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 ...

Introduction: Black widow spider bites cause severe poisoning (latrodectism) with symptoms such as muscle spasm, rigidity, pain, vomiting, hypertension, and tachycardia. Although Latrodectus mactans (L. mactans) is the most well-known species to latrodectism, it has not been reported in Turkey. We report a case caused by tredecimguttatus tredecimguttatus) known be Turkey for first time literatu...

Although spider bites can produce dermonecrotic wounds, the differential diagnosis of such lesions is extensive. Most of the conditions in the differential are far more common than spider bites. Thus, we suggest that you approach the complaint of a "spider bite" with a skeptical eye. Here we describe the clinical features of spider bites and summarize the treatment options. We also examine the ...