Loxosceles laeta (Nicolet, 1849)
Description
Male
Embolus slightly curved, distinctly longer than width of bulb, spermophor with basal loop within bulb and simple apical part following the embolus, spermophor opening retrolaterad. Male metatarsus I slightly curved and with ventral row of stronger macrosteae. Prosoma and legs bright yellowish to orange or reddish brown. Opisthosoma grey to white
Body length male: 5.0-12.0 mmFemale
Vulva with slender tubular median spermathecae, the latter widening apically and bending medially, as well as with short lateral receptacles, these latter partly with more than one apex.
Body length female: 5.0-12.0 mmAdditional information
This species of South American origin is not native to Europe (alien species). It had been introduced to Europe at least once and did establish.
Distribution
Figures
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Gertsch & Ennik 1983)
Pedipalp, distal view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Pedipalp with tibia, patella and femur, prolateral view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Bulbus
(Gertsch & Ennik 1983)
Bulbus, prolateral view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Palpal tibia, dorsal view
(Gertsch & Ennik 1983)
Habitus
(Gertsch & Ennik 1983)
Habitus, dorsal view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Habitus, frontal view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Habitus, ventral view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Vulva
(Gertsch & Ennik 1983)
Vulva
(Gertsch & Ennik 1983)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Habitus
(Gertsch & Ennik 1983)
Habitus, dorsal view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Habitus, frontal view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Habitus, ventral view
(Jäger unpubl.)
Distribution List
"No references" does not mean that the species does not occur in this country, but that we have not yet inserted the reference for it. We are working on it.
References
Gertsch W J, Ennik F (1983) The spider genus Loxosceles in North America, Central America, and the West Indies (Araneae, Loxoscelidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 175: 264-360 
Huhta V (1972) Loxosceles laeta (Nicolet) (Araneae, Loxoscelinae), a venomous spider established in a building in Helsinki, Finland, and notes on some other synanthropic spiders. Annales Entomologici Fennici 38: 152-156
Jäger P (unpubl.)
Koponen S, Fritzén N R, Pajunen T (2016) Checklist of spiders in Finland (Araneae). 6th version, December 2016, online at http://biolcoll.utu.fi/arach/checklist_of_spiders_in_Finland.htm
WSC (2026) World Spider Catalog. Version 27. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (13.2.2026) doi: 10.24436/2
Zamani A, Koponen S (2025) First Nordic record of Pandava laminata (Araneae: Titanoecidae), with a synopsis of anthropochorous species of spiders in Finland. Arachnologische Mitteilungen 69: 5-9