Brown hermit spider

Representatives of the genus Loxosceles from the family of brown hermit spiders are also known by the name of reapers and violin spiders, some of which are dangerous to humans. The most famous brown hermit spider is Loxosceles reclusa, which is one of the 3 most poisonous arthropod species in the United States. "Prizes" he shares with his "brother" the Chilean hermit (Loxosceles Laeta) and black widow. More poisonous only brazilian wandering spidersbut they don’t live in North America.

Habitat

Hermit spiders are residents of warm regions in the Old and New Worlds, although this concept is relative. Territories inhabited by members of the genus Loxosceles include states with a continental climate. Frosts in the range of brown hermit spiders can reach -38 ° C.

Loxosceles Reclusa was introduced by humans onto the African continent and into South America. Therefore, today representatives of this species can be found on 3 continents.

On a note!

In natural conditions, spiders hide under stones and snags. But in settlements, they crawl into a person’s houses, where they build nests in basements. You can meet a hermit spider even in a bed under a pillow, if he crawls there. The brown spider Loxosceles reclusa can only bite a person for self-defense, if you try to catch or crush him.

Appearance

Name Loxosceles reclusa the biggest spider in the world will not work, especially in comparison with tarantula. The body length of brown hermit spiders living in the warm regions of the United States is 7-12 mm. Paw span up to 20 mm. As can be seen in the photo of the hermit spider, on the upper part of the cephalothorax he has a specific pattern resembling a violin. Because of this drawing, arthropods got their other name: violin spider. But the picture cannot serve as a reliable identification sign of this genus of arthropods, since it is also present on representatives of other families and genera. And on some hermits there is no “violin” pattern.

Interesting!

In the genus Loxosceles, there are only 3 pairs of eyes, instead of "laid" 4. The eyes are divided into 2 groups of 3 in each. Chelicerae are small and rather weak. Most representatives cannot even bite through human skin. Paws are quite long, but not interfering with active work, number of legs - 8, which is typical for all species of spiders.

Color can vary even within the same species and depends on the surrounding area. Color happens:

• brown
• gray
• dirty yellow.

Even dark green individuals come across.

On a note!

A brown spider with long legs is a Chilean species of a hermit.

By poisonousness, the “Chilean” is somewhat inferior to the brown fellow. In many bites, the Chilean hermit was unjustly accused, as some other spider or insect appeared to be the “culprit”. But there are allegations that the bite of the "Chilean" leads to death in 3 out of 10 cases.

Among the "American" hermits there is a red-colored spider (loxosceles rufescens) living in Hawaii. It is also inferior in toxicity to brown.

Mediterranean

In Russia, hermits come across as brought along with fruits from warm countries, except for the Mediterranean species Loxosceles rufescens. The Mediterranean hermit is found in the warm regions of Russia, and has also settled around the world with the help of humans.Arthropod small. It has a red-brown color. Sometimes the color of an individual of this species may be yellow-brown. Toxicity is not confirmed.

On a note!

The brown hermit spider is often called another species belonging to the genus Coelotes from funnel families.

190 species of the genus Coelotes are distributed almost throughout Europe, but their bite does not pose a danger to humans. Arthropods hide in natural shelters, and it is difficult for a person to cross with them unless you specifically catch an animal.

Hermit Lifestyle

The brown spider prefers to settle in nooks, where weaves a messy web for catching small insects. But he prefers active hunting. For this reason, it is often found in human homes. Males spend much of their time hunting, leaving the web. Females prefer to hunt near the nest. Lead a nocturnal lifestyle.

The lifespan of most species is 1.5-2 years. The brown hermit lives 7 years.

Breeding

Arthropods of the genus Loxosceles breed from May to July. For 2-3 months, the female makes several cocoons with 5 eggs in each. She places them in her web. The presence of cocoons with eggs is the reason why the female can inflict a bite on her own initiative.

Spiders hatch 30 days after masonry. Young growth reaches puberty only after a year of life.

Interesting!

Brown hermits can live without water and food for about 6 months. In the laboratory, a copy of this species lasted 5 years.

Due to global warming, scientists have expressed concern about the expansion of the range of Loxosceles Reclusa. But spiders of this species do not use cobwebs for settling through the air over long distances. Therefore, the world is threatened only by the increased density of spiders in their original territory.

Consequences of a bite

What happens after the bite of a hermit spider depends on how efficiently he hunted. That is, from the presence of poison. If the hunt was successful and the poison was used to capture the victim, the attack may go unnoticed. If the spider is hungry and has a lot of poison, the consequences of a bite can be much harder. With a large amount of poison, a necrotic ulcer forms in the affected area.

Since these spiders are often confused with other species, there is a serious discrepancy in the sensations of a person during a bite. Some people feel it like the pain of a wasp sting; for others, it goes unnoticed.

The action of the poison appears 2-8 hours after the bite. The victim appears:

• fever;
• nausea;
• malaise.

On a note!

Further hemolysis and thrombocytopenia develop. On the spot spider bite a gangrenous scab appears, further developing into a necrotic ulcer. The size of the ulcer can reach 25 cm. Healing takes from 3 months to six months. In place of an ulcer in the muscles, a cavity remains forever.

With a weakened body due to the occurrence of internal bleeding after a bite, a fatal outcome is possible.

Help with a bite

First of all, you need to try to catch the object so that the doctors in the hospital can determine which serum to inject. If it was not possible to catch, ice is applied to the bite site to slow the spread of the poison. After which, or simultaneously with the search for ice, they cause emergency care. But more often, bites either pass without consequences, or go unnoticed.