Loxosceles deserta

Loxosceles deserta
Loxosceles deserta
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Sicariidae
Genus: Loxosceles
Species: L. deserta
Binomial name
Loxosceles deserta
Gertsch, 1973
Range of L. deserta within the United States shown in yellow. Mexican range not available.

Loxosceles deserta, commonly known as the desert recluse, is a brown spider of the Sicariidae family.[1]

The desert recluse is commonly misidentified as L. unicolor (of South America)[2] or as L. reclusa (the brown recluse of the southern and midwestern states), two spiders which do not live anywhere near the vicinity.[2]

Distribution

This spider can be found in the eastern half of southern California, the southern tip of Nevada, and the western half of Arizona, as well as the southwestern corner of Utah.[3][4]

It dwells mainly in the wild, and its only domestic occurrence is that near native vegetation, avoiding urban areas in the desert and even green lawns.[2] The spiders are particularly dense in packrat dens.[5]

Venom

Lesions of the skin can be caused by the venomous bite of the desert recluse.[6] For more detailed information on the bite of this and other brown spiders, see Recluse spider#Venom components and effects.

References

  1. ^ Norman I. Platnick (2011). "Family Sicariidae". The World Spider Catalog, version 11.5. American Museum of Natural History. http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/SICARIIDAE.html. Retrieved March 3, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c R. S. Vetter (2008). "Spiders of the genus Loxosceles: a review of biological, medical and psychological aspects regarding envenomations" (PDF). Journal of Arachnology 36 (3): 150–163. doi:10.1636/RSt08-06.1. http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v36_n1/arac-36-1-150.pdf. 
  3. ^ Chris Wirth (October 7, 2005). "Distribution of brown spiders native to the United States". BugGuide. http://bugguide.net/node/view/33527. Retrieved March 3, 2011. 
  4. ^ Ingi Agnarsson, Jonathan A. Coddington & Laura J. May-Collado (2007). "Elongated pedicillate setae: a putative sensory system and synapomorphy of spiders" (PDF). Journal of Arachnology 35 (3): 411–426. doi:10.1636/SH07-01.1. http://theridiidae.com/Publications_files/Agnarssonetal2007c_1.pdf. 
  5. ^ Jennifer Parks, William V. Stoecker & Charles Kristensen (2006). "Observations on Loxosceles reclusa (Araneae, Sicariidae) feeding on short-horned grasshoppers" (PDF). Journal of Arachnology 34 (1): 221–226. doi:10.1636/S04-32.1. http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v34_n1/arac-034-01-0221.pdf. 
  6. ^ F. E. Russell, W. G. Waldron & M. B. Madon (1969). "Bites by the brown spiders Loxosceles unicolor and Loxosceles arizonica in California and Arizona". Toxicon 7 (2): 109–117. PMID 4241848. 


Stub icon This spider–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.