Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (Rossi, 1790)
Description
Male
Colouration as in female, but opisthosomal blotches whitish.
Body length male: 4-7 mmFemale
Vulva: 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 mmAdditional information
In 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.
Distribution
Phenology
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Figures
Pedipalp, prolateral view
(Levy 1998c)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Levy 1998c)
Pedipalp, apical view
(Levy 1998c)
Opisthosoma, dorsal view
(Levy 1998c)
Opisthosoma, dorsal view
(Levy 1998c)
Opisthosoma, lateral view
(Levy 1998c)
Opisthosoma, ventral view
(Levy 1998c)
Opisthosoma, ventral view
(Levy 1998c)
Opisthosoma, ventral view
(Levy 1998c)
Habitus, dorsal view
(Levy 1998c)
Epigyne
(Brignoli 1967c)
Epigyne, ventral view
(Levy 1998c)
Epigyne, variation, ventral view
(Levy 1998c)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Brignoli 1984b)
Vulva, ventral view
(Brignoli 1984b)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Levy 1998c)
Prosoma, dorsal view
(Levy 1998c)
Chelicera
(Levy 1998c)
Habitus
(Levy 1998c)
References
Blagoev G, Deltshev C, Lazarov S, Naumova M (2018) The spiders (Araneae) of Bulgaria. Version: August 2018. National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Online at http://www.nmnhs.com/spiders-bulgaria/ (accessed on 10.9.2018)
Brignoli P M (1967c) Notizie sui Theridiidae del Lazio (Araneae). Fragm ent 4: 177-197
Brignoli P M (1984b) Ragni di Grecia XII. Nuovi dati su varie famiglie (Araneae). Revue Suisse de Zoologie 91: 281-321
Danışman T, Kunt K B, Özkütük R S (2018a) The checklist of the spiders of Turkey. Version 2017 [last updated 2 September 2018], online at http://www.spidersofturkey.info
Helsdingen P J van (2010a) Araneae. In: Fauna Europaea Database (Version 2010.1), online at www.european-arachnology.org
Isbister G K, White J (2004) Clinical consequences of spider bites: recent advances in our understanding. Toxicon 43: 477–492
Le Peru B (2011) The spiders of Europe, a synthesis of data: Volume 1 Atypidae to Theridiidae. Mém Soc Linn Lyon 2: 1-522
Levy G (1998c) Araneae: Theridiidae. In Fauna Palaestina, Arachnida III. Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem.
Nentwig W, Gnädinger M, Fuchs J, Ceschi A (2013) A two year study of verified spider bites in Switzerland and a review of the European spider bite literature. Toxicon 73: 104-110
Otto S (2017) Caucasian spiders. A faunistic database on the spiders of the Caucasus Ecoregion. Database version 08.2017. Internet: caucasus-spiders.info.
Pantini P, Isaia M (2017) Checklist of the Italian spiders (version May 2017). online at http://www.museoscienzebergamo.it/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=96&Itemid=94 
World Spider Catalog (2018) World Spider Catalog, version 19.5. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (15.07.2018) doi: 10.24436/2