows also have an orange or red patch just above the spinnerets on the top of the abdomen.[7] Juveniles have a distinctly different appearance from the adults; the abdomen is grayish to black with white stripes running across it and is spotted with yellow and orange.[7] Males are either purple, or closer to the appearance of the juveniles in color.
The web of the black widow spider is a three-dimensional tangled cobweb of exceptionally strong silk.[8]
Range
The southern widow is primarily found in (and is indigenous to) the
L. mactans, along with L. hesperus and L. geometricus, is established in the Hawaiian Islands (USA).[13][14] One pathway of entry into Hawaii for at least one of these black widow species is imported produce[15] (which is also considered an important potential pathway for widow spiders elsewhere).[16]
Reproduction
When a male is mature, he spins a sperm web, deposits semen on it, and charges his
Prey
Black widow spiders typically prey on a variety of insects, with a preference for fire ants if extant,[
Natural enemies
There are various
The
Toxicology
Although the reputation of these spiders is notorious and their venom does affect humans, only mature females are capable of envenomation in humans; their
There are a number of active components in the venom:
- Latrotoxins
- A number of smaller cationchannels, which can affect the functioning of calcium, sodium, or potassium channels.
- Adenosine
- Guanosine
- Inosine
- 2,4,6-trihydroxypurine
The venom is neurotoxic.
References
- ^ a b c "Taxon details Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius, 1775)", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 28 January 2016
- ^ "Black Widow Spider, HYG-2061A-04". Archived from the original on 21 August 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
- ^ Fabricius, J. C. 1775. Systema entomologiae, sistens insectorum classes, ordines, genera, species, adiectis, synonymis, locis descriptionibus observationibus. Flensburg and Lipsiae, 832 pp. (Araneae, pp. 431–441). [432]
- ^ Kaston, B. J. (1970). "Comparative biology of American black widow spiders". Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History. 16 (3): 33–82.
- ^ "Latrodectus mactans (Southern Black Widow) – Spider Identification & Pictures". spiderid.com. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ "Southern black widow spider". Insects.tamu.edu. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
- ^ a b "Widow Spiders". Ext.vt.edu. Archived from the original on 18 October 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
- ^ "Black Widows Spin Super Silk. Science News". 31 December 1996. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ "Southern black widow". entnemdept.ufl.edu. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ Marion H., Luis (3 February 1980). "Aracnoidismo en la Republica Dominicana" (PDF). Medicina al Dia (in Spanish). BVS. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Inirio, Juan Ramon (6 November 2009). "Detectan la peligrosa viuda negra". El Nacional (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- .
- ^ Tenorio, Joanne M., and Gordon M. Nishida. 1995. What's Bugging Me? Identifying and Controlling Household Pests in Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press (Honolulu). 184+7 pp. illus. (publisher's listing Archived 23 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ Scott, Susan, and Craig Thomas, M.D. 2000. Pest of Paradise: First Aid and Medical Treatment of Injuries from Hawaii's Animals. University of Hawaii Press (Honolulu). 190+xii pp. illus. (publisher's listing Archived 5 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ Honolulu Star-Bulletin. 6 November 2008. Creepy critter caught in grapes.
- ^ Import Health Standard Commodity Sub-class: Fresh Fruit/Vegetables Table grapes, (Vitis vinifera) from the United States of America—State of California Archived 6 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine (Issued pursuant to Section 22 of the (New Zealand) Biosecurity Act 1993; Date Issued: 18 August 2005).
- ^ "Black Widow Spiders". DesertUSA.
- ^ McCorkle, Matthew (17 October 2002). "Latrodectus mactans". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ Foelix, R. (1982). Biology of Spiders, pp. 162–163. Harvard University, U.S.
- ^ Bibbs, Christopher; Buss, Lyle (August 2015) [2012]. "Widow Spider parasitoids Philolema latrodecti" (PDF). University of Florida. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
- ^ a b Louis A Coticchio, Richard Vetter, Deby L Cassill (2023) Predation by the introduced Brown Widow Spider (Araneae: Theridiidae) may explain local extinctions of native Black Widows in urban habitats. Annals of the Entomological Society of America https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saad003
- PMID 22897057.
- .
- PMID 14301291.
- PMID 6381753.
- PMID 14298228.
External links
- Fact Sheet on the Black Widow Spider includes information on habits, habitat and threats
- Latrodectus Mactans on Pterodattilo
- University of Washington Burke Museum spider myths
- Black Widow Spider Venom and Bites Intoxication Treatment
- Information on black widow spider bite in eMedicineHealth
- Latrodectus mactans on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures website.