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Spider Bites

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Arthropods and Human Skin

Abstract

For centuries spiders have been the subjeet of superstitious fear by man. In many parts of the world there has been good reason for this fear, because several species have caused human death by their bite. For example, the black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) in its various forms has caused death in many countries. The notorious Australian funnel-web spiders (Atrax robustus and A. formidabilis), the Phoneutra and Loxosceles spiders in South America and Harpactirella in South Africa have all killed many people in their respective regions. This is to say nothing of the suffering induced in the far larger number of victims who did not succumb to bites. With the exception of Loxosceles spiders and, to a very secondary extent, of Latrodectus, none of the dangerous arachnids affect the skin, except in so far as the venom is injected through the skin. Bite marks, often practieally invisible, are inevitable, and very occasionally evanescent bruising or even an urticarial reaction may be seen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Glasgow, UK

    John O’Donel Alexander MB, ChB, FRCP (Glasgow) (Emeritus Consultant Dermatologist, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Lately Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Dermatology)

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  1. John O’Donel Alexander MB, ChB, FRCP (Glasgow)
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© 1984 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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O’Donel Alexander, J. (1984). Spider Bites. In: Arthropods and Human Skin. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1356-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1356-0_14

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