Latrodectus pallidus

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iWhite widow spider

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Theridiidae
Genus:	Latrodectus
Species:	L. pallidus

Binomial name

Latrodectus pallidus
O. P.-Cambridge, 1872

The spider Latrodectus pallidus, commonly known in English as the white widow spider (and known in Russian as белый каракурт, or white steppe spider), is one of the widow spiders in the genus Latrodectus. This species is commonly found throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia. It occurs both in the steppes of southern Russia, Kazakhstan, and other southwest Asian countries, as well as in the desert regions of the Middle East. Compared to other widow spiders in the region, the white widow spider is comparatively rare.

1 Description
2 Medical significance
3 In literature
4 Miscellanea
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Description

Unlike most species of widow spider, which are dark in colouration; the white widow spider is light-coloured, with colouration ranging from beige to white, though with darker legs. The spider lacks the bright red markings found on other widow spiders such as the black widow, the redback spider, or L. tredecimguttatus. Other than colouration, the white widow is similar in appearance to other spiders of the genus.

[edit] Medical significance

Like all Latrodectus species, L. pallidus has a bite which is venomous and can injure humans. While not nearly as toxic as the bite of L. mactans or L. hasselti, the white widow's bite is medically significant and can kill children and the infirm. Toxicology studies have reported that the venom of the white widow is similar in structure to L. tredecimguttatus ^[1]. However, a poster published by the Egyptian Society of Natural Toxins describes L. pallidus venom as "moderately venomous", whereas L. tredecimguttatus is described as the most venomous spider in southern Europe.^[2]

[edit] In literature

In the Harry Potter series of books, it is claimed that the bite of the white widow spider will turn any man into the "quivering love slave of the first woman whom he laid eyes upon, after the spider leaves her venom." ^[3]