Article
Entomology
Jalil Nejati, Ruben Bueno-Mari, Masoud Salehi, Mohammad Reza Akbari, Mehran Shahi
Summary: This study reports the first case of Latrodectus cinctus Blackwall, 1865 bite and clinical treatment from Iran, as well as provides new information on the geographical distribution of this species.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Monica A. A. Mowery, Valeria Arabesky, Tamir Rozenberg, Yael Lubin, Michal Segoli
Summary: This study investigated the mechanisms behind lower parasitism rates in invasive species compared to native species. The two potential mechanisms tested were density-dependent parasitism and preference for human-dominated habitats.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Monica A. Mowery, Valeria Arabesky, Yael Lubin, Michal Segoli
Summary: The study found that the invasive brown widow spider had a lower susceptibility to egg sac parasitoids compared to the native white widow spider, potentially due to better defenses and fitness advantages gained from parasitizing the native species.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Daisuke Hayasaka, Tomoki Numa, Takuo Sawahata
Summary: The study found that the impact of fipronil on Latrodectus spiders was two to four orders of magnitude lower than bifenthrin. Spider communities were more sensitive to bifenthrin than fipronil. Effective chemical control of invasive Latrodectus spiders should take into account fipronil dosages and target species sensitivities.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Claire Moen, J. Chadwick Johnson, Jennifer Hackney Price
Summary: The steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) controls molting in arthropods and its production is influenced by environmental factors. The relationship between 20E levels and spiderling development under different temperatures was examined in the Western black widow spider. It was found that high temperatures influenced 20E levels and had negative effects on spiderling development. Differential effects of temperature on pre-molt and intermolt 20E titers suggest distinct hormonal mechanisms underlying the physiological response to heat in spiders.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Senthurran Sivalinghem, Andrew C. Mason
Summary: This study investigated male signal characteristics, production mechanisms, and transmission efficacy on webs of western black widow spiders. Results showed that males displayed three distinct signal types and organized them into structured displays during later phases of interactions, challenging previous findings of lacking structure in courtship vibrations. Transfer function analyses demonstrated high efficacy in transmitting male signals through female webs, suggesting emergent forms of signal complexity in vibratory communication in L. hesperus.
Article
Biology
Zhongkai Wang, Kesen Zhu, Haorong Li, Lei Gao, Huanying Huang, Yandong Ren, Hui Xiang
Summary: We present the first chromosome-level genome assembly of a black widow spider, providing valuable resources for studying spider genome evolution, in particular the diversification of venom and web-weaving patterns. This high-quality genomic data also has great potential for further applications in spider biomass.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kamila Wisniewska, Malgorzata Siatkowska, Piotr Komorowski, Kinga Napieralska, Katarzyna Kasperkiewicz, Kinga Surmiak-Stalmach, Grazyna Wilczek
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the proteome changes in the hemolymph of female Steatoda grossa spiders chronically exposed to cadmium and copper, as well as additional immunostimulation. The expression of numerous proteins was altered in both cadmium-intoxicated and copper-exposed spiders, with these proteins mainly overexpressed in the hemolymph of the exposed spiders. Immunostimulation did not significantly affect the number of proteins with altered expression in metal-intoxicated individuals. The observed changes indicate a protective function of hemolymph proteins in S. grossa spiders under metal exposure conditions.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Louis A. Coticchio, Richard Vetter, Deby L. Cassill
Summary: Invertebrates that colonize new habitats successfully often possess characteristics such as high fertility, rapid development, and early maturation. The non-native Brown Widow spider has rapidly expanded its range in urban areas in the USA, displacing native Black Widow spiders. This study suggests that aggressive predation by Brown Widows is a significant factor contributing to the local extinction of Southern Black Widows.
ANNALS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alejandro Olvera Rodriguez, Mitzi G. Amaro Ruiz, Melisa Benard-Valle, Edgar Neri-Castro, Felipe Olvera Rodriguez, Alejandro Alagon
Summary: In this study, the researchers successfully produced alpha-latrotoxin (aLTx) and two of its fragments in a bacterial model, and obtained hyperimmune sera capable of neutralizing the venom of Latrodectus spiders. They found that the hyperimmune sera produced using the complete aLTx and the LTxNT fragment effectively prevented death in mice envenomated with the venom, while the serum produced using the LTxAnk fragment only provided partial protection and delayed time of death.
Article
Ecology
Melissa Sadir, Katharine A. Marske
Summary: Urbanization plays a significant role in facilitating the success of invasions, weakening the significance of climate on the realized niche in the invaded range. The distribution of the non-native brown widow is strongly constrained to urban environments, while native widow distributions are more strongly driven by climatic factors. This study highlights the importance of urbanization in biological invasions and its impact on native species distributions.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Zichang Li, Ingi Agnarsson, Yu Peng, Jie Liu
Summary: This paper reports on eight cobweb spider species building a detritus-based, bell-shaped retreat in China, including five new species and three known species. The type of bell-shaped retreat is rare in theridiids and is found only in four related genera. This study suggests future research on the evolution of the retreat and related traits.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christopher de Tranaltes, Jessie Dunn, Jake M. Martin, J. Chadwick Johnson
Summary: The study on sibling cannibalism in urban and desert black widow spiderlings exposed to extreme temperatures found significant impacts of temperature, habitat, and family of origin on cannibalism behavior. It showed that spiderlings in urban families were more cannibalistic under higher temperatures compared to spiderlings from desert families. Understanding these behaviors can aid in developing effective pest control strategies and shaping urban biodiversity.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ilia Rochlin, William Hockett, Arie Francis
Summary: Black widow spiders are not only found in southern or western United States, but also in more temperate regions like northern USA and Canada. Climate change is causing these spiders to expand their range northward, increasing the risk of human encounters. Healthcare workers should be aware of potential black widow spider envenomation cases, even in more northern areas.
Article
Entomology
Sebastian L. Torres, Abraham Landeros, Eleanor J. Penhallegon, Kaleth Salazar, Lindsay M. Porter
Summary: This study found that latrotoxin expression profiles differ within and between widow species. Alpha-LTX was expressed in all tissues across all life stages for both species, with no LIT expression detected in eggs and delta-LIT only detected in females. The data provide insight into specific latrotoxins contributing to toxicity profiles in each species at different life stages.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
