Nr. 0660 van 1 402

Mediterranean recluse

Loxosceles rufescens

Oor die naam: The specific name rufescens means "reddish", referring to the colour of the species.1

Maak net seerDit maak seer, maar dit sal jou nie ernstig skade doen nie.

Spinnekoppe

ByteEet: Insekte

Gevaar vir mense: PynlikDit kan regtig seermaak, maar dit is amper nooit ernstig nie.

The Mediterranean recluse spider is a small spider that comes from the Mediterranean region. It has spread to many parts of the world through human travel and trade, and it is listed as one of the most invasive spiders in the world. Its bite can cause skin damage, so it is worth knowing what it looks like.1

Leef in

Mediterranean and western Asia; now also Madagascar, south-east Asia, Australia, islands and North America1

Europa, Asië, Afrika

Tuis

It usually lives in caves, basements and tunnels, and prefers warm, generally dry weather. Where it is not native, it is often found in damp places such as basements, where it hunts cockroaches and silverfish. In 2021, spiders of this species were found in a university library basement, which led to the library closing for two days.1

Lengte

7 mm tot 7,5 mm (0,3 in tot 0,3 in)1

Topspoed

omtrent 0,8 km/h (0,5 mph)

Op land, rowwe skatting

Wat eet dit?

It is an active hunter that goes out at night to catch and kill insects, rather than waiting in a web. It mainly targets smaller insects, such as silverfish and cockroaches, because their soft bodies are easier to overcome.1

Foto van Mediterranean recluse — Mediterranean recluse. Foto: Ludivine Lamare. CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist.

Hoe om dit te herken

A medium-sized spider with three pairs of two eyes arranged in a triangle, instead of the usual eight eyes1
A violin-shaped pattern on the front part of the body (cephalothorax)1
Adults of both sexes grow to about 7 to 7.5 cm... no, 7 to 7.5 mm long1
Its web is very thin and fragile, made of silk strands laid in a disorganised way1

Word dikwels verwar met: It is nearly indistinguishable in appearance from the brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa). Pest control for one can often be adapted for the other.1

Gifkrag

Byte

Gif kom deur sy giftande of tande uit wanneer dit byt.

Wat doen sy gif as dit byt of steek?

Its venom contains an enzyme called sphingomyelinase D, which causes necrosis, meaning the death of skin and other tissue around the bite. Most cases are medically insignificant. In some cases, penetrating pain starts 2 to 8 hours after the bite, followed by burning, and the area becomes red and painful. A blister may form that turns dark blue with a sunken centre over several days. In rare cases, the blood and kidneys can be damaged, which can lead to kidney failure.1

Hoe gevaarlik is dit vir mense?

Gevaar vir mense: PynlikDit kan regtig seermaak, maar dit is amper nooit ernstig nie.

Most bites are medically insignificant, but some people are affected much more seriously. In 2024, the species was blamed for the deaths of two people in Italy.1

As dit byt

Was die byt en sit 'n yspak daarop vir die pyn. Kry mediese hulp as die pyn erg is, versprei of die persoon sleg voel.

Bel altyd eers jou noodnommer (112, 000, 911). Dit is algemene noodhulpraad, nie mediese advies nie. Noodhulp-basiese beginsels

Bly veilig

Moet nooit aan 'n wilde dier raak, dit vang of terg nie, selfs nie 'n kleintjie nie, en selfs nie as dit lyk of dit slaap of dood is nie.
Gee dit spasie. As jy een raakloop, bly kalm, stap stadig terug en laat dit sy eie pad gaan.
As een jou byt: bly kalm, bly stil, bel jou noodnommer (112, 000, 911) of kom vinnig by 'n hospitaal uit. Onthou hoe dit gelyk het, 'n foto help.

Dit is nie uit om jou te kry nie. Dit gebruik sy gif om kos te vang of om homself te beskerm, en kruip baie eerder weg. Meer oor veilig bly

Waar in die wêreld?

Afrika Asië Europa Noord-Amerika Suid-Amerika Australië & Oseanië

Hoe groot is dit?

Hoe lank is dit?

klein genoeg om op jou vingernael te sit

Hoe groot is Mediterranean recluse in vergelyking met JOU?

Net wiskunde in jou blaaier. Niks word gestoor of enige plek heen gestuur nie.

Hoe vinnig is dit?

'n Skilpad omtrent 0,3 km/h (0,19 mph)

Mediterranean recluse omtrent 0,8 km/h (0,5 mph)

'n Mens wat loop omtrent 5 km/h (3,1 mph)

die moeite werd om te weet

Feite

It is listed as one of the most invasive spiders in the world.1

It can survive for long periods without food and water, which makes it hard to control in homes.1

Young spiders shed their skins several times as they grow, and these skins often look pale and ghostly.1

Males hunt more actively than females, partly because they are also searching for a mate.1

Vir gifkenners

Wetenskaplike naam: Loxosceles rufescens
Groep: Spinnekoppe
Familie: Sicariidae2
Orde: Araneae
Kontinente: Europa, Asië, Afrika
Babas: Egg sacs contain about 40 eggs, which take a few weeks to hatch, depending on the temperature.1
Hoe dit in die natuur gaan: Least Concern (South African National Biodiversity Institute)1
Gevaar vir mense: 2 / 5: Pynlik3

Waar die feite vandaan kom

Mediterranean recluse spider (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
Loxosceles rufescens (iNaturalist): name en klassifikasie.
Venom Wiki: die gevaarvlak, die tipiese grootte en die spoedskatting is ons eie. Kyk hoe ons dit uitwerk: Hoe ons gevaar gradeer.

Elke feit op hierdie bladsy het 'n nommer wat na sy bron wys. As ons iets verkeerd het, jammer, ons is dierfanatici, nie 'n wetenskaplike joernaal nie. Laat weet ons by [email protected] en ons maak dit reg.

Die skerpioen is honger! Venom Wiki is 'n eenmanprojek: gratis, sonder advertensies en sonder spoorsnyers. 'n Klein fooitjie help om dit aanlyn te hou.Voer die skerpioen