Colouration as in female, but opisthosomal blotches whitish.
Body length male: 4-7 mmVulva: spermathecae contiguous. Prosoma black, glossy, slightly longer than wide. Prosoma 3-5.2 mm long. Legs black, glossy. Opisthosoma black, dorsally with 3 longitudinal series of red blotches, sometimes these blotches are absent and the opisthosoma is entirely black, ventrally with a red blotch behind epigastric furrow, opisthosoma covered with both long hairs and short bifid hairs.
Body length female: 7-15 mmIn dry habitats, dunes, sandy beaches, shingle beaches and on low vegetation.
This species can bite humans, as also all other Latrodectus species in the world. Often, a bite causes significant effects, with severe and long-lasting pain in two-thirds of cases, preventing patients from sleeping in one-third of cases. Pain increases in more than half of the cases within the first hour and mostly radiates into the limbs or abdominal pain develops. Typical symptoms include sweating in about 70% of cases and further systemic effects in 20–30% of cases (nausea and vomiting in less than 20%, raised temperature and neuromuscular effects in about 10%, hypertension in less than 10% of cases). Pain usually lasts 1–2 days and the other symptoms 1–4 days. In Europe, bites have become very rare in the last decades. If needed, a symptomatic medical treatment is recommended.
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