- Latrodectus pallidus
Taxobox
name = White widow spider
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Arthropod a
classis =Arachnid a
ordo = Araneae
subordo =Araneomorphae
familia =Theridiidae
genus = "Latrodectus "
species = "L. pallidus"
binomial = "Latrodectus pallidus"
binomial_authority = O. P.-Cambridge, 1872The spider "Latrodectus pallidus", commonly known in English as the white widow spider (and known in Russian as белый каракурт, or white steppe spider), is one of the
widow spider s in the genus "Latrodectus". This species is commonly found throughoutNorth Africa , theMiddle East , and centralAsia . It occurs both in thesteppe s of southernRussia ,Kazakhstan , and othersouthwest Asia n countries, as well as in thedesert regions of the Middle East. Compared to other widow spiders in the region, the white widow spider is comparatively rare.Description
Unlike most species of
widow spider , which are dark in colouration; the white widow spider is light-coloured, with colouration ranging from beige to white, though with darker legs. The spider lacks the bright red markings found on other widow spiders such as the black widow, theredback spider , or "L. tredecimguttatus". Other than colouration, the white widow is similar in appearance to other spiders of the genus.Medical significance
Like all "Latrodectus" species, "L. pallidus" has a bite which is
venom ous and can injure humans. While not nearly as toxic as the bite of "L. mactans" or "L. hasselti", the white widow's bite is medically significant and can kill children and the infirm. Toxicology studies have reported that the venom of the white widow is similar in structure to "L. tredecimguttatus" [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9190786&dopt=Citation Isolation and partial structures of major toxic components of "Latrodectus pallidus" venom (Russian)] . However, a poster published by the Egyptian Society of Natural Toxins describes "L. pallidus" venom as "moderately venomous", whereas "L. tredecimguttatus" is described as the most venomous spider in southern Europe. [http://groups.msn.com/Egyptiansocietyofnaturaltoxins/venomousspidersofegypt.msnw Venomous Spiders of Egypt]References
External links
* [http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog/BIB5.html The World Spider Catalog]
* Pictures of white widows: [http://www.faunalabs.com/photos/a331ltp.html] [http://www.faunalabs.com/photos/a331ltpgal2.html]
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