The eggs of black widow spider (L. tredecimguttatus) have been demonstrated to be rich in toxic proteinaceous components. The study on such active components is of theoretical and practical importance. In the present work, using a combination of multiple biochemical and biological strategies, we isolated and characterized the proteinaceous components from the aqueous extract of the black widow ...

BACKGROUND Brown recluse spider bites are a serious medical problem in the southeastern United States. Although most bites are asymptomatic, envenomation can result in a constellation of systemic symptoms referred to as loxoscelism. Patients can also develop necrotic skin ulcers (necrotic arachnidism). These ulcers are often difficult to heal and can require skin grafting or amputation of the b...

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 ...

Abstract Invertebrates that successfully colonize new habitats often share life history characteristics including high fertility, rapid development, and early maturation. Since its introduction into Florida, USA, the non-native Brown Widow, Latrodectus geometricus (Kock 1841, Araneae: Theridiidae), has rapidly expanded range urban areas as far north Kansas west California. During expansion, Wid...

Spiders commonly disperse on silk lines as juveniles by means of rappelling or ballooning. These modes dispersal, especially long-distance dispersal via ballooning, can greatly increase the distance an individual move and, at population level, speed range expansion and likelihood gene flow. Nevertheless, few studies have examined how spiders under field conditions, which environmental meteorolo...

Native grasslands are among the most imperiled of the North American ecosystems, but abandoned agricultural areas may provide suitable habitat for animal taxa that are endemic to grasslands. We studied how species diversity of orb-weaving spiders was influenced by secondary succession of a grassland plant community by monitoring the abundance and species diversity in study plots that were culti...