Brown Widow Spiders Arrive in Louisiana
May 11, 2007
Scientists at the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center (LSU
warning people in Louisiana to be on the lookout for a new, potentially
dangerous invader: the brown widow spider (Latrodectus
geometricus). The brown widow spider is a close relative of the more
well-known black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans).
The brown widow spider apparently has traveled from Florida to
Louisiana. Both the brown widow spider and black widow spider are
venomous and kill their prey using a neurotoxin. The neurotoxin
(latrotoxin) causes a massive release of the neurotransmitter called
According to experts at the LSU AgCenter, brown widow spiders can be
found in brush piles, crawl spaces, and under chairs, flower pots, eaves
and porch railing. However, brown widow spiders are shy, less likely to
bite and deliver less venom in their bites than black widow spiders.
Did you know?
- A black widow spider bite usually first feels like a pinprick and then
causes swelling. A few hours after a bite, a person may feel pain and
stiffness and have chills, fever, nausea and stomach pain. However, these
spider bites are rarely deadly.
- No one in the United States has died of a black widow spider bite in
the last 10 years. (Source: California Poison
- According to the National
Institutes of Health, a person bitten by a black widow spider should
seek immediate emergency medical treatment and then "wrap ice in a
washcloth or similar material and place it on the bite area. Leave it on
for 10 minutes and then off for 10 minutes. Repeat this process."
- The scientific name of the black widow spider, Latrodectus
mactans comes from a mixture of Latin and Greek words, meaning
"deadly biting robber." (Source:
Rohou, A., Nield, J., and Ushkaryov, Y.A., Insecticidal toxins from black
widow spider venom, Toxicon, 49:531–549, 2007.)
The brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus, comes from words
meaning "geometric biting robber."
References and more information:
Says Louisianans Should Watch Out For Brown Widow Spiders - LSU
AgCenter Press Release
- Neurotoxins - Neuroscience for Kids
- The Synapse - Neuroscience for Kids
Copyright © 1996-2007, Eric H. Chudler, University of Washington