Tarantulas have recently become as pets in most parts of the world that increased the probability of encountering emergency physicians with patients hurt with these spiders. Their attacks usually do not cause general manifestation, however there are some case reports in this regard. Here, a 40-year-old man was reported who was referred to the emergency department with severe periumbilical pain ...

Latrodectus tredecimguttatus, commonly known as black widow spider, is well known for its dangerous bite. Although its venom has been characterized extensively, some fundamental questions about its molecular composition remain unanswered. The limited transcriptome and genome data available prevent further understanding of spider venom at the molecular level. In the present study, we combined ne...

The evolution of specialized tissues with novel functions, such as the silk synthesizing glands in spiders, is likely an influential driver of adaptive success. Large-scale gene duplication events and subsequent paralog divergence are thought to be required for generating evolutionary novelty. Such an event has been proposed for spiders, but not tested. We de novo assembled transcriptomes from ...

The spider Latrodectus hesperus Chamberlin & Ivie (Araneae: Theridiidae) was subjected to low and ultralow oxygen (ULO) treatments at different temperatures. Complete control of the spiders was achieved in 24-h ULO treatments with 0.5% O2 or lower at 1 degrees C and in a 24-h low oxygen (2%) treatment at 15 degrees C. Oxygen level and temperature greatly affected spider mortality. At 1 degrees ...

Seven high molecular weight neurotoxins which stimulate secretion of various neurotransmitters were isolated from the venom of black widow spider Latrodectus mactans tredecimauttatus. Among them a-latrotoxin is very specific for vertebrate while latroinsectotoxins are active only for insects, a-latrocrustatoxin affects crustacean nerve endings. Latrotoxin preparation consists of 130 and 8 kD pr...

During a 6-mo period, 2,055 brown recluse spiders, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik, were collected in a 19th-century-built, currently occupied home in Lenexa, KS. We conservatively estimate that at least 400 of these spiders were large enough to cause envenomation. Additional collections from more typically infested homes in Missouri and Oklahoma in 2001 yielded 45 and 30 brown recluse sp...

The effect of black widow spider venom (BWSV) on the junctions of the lobster nerve-muscle preparation was studied by intracellular recordings. After application of BWSV both excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (epsp and ipsp) were augmented then suppressed. The frequency of miniature potentials was markedly increased by BWSV. Summated postsynaptic conductance changes appeared to ...

Venomous animals account for considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Snakes alone are estimated to inflict 2.5 million venomous bites annually, with approximately 125,000 deaths. The actual numbers may be much larger. Southeast Asia, India, Brazil, and areas of Africa lead the world in snakebite mortality. It is impossible to estimate the worldwide morbidity and mortality resulting from...

Spider bite is common, but most spider bite is minor and causes nothing more than local irritation. Bites from brown recluse spiders (Loxosceles reclusa) result in several clinical manifestations, they possess a venom capable of causing painful, disfiguring necrotic ulcers and, uncommonly, severe systemic effects[1-3]. The diagnosis of a spider bite is typically made on historical and epidemiol...